I pushed the cuff on my arm as far up as possible and tried again. This time my fingertips were able to make it over the top. Curling my fingers, I pulled back, but the drawer wouldn’t budge. I slumped over as I realized it was locked.

“God, fucking dammit! Ahh!”

The sound of my screaming was drowned out by the “Sunshine” song playing on a loop. It was loud enough to rival any concert. I once liked this song, and he was ruining it for me. Giving up on the escape plan, for now, I searched for the clothes he mentioned. My now buttonless blouse was hanging open, and I shivered and wrapped my arms around myself.

Poking my head around the corner toward the bathroom, I stared at the pitch-dark space and swallowed hard. Even though I knew he wasn’t down here, the images of what could be waiting for me inside that bathroom felt like shit could still get a whole lot worse. Sucking it up, I took a step around the corner, and an overhead light flicked on, illuminating the simple hallway. I glanced up at the light built into the ceiling before finally focusing on the blinking light in the corner.

Motion sensor and a camera—of course, there would be a camera. There were probably many hidden in here.

Taking a few more steps, I paused when another light came on. I didn’t know what was better, the pitch black or the spotlights, but they made everything outside of their glow seem darker. I placed my foot over the threshold of the bathroom doorway like I was in the movie Escape Room and expected the floor to drop out or something to try to cut off my head.

Just like the other lights, as soon as the sensor picked up my movement, the light flickered on and showed off a simple bathroom. Soft grey walls with crisp white accents and a few little decorative things gave me pause. A picture hanging on the furthest wall looked like blood splatter had been framed. Given the house I was in, there was the distinct possibility that was exactly what that was—blood. I yelped when the light outside the door turned off and then the next until I understood what it was like to be inside a glowing fishbowl and unable to see what was coming in the darkness.

Stop it, Kirby, you’re a bloody FBI agent. Newbie or not, you need to pull your shit together.

Taking a deep breath, I straightened my spine and marched to the sink and the awaiting clothes. Biting my lip, I gave the picture on the wall another look and reached for it and the metal frame, but it was just out of reach. Only my fingertips grazed the surface.

Son of a bitch, he already thought of all of this. He’s fucking toying with me.