Room 9 by Clifford Beck - HTML preview

Chapter 18

The group, minus one, had moved on to another lab. They had become so engrossed in the science they were being introduced to that no one noticed John's absence. With a cafeteria nearby, their new guide gave them an hour to eat and relax. As they stood in line, it was Kate who noticed that they were one short of their group.

“Uh, guys,” she said. “Where’s John?”

They glanced around, hoping to see him somewhere in the cafeteria, but could not be found.

“Shit,” Kate said. “Where did he go?” Ethan spoke up with a concerned voice.

“Well, he couldn’t have gone far, right?”

Kyle was next, but his concern seemed half-hearted. “Can we eat first, then look for him?” Kate became furious at his lack of concern.

“Kyle,” she said. “Don’t be an asshole. We’ll eat later.” This brief exchange caught Elaine’s attention, approaching the group with grave concern.

“What’s going on, guys?” she asked. Kate looked at her as Kyle looked away with an anxious expression. “I think we lost John,” she replied. Elaine quickly went from concerned to frustrated.

“What do you mean, you lost John?” Kate’s voice began to stammer as she began to feel the pressure of a responsibility that was not hers. Her mother was there as chaperone and the responsibility for the teen's safety fell to her.

“Hey,” Kate said. “This isn’t my fault. You’re supposed to be the one in charge.”

In spite of Kate’s angry words, her mother knew she was right and, taking a few minutes to calm herself, asked where Doctor Greer was. The response from the group was silence. As the teens broke off for lunch, their new guide seemed to have vanished, and it was imperative that he be notified as quickly as possible.