Regina called the police informing them about the new clue she had found out about in the gardens and then walked up to the room again with waves of anxiety torturing her mind and body.
She walked in the room pretending to look at her phone and didn't even talk to Emma or Henry. She just headed out to the balcony silently.
"So any luck with your walk at the gardens?"
Emma followed her outside and asked her while massaging her shoulders smoothly.
"I found a hunting knife... the same one that our killer used to hurt Briana."
She replied and kept looking at the screen of her phone. She kept scrolling down the internet checking at the summer collection of Chanel.
Emma cleared her throat uncomfortably and sat down next to her.
"I'm sorry... I had no idea he was gonna fly all the way here to see me."
"It's kinda sweet. At least he's still the same old Henry I know."
She forced a smile and let her sight wonder around the ocean view.
"I can rent another room for the next couple of days till he's gone. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable around him."
Emma tried to help.
"No. I can handle him."
Regina replied firmly.
"You can talk to me you know. How are you feeling?"
"Like I got run over by a bus."
Emma nodded and cracked her knuckles.
"Vanessa called."
She tried to change the subject.
"And?"
"Briana is awake and she claims that she remembers a couple of things. We should go over the hospital and interrogate her."
"What about Henry?"
"He is gonna be alright on his own. There are multiple activities around here that can keep him busy as long as we are gone."
Regina nodded her head and stood up. She fixed her hair and turned off her phone placing it inside her purse.
"We should go."
Regina said and started walking towards the front door. Emma grabbed her hand pulling her back and pulled her inside a war embrace.
"It's gonna be okay. I'm here for you."
"I'm fine."
Regina said in a trembling voice. Emma cupped the brunette's cheeks and placed a soft peck on her lips. Regina didn't seem to respond. The blond woman frowned.
"Ey! Looks like I don't deserve a kiss.."
"No. You got a family that cares about you Miss swan. Don't ruin your happy ending."
Before emma got the time to fight back Regina had already exited the room. Emma followed her annoyed and ten minutes later after a silent and quite uncomfortable ride they reached the central hospital. They used the stairs to reach Briana's room and walked in the room holding their notebooks all professionally.
"How are you feeling?"
Emma asked and sat down on the edge of the bed. Briana forced a smile and tightened her grip on the white sheets.
"The painkillers are not helping anymore."
She managed to say through greeted teeth but kept smiling not losing hope for a second.
"Alright miss Anderson... can you describe me what happened the night you got abducted?"
Regina preferred to skip the socializing part and head straight to the important stuff.
"What happened to you?"
Briana asked and raised an eyebrow looking at Regina with a huge question mark on her face.
"Wha-what?"
Regina asked back retaining her professional face.
"You look white as a paper."
"Family problems."
Regina replied and rolled her eyes.
"Can I help?"
"Miss Anderson I'm not here to open up about my feelings and personal life, I'm here to do my job! Now please can you answer to my question?"
Briana blushed embarrassed and continued.
"So... The night you guys shared a drink with us was perfect... until you and Emma left! Sabrina was tired so I suggested that she should go upstairs to get some sleep and that I would finish my drink and join her afterwards. She agreed of course and we
Split our ways... 30 minutes later I finally finished my drink... my head was heavy, and everything seemed blurry. I don't tend to drink that much but for some reason I was in the mood to get waisted that night.. I guess I was having fun. I payed the check and started heading upstairs when I realized that the front door of the hotel was locked. Or at least I was unable to open it. I had to exit the bar area and walk all the way inside the gardens till the garage. There's an emergency door down there that leads straight to the living room area. I felt like there was someone following me but every time I looked behind me there was no one there. So I guessed that it was just my brain playing games on me. I reached the ending of the gardens and felt a pair of strong arms grabbing me from my waist and closing my mouth with a wet rug. As soon as I smelled the essence of the rug everything went black and I fainted. The next thing I remember is myself waking up inside a wooden cabin... and Sabrina being unconscious and tied up on a chair across the room. There was a guy in there that soon approached me and offered me water. I was extremely thirsty so I took a sip. I couldn't see his face. He was wearing a dark green hoodie and a brown leather jacket above it. His face was covered with a black fabric that allowed him to see and talk. He didn't hurt me. Not then. He said that we were part of his experiment... no one was paying we were just helping him to get what he wanted. He asked us to play a game. He showed us pictures of random people and asked us if we recognized anyone. In the end... there was a picture of Regina... he asked us if we knew you. I lied. I fucking lied cause I wanted to protect you! I didn't find it suspicious until then... he started screaming and breaking things as soon as I lied and he kept calling me a liar. He said that he knew that we had met... till then I thought that your name was Trina... when he called you Regina I thought that there was just a similarity between you two but looks like you're the same person. As soon as he had a mental breakdown he drugged us and then... I ended up in the hospital. I just want to make sure that Sabrina is okay... please... she's all I have..."
The petite woman broke down in sobs and covered her face with the white sheets trying her best to keep her dignity. Emma glanced over at Regina who looked quite shock. The possibilities that robin was behind all these were increasing day by day.
"Honey... is there anything else you remember about that man? Anything would be helpful."
Emma continued and rubbed Briana's shoulder encouraging her to carry on.
"Ugh..."
She sniffed.
"When he handed me the glass of water I noticed a mark on his wrist. There was a lion tattoo on his left wrist... as soon as I noticed the mark he hid it with his other hand. He obviously didn't want anyone to notice."
Briana finished her sentence exasperated and kept crying. Poor thing... her eyes were filled up with pain. She had nothing to do with that case! But still... she was the victim because someone else wanted to play dirty. Regina's jaw dropped. She turned towards Emma while her skin was getting even more white. The very next moment she rushed outside of the room, and run towards the bathroom. She kneeled down in front of the toilet and threw up her guts.
Emma held her forehead and kept rubbing Briana's hand with her thumb.
"Thank you! That was extremely helpful to be honest. Was there anyone else inside the room except you him and Sabrina?"
Emma asked.
"Ugh.. I could hear another man's voice... but he never entered the main room. I barely remember his voice I'm sorry... I'm tired... I can't do this anymore... I just want to be alone."
She pleaded Emma and cried inside her hands. The door of the room opened up as an older woman walked inside with a worried look on her face. She looked at Emma and gave her the evil eye.
"Are you a cop?"
"Ugh kinda."
"Get out!"
The older woman demanded and rushed at Briana's side.
"Mum relax... she's just asking me a couple of questions about their case. It's alright."
"I said out!! You need rest Briana! I don't want anyone walking in here to ruin your mental stability without my permission! You need to remain peaceful for now!"
The older woman scold her daughter and pushed emma towards the door.
"Wait ma'am! I was just trying to help!"
"I don't give a fuck."
She shut the door and locked. Emma shrugged her shoulders and sighted annoyed. People need to lear some manners she thought. She stuck her palms inside the wholes of her red leather jacket and paced around the hospital looking for Regina.
The brunette woman came out of the bathroom and wiped her mouth with a piece of paper. Her eyes were teary and her face reddish. She was clearly not that good.
"Hey. How are you feeling?"
Emma approached her rubbed her shoulder.
"It was Robin. He escaped prison... it's him. All these people are paying because of me!"
Regina mumbled no walked towards the car.
"Hey hey! You can't just start blaming yourself again! That man is a psycho Regina!"
"A psycho I created. All this is happening because of me... because of my mistakes. Can you blame him?"
She stopped walking looking at Emma in embarrassment.
"Well yes! I hated you as well but I didn't commit a series of crimes in order to get to you."
Regina just nodded and got in the car resting her head on the upper part of the seat. She breathed heavily resting her eyes and rubbed her aching stomach irritated.
Emma started the engine and opened the window for the brunette to breathe better.
"We're gonna find him. He can't hide forever."
"He's smart... that asshole is very smart... he's coming for me Emma. And I will not allow him hurting you or Henry! If what he wants is me I prefer to surrender in order to stop all that madness."
Emma held Regina's hand.
"No. What makes you think that he's gonna stop Regina? He's gonna kill you and then what? Killing became an obsession to him. Every serial killer is obsessed with the power of controlling somebody's life. Surrendering is not the answer. We are going to stop him."
"Hurray! Go get him savior."
She rolled her eyes and said ironically.
Emma smiled sneakily at Regina's comment and squeezed her hand inside her own.
"We got this madam mayor."
Regina opened her eyes and glanced over Emma with a tiny grin on her face. She wouldn't let the savior to notice that she was actually enjoying her former nickname... but she did.
They drove back to the hotel and parked the car.
"Get upstairs, get some rest and I'll bring you food from the restaurant!"
"I'm not hungry."
Regina whined.
"Regina you're sick! Get upstairs and don't make me say this twice!"
Regina grinned and grabbed her purse.
"Yes ma'am."
She rushed upstairs and unlocked the room to find Henry laying on their king size bed while playing video games on the huge tv screen hanging from the wall.
"Did you have fun while we were gone?"
She said hesitantly.
"Ugh sure."
"What are you playing?"
She asked again.
"God of war."
It was getting on her nerves. She hated when Henry spent the entire day in front of the tv but this time she couldn't just scold him. She didn't have the right. She nodded her head and walked outside in the balcony. Darkness covered the entire sky as night time arrived. The stars were shining giving the sky a beautiful dark color.
She placed her feet on the table and found a comfortable position on the plastic chair. She was lost in her thoughts when she heard a familiar voice coming from behind her.
"Can I join you?"
She turned around and saw Henry looking at her with a small awkward grimace on his face...
-To be continued
