*Alexis's POV*

A bright light was all I saw as my eyes creaked open. My vision adjusted to the intense glow of the lamp next to me, and I noticed I was not alone. I lifted my head off the ground to get a better look. A long, light brown braid faced me. Below it, the girl's hands were cuffed together behind her back. I tried to reach forward, but found that, like her, my wrists were bound to each other. Alternatively, I nudged her back with my shoulder. She slowly rolled over to face me.

"Who are you?" I tried to call out, but found my mouth was duct taped.

The last thing I remembered was getting of the plane at JFK and walking towards baggage claim. I'd just gotten back from Costa Rica and was on my way home, but had not brought Pi. He was probably wondering where I was. I'd left him at the club four days before my flight. As I thought about this, a knot of guilt grew in my stomach. It wasn't my fault. I didn't want to leave him or make him worry, but they made me. A blocked number had texted me while we were at the club and had scared me into leaving. I was planning on calling Pi and explaining when I got home, but well that didn't work out.

"Where am I?" I tried again to speak, but it came out as a singular noise.

This time though, someone noticed. A man carrying a small, but very intimidating handgun towered above me. I felt so vulnerable, lying helpless on the ground unable to move my hands or speak. He reached down to snatch the neckline of my shirt and yanked me up, choking me in the process. He set me on the ground and pinned the gun to my back.

Turning to the mystery girl still on the ground he said, "Don't try to go anywhere," and then gestured, with the hand holding the gun, to another guard standing by the double doors. Standing up, I could see the general description of where I was. The room was lit dimly, and the walls and ceiling were dark. Even the doors were steel.

"Let's go," the man barked at me, pulling a bag over my head to prevent me from knowing my location. The heat of the gun burned into my side as we walked out.