CHAPTER 386: THERE WILL BE A PAYBACK SOON

Carol's eyelids fluttered open, the harsh fluorescent light above sending a jolt through her head. Nausea washed over her, and she squeezed her eyes shut again, willing it to pass. A dull ache throbbed behind her right eye, a constant reminder of the blow that had taken her down. Disoriented, she tried to sit up, but the dizziness spun the room. Groaning, she sank back down, her heart hammering against her ribs. Panic clawed at her throat. Where was she? The room was bare, with with white walls adorned only with a single dusty window near the ceiling. The only furniture was a metal cot, the kind you'd find in a cheap motel and the one she was currently sprawled on. Memories flooded back, fragmented and terrifying. She'd been with Sasha, laughing over coffee at their usual cafe. A dark figure, a hand clamped over her mouth, the world dissolving into darkness. Then, nothing. The fear intensified. Sasha. Where was Sasha? Her gaze darted around the room, searching for any sign of her fr