𝐅𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐄𝐑| 𝐋.𝐂.

26: Under control

"Daniel?" Brooke says in a groggy voice as she looks up at us.

"Hey. It's me, Brooke. Everything's okay. You just came out of hypnosis." Daniel says.

"What?" She says, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion.

"Here. Give her some water." I tell Daniel as I hand him the bottle.

"So, what do you remember?" Daniel asks her and she rejects drinking some water.

"I remember a cave. There was a cell. Marcus wouldn't let me out." She says and my face drops.

"And what did he want from you?" Daniel asks.

"He kept apologizing, but he wouldn't let me go." She says in a shaky voice as her voice cracks.

"Hey, it's okay. It's okay. I know it's hard." Daniel says, caressing her head.

"And then she came over." Brooke adds.

"Who?" I ask her.

"Your mother." She says to Daniel and my jaw drops as I look at him.

"Why would she do something like that?" Daniel asks her.

"Brooke was on to her. I guess she didn't have any other choice. What else can you remember about where you were? Try to think about what you saw. Sounds, smells..." I ask her.

"Yeah, um, it was dark. I heard a lot of beeping sounds, like computer sounds. I saw some light. There was a giant black rock behind a glass wall. I don't know." Brooke says, stammering as she gets up and paces back and forth.

"That sounds like the magnetite my mom discovered." I tell Daniel.

"That's what connects your mom to my mom." He says and I turn on my heels.

I need to find him.

"Wait, where are you going?" Daniel says.

"To find Marcus." I say.

"Are you crazy?" He says, his face dropping.

"I'm not afraid of him and I think he wants to help." I tell him.

"He locked me up in a cell and hypnotized me." Brooke says.

"He's also the one who gave us the keyword to wake you up. I have a feeling we can trust him." I say, shutting the door behind me.

  ||

"Is he here?" Louis asks as I stop knocking on Marcus's door.

"Uh, I don't think so." I tell Louis.

"I got the strangest note from him." He says and takes out his key and finally opens the door and we head inside.

"When did he leave?" I ask, walking around the room.

"I don't know. But he just sent me his letter of resignation." He says, holding the envelope up.

"What?" I say with wide eyes as I turn to Louis.

"That was precisely my reaction. You know, I've been working with him since the time your mother was a student here." He says.

"Yeah, I know." I mutter.

"People are so unpredictable. How could he just leave like this? Oh, I'm sorry. So, um, what did you need from Marcus? Maybe it's something I can help you with." He says to me.

"No, um, a light bulb went out in the clubhouse. I'm gonna go back. See you." I say, waving Louis off.

"See you." He says back and I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.