Chapter 47

Once he'd eaten, he'd napped. And he'd awoken with a surfeit of energy and anxiety. Bella still hadn't returned to the room and his imagination was working overtime; almost as if now that his mind had turned back on, it was overloaded. He inspected every inch of the walls, including the one where they knew the television screen was, and yet couldn't find anything to help him. In fact, he couldn't even figure out how to get to the screen, which was frustrating in the extreme.

When the door finally opened, he spun around, both relieved and anxious.

Bella stumbled in, partially held up on either side by the two soldiers who were escorting her, and let out a little moan.

"What did you do to her?" Alex snapped out, jumping forward. His body tensed, he was torn between trying to grab one of the soldiers by their necks or helping Bella. They let her go and he automatically reached out and caught her. She clung to him, her smooth ski