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The pain in Jenna's stomach would intensify every so often before tapering off and becoming ignorable for a time. It emitted a grumbling sound, making her blush and apologise.

Alden laughed. "I just watched you pee in a bucket. There's no need to worry about a few bodily noises."

"You said you weren't looking." Jenna narrowed her eyes, giving him an evil stare.

Alden laughed and shrugged. "These might be my last hours. I should make the most of them, don't you think?"

"Okaaay." Jenna let out a strained chuckle, unsure what to say to that. If looking at her bum made his last day even a tiny fraction better, she would allow it, as weird and perverted as it seemed to her. "Knock yourself out."

Without warning, he took her hand and spun her into his side. Licking his lips, he stared down at her. "Since we have nothing else to do..."

Jenna pulled away, feeling her knees crick as she stood on them for the first time in hours. "We could maybe try to get out of here."

It was pointless. They both knew it was a waste of time after hours of banging and kicking at the door. Still, it was better than being seduced by this smarmy politician.

Yes, he was incredibly good looking, and she didn't have any better options available, but after everything Felix had said about him, she wasn't going to waste her last few hours on pleasing his male urges. She'd rather die with what little shreds of dignity she had left.

'You aren't going to die,' she reminded herself. 'Someone will rescue you, and even if they don't, Felix won't leave you to die down here.'

She believed this with all of her heart, despite everything she'd seen him do. He was a monster, but he wouldn't kill his own father, even if his dad was a conniving and selfish turd of a human being.

She'd spent enough time with him to realise he had redeeming qualities. He had listened to all of her silly problems and stories with interest and sympathy and had even offered advice, as strange as his words sounded.

He said that life wasn't just something that happened around you--not a random sequence of events you were strewn into and forced to react to.

"You make your own reality," he had told her. "And it sounds like there is a big part of you that wishes to be degraded and used. Until you face up to that and acknowledge that part of your being, you'll be stuck in the same cycle."

It sounded like victim-blaming on the surface, but the more she thought about it, the more she accepted it. His philosophy on life was different to most she'd heard, but somehow, it rang true to her.

He'd also explained that being sexually submissive wasn't so rare or abnormal, and he'd done so without sounding like a total sleaze bag. It was only now, as their death tolls neared, that he was starting to get desperate for one last hurrah.

Although they had talked for hours, it occurred to Jenna that he hadn't revealed much about himself. He'd told her all about the joys of raising the monster that was Felix, but nothing of himself.

"What changed you?" she asked, turning back to face him after kicking the door a couple of times.

"Changed me?" Alden smiled.

"From a vegan into a..." Jenna searched her memory for the word Felix used to describe him, but hunger and thirst were taking their toll on the ability of her mind to function.

"I grew up," he said.

"Are you implying that caring about animals and other people is childish?" Jenna asked.

Alden smiled and nodded. "Maybe I became disillusioned after trying my entire life to convince people of what should be obvious. If people don't want their lives to improve, there is little one man can do."

Jenna didn't understand, but that was probably her lack of background knowledge rather than her brain slowly shrinking from dehydration.

"But... you have a position of power now. Surely you can use that to help other people?" Jenna asked.

"Why should I?" Alden asked.

"Why not?" Jenna turned back to the door and kicked it a few times before pausing. She was sure she heard the clinking of metal in the distance.

Holding her breath, she pressed her ear up against the door.

"I think someone is coming," she whispered.

Jenna pressed her eyes shut and prayed, "Please don't be Felix."

A couple of voices sounded from the other side of the door, shouting for her to stand back.

'Kai,' Jenna thought, her heart thudding.

"They won't be able to kick it down." Alden sighed. He'd tried to kick it in numerous times, and it hadn't even wobbled. As the door came crashing into the room, he jumped back in shock.

"Jenna, Jenna!" Kai shouted, bursting into the room with a puff of concrete dust.

When their eyes met, he opened his mouth as if he was about to say something, then closed it again and scooped her up in his arms, hugging her tight.

"Umm, hmm," she struggled, unable to breathe.

"Sorry," he muttered, releasing her from his iron grip.

When Jenna turned and saw Kenny standing at his side, she threw herself at him, embracing him in her weak arms. "I'm so happy to see you guys."

When she was done with Kenny, she noticed Riley hanging back, looking about and avoiding her gaze. Memories of their last night together reddened her cheeks, but she felt like she had to hug him too. He was just as much her hero, after all.

It was awkward, and she felt Kai pulling at her wrist. "Come on."

She let him pull her out of the room and up a dark set of stairs. The only light came from a slit beneath the door at the top.

"The door was rigged to lock behind us, but don't worry... Damien called the police," Kai said.

Jenna felt a tiny shiver of panic. She was still unsure about placing her trust in Damien after everything that had happened. When she heard sirens in the distance, her heart melted. Everything was going to be okay.

She let Kai hold her, protecting her as the police and fire department cut their way into the building.

When they were finally free, she squinted against the sunlight, using a hand to shield her eyes from its harsh rays. It took a moment for her to adjust and made her head pound as she looked about.

Little silver stars began to dance across her field of vision as she moved forward, and hands pulled her onto a bed of some sort. She was confused for a moment, wondering why a bed would be situated in the middle of this site, and for a horrible moment, she feared she was back on the mouldy, stained mattress.

She felt a sharp scratch on her arm, and her eyelids became heavy.

The last thing she saw before drifting off was Kai's face creased in concern.