Alex paced nervously around the lobby. Where was Sabina? Where was Camryn? More importantly, was she okay?
Sabina finally strutted into the lobby. "Hello, Alex," she beamed.
Alex only glared at her.
"Aw, Alex, don't make that face. It doesn't suit you."
"What the hell do you want from me?"
"You know what I want."
"You know I can't give you what you want."
Sabina sighed. "Poor Camryn then. It'd be terrible to see such a pretty girl suffer."
"Don't you dare touch her," Alex growled. "I'll do anything. Just don't lay a finger on her."
"Well, there is something you can do for me."
"What?"
"Sell my father's drugs to a couple scumbags. If you do and the deal is confirmed, I'll give Camryn back."
Alex eyed her suspiciously. This wasn't the Sabina he had once been friends with. He didn't know if he could trust her word.
"You know I'm honest, Alex."
Alex sighed. "Fine. Just tell me what I have to do."
Sabina grinned triumphantly. "Follow me."
Alex followed Sabina to a cab waiting in front of the hotel. "You know where to go," Sabina said to the driver. The cab sped off.
Sabina took out her cell phone and dialed a number. "Hey, it's me. We have a change of plans… No, no, you'll get it. I'm sending a representative instead of going myself." She held the phone to Alex's ear. "Talk."
"Hello," Alex said uneasily.
"Who are you?" asked a gruff voice.
"My name is Alex."
"Keep talking."
"What should I say?"
"Anything," Sabina said. "They need to get a voice recording for later confirmation."
"Um…my name is Alex. I have no idea where I'm going. I don't know who you people are. This is really strange. I've never experienced anything like this before. Are you even listening to me?"
"Put Sabina back on."
Alex pushed the phone away from his face.
"Did you get it?" Sabina asked. "…Good. You'll get it in about fifteen minutes." She hung up.
"Where are we going?" Alex asked.
"Downtown L.A."
"What's in the morphine? That virus that you threatened to inject Cam with. What does it do?"
"Do you really want to know?"
"Why else would I be asking?"
"Well, if I told you, I'd have to kill you." Sabina stroked Alex's cheek. "You know I don't want to do that."
Alex grabbed her hand and twisted it. "Don't touch me." This was torture.
About five minutes later, the cab stopped. Sabina handed Alex a backpack and a piece of paper.
"This place is just down the road," she said. "It'll take about ten minutes to walk there. The address is on the paper. The stuff is in the backpack. If it doesn't get to my father's client, Camryn dies. Do you understand?"
Alex nodded and got out of the car. He began walking. All he could think about was Camryn.
Hang in there, Cam, he thought.
Camryn bit hard on her lip to hold back a scream. She refused to give these people the satisfaction of her pain. Something hard hit her head. She fell to floor. Stars exploded in her head. The coppery taste of blood filled her mouth. She had bit her lip so hard that she punctured it. She clenched her teeth anyway. She couldn't scream. She wouldn't allow herself to. She was grabbed by her hair and pulled up. A scream unwillingly erupted from her throat. She was flung back onto the floor.
The door of the cell opened. The three guards torturing her stopped. She was relieved for only a second. She looked up, and there was Sabina, holding a syringe of green liquid and a rubber tourniquet. Camryn almost laughed. She knew she was going to get a good taste of hell.
"Hold her down," Sabina ordered.
The three guards pinned Camryn to the floor. She wanted to fight back, but she was too hurt. Sabina tied the rubber tourniquet around Camryn's upper arm. Then she sat down beside Camryn.
"Now let me tell you what this is," Sabina said smugly.
"Do I want to know?"
"Probably not. I just thought you should know. This is a virus called Ryu."
"Dragon? Why would you name a virus 'dragon?'"
"I don't know. I didn't name it. A man by the name of Tai Hiroshi engineered it."
"Bastard…" Camryn muttered.
"My father has mixed this virus into morphine to kill drug users. He thinks it'll make the world a better place. I have to say, he's getting old and delusional."
"So you're just giving me a butt-load of morphine and a virus."
"Not quite. This is just pure Ryu virus – no morphine."
"Oh great. Now what the hell does that mean?"
Sabina smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It only takes the Ryu virus about thirty minutes to attack your body. First, you'll get a headache. It's not just an annoying twinge, but it's a full blown headache like you're head is going to explode."
"Oh, that's pleasant."
"Then you will have difficulty breathing for about fifteen to twenty minutes. After that, you'll have terrible pain. It'll start in your chest. It'll spread to your entire body."
"Heh, I never liked pain."
"Next, you'll vomit blood."
"Oh wow. You people are psycho. I should recommend you to a psychiatric ward."
"The pain will go away after a while."
"Oh, thank God!"
"Then your body begins to shut down. You'll only have ten minutes to live."
"Oh, I can't wait…"
"I have enough of your sarcasm!" Sabina shouted.
"Jeez, chill, woman!"
Sabina pinned Camryn's arm down and inserted the needle.
"Hey! Are you certified to handle a syringe?! You could do some really damage with that!" Camryn cried.
Sabina ignored her and injected the virus. She pulled out the needle and bandaged Camryn's arm.
"Don't worry, you'll be fine until the virus kicks in."
"Jesus Christ! You tell me not to worry?! You really are psycho. I really don't understand what Alex ever saw in you."
"Shut up! You bitch!"
"Sabina, don't swear. It doesn't suit you."
Sabina took out her phone and dialed a number. "Hello, Alex."