The Innocent Target

Chapter Thirteen

"Hey." He felt a tap on his shoulder as he enjoyed a small nap. Snapping his eyes open, he stared up at her small figure. She was in a red sweater now that was fitting perfectly against her structure and jeans under.

"What?" He asked.

"Do you have a laptop or something?"

"What?" He sat up.

"Do you have a laptop?" She spoke loudly, emphasizing words.

"Stop yelling."

"I thought you went deaf in your sleep. And I don't know good sign language." She shrugged, "Didnt want to be offensive, y'know."

He shook his head.

"Why do you need one?" He yawned a little.

"Well, I was thinking, I can't be the only girl Derrick had an eye on. He must've been playing catch the fish and taking a dip every now and then."

"What're you saying?"

"I think, there might be more girls missing from the building. I knew this girl, Alicia, she was so pretty and then one day, she just stopped coming. When one of my coworkers asked, our administrator said that she quit."

"Maybe she did." He mumbled, checking his watch. Time was five in the afternoon.

"Or she didnt. I thought i could see if there are missing reports dating from this year back."

"No one reported you missing." He suggested.

"Ouch." She nodded, "And you dont know. Maybe there is someone who reported any one of them."

"You're looking for bad hay in a stack of hay." He licked his teeth.

"Vincent, look at me." She sighed, "Even you can't believe that they would go through all this trouble to pick up someone like me."

He couldn't but not for the reasons she was thinking.

He sighed, standing, he walked around to his bag and pulled out his tablet, one that was safe for her to use without getting into anything he didn't want her prying into. She thanked him and sat on her bed, crossing her legs.

"I have wifi. We leave right after sunset. Dress warm." He stood. She sniffed and nodded.

"Are you sick?"

"What?"

"You've had a red nose since yesterday."

"Oh, I'm fine. Must be the sniffles." She waved him off. He rolled his eyes and came beside her on her bed, placing two fingers on her forehead and wrist, he felt her heat. A little too much of it. Placing his forefinger and middle on her throat, he calculated her pulse. He checked her face and it wasn't just warm, her cheeks were redder.

"You have a high fever." He spoke, "Way too hot."

"Oh, thank you." She smirked. He noticed her eyes were slightly watery.

"Ill get you some Tylenol, then take a cold shower. We need to take it down before getting on the road. I can't have a sick passenger with me."

"Why? You too precious for the germs?"

"Go take a shower." He snatched the tablet from her.

"I'm fine."

"I can take you as well. Don't push me." He frowned.

"Oh, yeah?" She squinted, "I dare you." She threatened. He put the tablet aside and ran an arm around her waist before throwing her on his shoulder and heading for the bathroom.