Priya crossed her arms. “Drop the innocent act. You’re trying to freak Li out.”

Another moan.

Li scurried over to stand beside Priya. “Maybe we should go,” she said.

“No,” Xander said. “The mission is just starting. It’s an old hospital. The walls or the ceiling are shifting.”

Priya pushed Li away. “Ow! Your fingernails are digging into my skin.”

Xander peered down the passage. No sign of anything alive. Or dead.

“Text Omar,” Li said. “See if he’s okay.”

“Good idea,” Priya said. “Ask him if he can hear anything.”

Xander grabbed his phone. It was 9:07.

Where are you?

There was no reply. Not even the three dots on the screen to indicate that someone was typing. Xander waited for a few more minutes, his leg twitching. He thought he was the one who was supposed to do the scaring. Not the other way around.

“Well?” Li asked.

“He’s not replying,” Xander said. “Let me try again.”

He typed another message.

Dude. You okay?

No response.

“Maybe the cell reception in here is bad,” Priya suggested.

Li checked her phone and shook her head. “I have full bars. Let me try calling him.” She tapped her screen and placed the phone to her ear. They waited.

“He should have answered by now,” she said, lowering the phone. “Where could he be?”

Xander tried not to assume the worst. But one thing was certain. Omar was missing.

Chapter Six

Li drummed her fingers on the top of the rusty gurney. “Why isn’t he answering his phone?”

Priya placed her hand on top of Li’s to stop her nervous drumming. “Relax, Li. There could be a number of reasons he’s not answering. We might have cell coverage here, but the wing he’s in might be shielded.”

“I’m sure he’s okay,” Xander said. Then he shouted down the hallway, “How’s it going, Omar?”

No answer.

Li said, “What if he’s trapped or hurt? Remember what my mom said about all the water damage? A piece of the ceiling might have fallen on him or something.”

“The areas I marked off for the game looked pretty safe,” Xander said and then stopped. “Unless he went down one of the halls that was taped off.”

Li and Priya looked at each other. They were all starting to freak.

“Phone him again,” Priya said to Li. “Maybe we’ll hear his ringtone.”

Li did. They strained to listen for the familiar da-DA, dun-dun-dun DA da.

They thought they heard something behind them. Xander shuddered. Li clutched her phone.

“Game’s over,” Priya said. “We have to find Omar.”

“Yes,” Li said. “We can’t wait for him any longer.”

“We never should have come here,” Priya added.

Xander glared at her. He wanted to remind her that they had all agreed. Instead he said, “I’m sure he’s going to be all right.”

“Where did you send him?” Li asked.

“Room 176. Down that way.”

“Let’s go.” Li sprinted down the hall, switching on her phone light to illuminate the way. “Omar! We’re coming,” she called out.