The elevator moved and for a moment Abigail lost her balance. The effects of the needles and pins had finally left her feet. The withdrawal from the addiction had also lessened, which left her senses heightened. The unforgiving glare of the elevator's light made pain shoot through her eyes and the stinging made her eyes flutter. The smell of the vomit, especially now that she had moved and it aired out, wafted around her. The smell that seemed to attach itself to her nose made her stomach turn. Her brain felt like it was skewered and being poked with fondue forks. Suddenly she started retching, completely overwhelmed by the sensory overload.
The bodyguard named Lukas stepped back. "You better not throw up." He commanded, "The smell is bad enough as it is." The other bodyguard, Markus, reached into his pocket and pulled out a brown bag and a plastic bag. He awkwardly shook open the brown paper bag with one hand and brought it to his lips. He held the bag with his mouth, and shook out the plastic bag with his free hand. He placed the brown paper bag inside the plastic bag and held it in front of Abigail's face. "If you need to vomit, do it into the paper bag please." Markus said. Abigail took the bag from him and held it with both hands. She looked somewhat like a cat, with her back arched, dry heaving as if she had a hairball stuck in her esophagus. The sight made Lukas smile wryly. He was about to make a comment when Markus shot him a dirty look that shut him up.
When the elevator suddenly stopped it felt like gravity was increased for a few seconds. Abigail's legs felt like jelly but she managed to stand. Whenever she would lose balance, the firm hand of Markus held her up. At this point Lukas walked behind them, apparently to be prepared if she dared to run. But in reality, it was to get away from the rancid stench.
They tried to move her as fast as possible to avoid anyone seeing her. The staff here were loyal and paid enough for their secrecy. However, a quick look at history would show anyone that that wasn't always enough.
They came to a door on the end of the 13th floor. Abigail noticed the sign hanging from the ceiling. Lukas noticed what she was looking at, since he was trying his best to make sure she doesn't come in close proximity to him and also, doesn't run if Markus asked why he didn't help more. "Hotels don't have a 13th floor. No one will know that you are here, with the exception of specific staff members." He said looking at Abigail with a satisfied, smug look. He reminded her of a preditor, but a lowly one that showed weakness.
The door beeped and the three walked in. When Abigail saw the chair, further into the room, she paniced. When she looked at Markus he gave her a warning look and motioned for her to look at Lukas with his eyes. She slowly turned to the other bodyguard and saw what he was busy with. In his hands, was a handgun and he was busy fastening a silencer. "If you shout, i shoot." Lukas said matter of factly. She froze and Markus led her away. He sat Abigail down on a chair in the middle of a plastic tarp. He gagged her gently and tied her to the heavy chair.
We'll wait here till the clean up ladies come. Markus said, his tone was calm and non-threatening. Abigail began to wonder why he was so gentle and almost caring towards her. He was handsome but he was still a bodyguard of the very people who brought her here. The very people that were poisoning the population with dust. Perhaps, he didn't have a choice, she thought. The buds of Stockholm syndrome quickly starting to take root.
When Markus stepped away, she moved her feet and the rustling of the thick plastic dree her back into the reality that she was currently in. She had seen this in movies before. The tarp was usually for easy clean up. They were waiting for the cleaning ladies. She began to hyperventilate. The kidnapper had said that they would return her to dust, didn't he? Tears streamed down her dirty face. What would Audrey think? She silently cried. "Look, she's peeing through her eye sockets." Lukas said from the bed on which he sat, the pistol resting on his leg, aimed at Abigail. Markus shot him an annoyed look and said "I wonder what you would do, if it were you in that chair." His voice sounded hollow, and all the more threatening because of it. The room went silent and Abigail silently thanked him.
Twenty minutes or so passed and the door beeped. Two women in pastel pink scrubs walked in. Their hair slicked back and tied into buns. They walked with their hands neatly held in front of themselves and came to a stop next to each other, a meter away from the men. "Good day Mr. Markus, Mr. Lukas." They said in cheery unison. The greeting seemed almost like it was AI generated, because of how practiced it sounded. Lukas grinned at the two from the bed and leaned back a bit, his mouth poised as he started to form a word. But before he could annoy anyone any further, Markus spoke to the two women. "Ladies, this is Abigail." He gestured to her with his hand. "Clean her up and be polite and kind." Again, Abigail felt her heart soften towards the man and her mind made more excuses for his life choices