Chapter 5 - Midnight Knock at the Wrong DoorWe retreated to our rooms around midnight. The atmosphere was thick with anxiety. Amanda’s room was down the hall, but before we parted ways, Rachel insisted she would lock all her deadbolts and stay put.
I stood in my own room, Room 1218, staring up at the ceiling. Sleep was completely out of the question. Adrenaline was pumping through my veins just like it did two hours before kickoff. The thought of some corporate sleazebag like Marcus intimidating Rachel made my blood boil.
At 1:15 AM, a sharp, heavy knock echoed down the hallway.
I rolled out of bed instantly, pulling on a pair of dark sweatpants. I crept toward the door of Room 1218, peering through the peephole.
It wasn't Marcus. It was Amanda. Her hair was a mess, her eyes wide with sheer terror.
I whipped the door open instantly. “Amanda? What is it?”
“Tyler, thank God,” she breathed, stumbling into my room and slamming the door behind her. “Someone tried to break into my room!”
“What?” My body went rigid. “Are you serious? Did you see who it was?”
“I heard the lock click! Someone was trying to pick the electronic keypad or override it with a master card,” Amanda whispered frantically, clutching my arm. “I yelled out, and I heard heavy footsteps running down the hallway toward the west wing!”
My mind raced back to Marcus Vance. If Marcus thought Rachel had the drive, and Amanda was Rachel’s best friend sharing this trip... what if they got the rooms mixed up? Just like I got the rooms mixed up earlier that evening!
“They didn't target you, Amanda,” I realized with a sickening jolt. “They targeted Rachel. But because Amanda booked adjacent rooms under her name, they got confused. They went to your room by mistake, thinking it was Rachel’s!”
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Amanda gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. “Oh my god... Rachel!”
Without another word, I bolted for the door. I didn't bother grabbing a shirt. I stepped out into the dimly lit hotel corridor in my sweatpants, marching straight toward Room 1216.
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