Wrecked

by Cynthia Eden

  Ana was quiet as she followed right with him, staying close just as she’d promised. One after the other, they searched those rooms—all were empty.

  “We need an isolation room,” he whispered, bending close to her, but making sure not to touch Ana. He wouldn’t break that vow, and one day, she would ask for his touch. “Not a normal patient room. That’s where he’d keep her.” Because the quiet room at River View had been isolated from the others.

  They turned down another hallway, a narrower one this time. A look inside the room on his right showed him four bathtubs, big, heavy tubs that were bolted into the floor. Like the stairs, those tubs were filled with a heavy layer of grime.

  And there was still no sign of Dr. Summers or their perp.

  Who in the hell was the guy? And now, since Ana had convinced him to drop the voice modulator, they knew they were dealing with a man. Cocky, taunting. The perp thought he had total control.

  He was wrong.

  As they walked in that hallway, shadows drifted through the windows. The sun was going down fast, and they needed to find Dr. Summers before they were plunged into darkness. He looked in the next room—saw a table, old straps. An overturned surgical tray.

  “I can’t believe all of this is still here,” Ana whispered.

  He could. The facility had shut down seemingly overnight. The staff had been transferred over to River View, and no one had exactly been given the time to come back for a cleanup. They’d taken all of the major equipment, but the other things . . . they’d probably figured they would sell with the building. Go for scrap.

  Only the building hadn’t sold.

  He opened another door. It gave a long, low squeak. Cash realized he was looking into . . . “What in the hell?”

  “It’s a padded cell,” Ana said. “Feel the wall, Cash. It’s soft. We are talking serious old-school here.”

  No, they were talking serious trouble. Because those padded cells had been soundproofed. If there was another one of them at Bellhaven, Dr. Summers could be in there, screaming her heart out, and they wouldn’t hear her.

  He backed out of that room and retreated to the hall. “Let’s keep going.”

  A few more empty rooms and then . . .

  “Dolls?” Ana whispered. “What the hell?”

  And there were dolls there. A whole line of dolls, with missing eyes. The dolls were set up in a nice, neat group, right beside another door.

  His gaze swept over that door. It wasn’t made of wood—it was different. Thicker. Just like the door to the padded room they’d seen moments before. He reached for the knob, but it wouldn’t turn.

  Every other door had opened easily. This one didn’t.

  Because it was getting so dim in there, he let his flashlight beam hit the doorknob.

  That’s a new knob. With a brand-freaking-new lock. It gleamed beneath his flashlight.

  “Step back, Ana,” Cash said.

  She slid back.

  He kicked at the lock. Once, twice, three times and the thing gave way. It busted beneath his kicks and the door swung open. Just as before, he saw a cavernous darkness waiting for him inside. No windows, no other door.

  Just the dark.

  He stepped inside and began swinging his light from the left side of the room. Left to right, do a full sweep and then we’ll go—

  A growl came from the darkness. Instantly, he jerked his flashlight in the direction of that growl. The light hit a figure hunched on the floor. A woman, with her dirty hair falling over her face, her upper body locked in what looked like a straitjacket.

  “That’s Dr. Summers!” Ana said and she started to rush toward the other woman.

  In that moment, Dr. Summers let out a high, desperate scream. She threw her head back and Cash’s light hit her directly in the face. Her eyes were wide, wild, and she flew to her feet, still screaming as she charged at him.

  Shit.

  He didn’t want to risk shooting her, so Cash shoved his gun into his holster two seconds before they collided. They hit the floor hard, with him on the bottom, taking most of the impact. She kept snarling and screaming, her whole body thrashing. And she was trying to bite him.

  He grabbed her shoulders and rolled with her, trapping her beneath his body and holding her down. “Dr. Summers! Dr. Summers, calm down! I’m Agent Cash Knox with the FBI. Do you remember me?”

  She stopped screaming. Her body went limp beneath his and she let out a low, mewling cry.

  What in the hell did he do to her?

  “You’re safe,” Cash told her. “My team is here. We’re going to get you out of this place, understand?”

  Tears leaked from her eyes. “Quiet . . .”

  “Is the man who took you—is he still here, Dr. Summers?”

  “Quiet . . .”

  Shit. Was she saying she was in the quiet room or that they needed to be quiet because the guy was still around? Either way, he needed to get her out of there. The victim’s safety always came first. Always.

  “I’m going to let go of you,” he explained softly, aware of Ana edging closer to them. “And you’re not going to attack again, right? I need you to stay calm, Doctor. You’re safe now.”

  Ana had her light shining down on him. He didn’t know where his light had gone—he’d dropped the flashlight when he and Dr. Summers collided. Very slowly, he eased back and his fingers slid away from Dr. Summers’s shoulders. She didn’t attack.

  She just kept crying.

  “He put her in a straitjacket,” Ana murmured. “And he left her in the dark?”

  He’d done more than that. The way the woman had attacked, the way her body shuddered . . . Cash figured the perp had drugged the doctor, too. The better to keep her controlled? Or the better to drive her out of her mind?

  “We need to get her out of that jacket.”

  Cash helped the doctor rise to her feet. She trembled against him. “It’s okay,” he said again and he reached for his phone. He needed to call the other agents and let them know she’d been located. He put the phone to his ear as Ana crept closer to the doctor.

  Ana put her hand on the other woman’s shoulder. “He’s not going to hurt you any longer.”

  The doctor’s shoulders fell. “P-please . . .” Her voice was far more subdued now. “Get me out—out of this thing!” Her body heaved as she fought against the jacket.

  His lips tightened. The call he’d made was answered and Faye said, “You found him?”

  “No, I found her. Ana and I are getting Dr. Summers out of here. You keep the teams searching.”

  Ana had moved behind the doctor. She was fumbling, pulling the twists and ties on the straitjacket.

  “Thank you,” Dr. Summers whispered.

  No more screams. No more attacks.

  “Did she say if he was still here?” Faye demanded.

  He slid the phone away from his mouth. “Dr. Summers.” He said her name, fast and hard, wanting to reach her while she seemed relatively calm.

  Relatively sane.

  Her head turned toward him.

  “The person who took you—is he still here?”

  Her gaze darted around the dark interior of the room. “I—I don’t know . . .”

  Ana pushed the jacket off the doctor’s shoulders. It hit the floor with a heavy thud.

  “How long has it been since you’ve seen him?”

  “I—I don’t . . . I don’t know. It’s just been d-dark . . . so d-dark . . .”

  He put the phone back to his mouth. “She doesn’t know. We’re getting her out, securing her. Keep searching every inch of this place.”

  He shoved the phone back into his pocket. His fallen flashlight cast a bright glow on the far wall. He bent, intending to scoop up that flashlight. But he bent in front of that flashlight, and his shadow swept behind him, big and dark on the wall.

  And then Dr. Summers screamed. High, wild, desperate.

  He spun back to face her, but—

  She was curled on the grou
nd. Her knees were tucked under her and her hands were sliding on the cold floor. “Find it . . . f-find it . . . have to f-find it . . .”

  “Cash, let’s get her out of here,” Ana said, voice shaking. “Now.” She reached out and put her hand on Dr. Summers. Ana’s hand curled around the doctor’s shoulder. “You’re safe.”

  “F-found it!” A gleeful cry.

  And Dr. Summers lurched to her feet.

  Cash had his flashlight in his hand, and the glow glinted off the object she held. Oh, fuck. “Ana, get away from her!”

  But Dr. Summers had moved so fast—and she’d caught Ana off guard. Because Ana just saw a victim, not a threat.

  Now Dr. Summers was behind Ana, the knife cutting into Ana’s throat. Ana wasn’t holding the gun he’d given her—Cash could see that she’d tucked it into her waistband. Because she didn’t see a fucking threat.

  He kept his light shining straight on Dr. Summers, and Cash aimed his gun at the woman’s head. The instant she’d grabbed Ana, he’d yanked his gun from the holster. “Let her go,” he snarled at Dr. Summers.

  “Monster, monster, m-monster,” Dr. Summers chanted. “He came . . . told me . . . monster coming. Have to stop . . . m-monster . . .”

  “I’m not a monster,” Ana said softly. Cash could see the blood dripping down her neck, but no emotion was in her voice. No pain. No fear. She was calm.

  A whole lot calmer than he was.

  I have a shot. If she doesn’t let Ana go, I will take it.

  “Monster . . . m-monster . . .”

  Because Dr. Summers was so much taller than Ana, he had a clear headshot. But she’s the victim!

  “Cash, don’t.” Ana’s voice. Quiet. Calm.

  What did she think? That he was just going to stand there and watch her die? Watch the crazed doctor slit her throat? The hell, no, he wasn’t. “I’m the monster.” He made his voice sound angry. An easy task because I’m fucking furious! “You grabbed the wrong person. You want me.”

  Dr. Summers whimpered.

  “Let her go. Come and attack me. I’m the one you want. Not her. She’s a victim.” Then, because the doctor was staring right at him, Cash made a show of slowly lowering his gun. “I’m the monster,” he said once more.

  “Uh, Cash, what are you doing?” Ana wasn’t so calm any longer. He could hear her worry. Fear.

  Fear for him?

  And what was he doing? I’m trying to save your sweet ass, baby. And if he got cut along the way, big damn deal.

  He didn’t drop his weapon, though, not yet. He just looked as if he were about to place it on the floor. “Let her go,” he said. “Come for me. Come at me. You want the monster? Then here I am.”

  Dr. Summers gave a wild cry. She shoved Ana to the side and ran at Cash, with her knife up, her hand tight, claw-like around the handle. He lifted his gun. He could shoot her. Stop her.

  But . . .

  She’s a victim, dammit. A victim.

  The knife sliced down at him. He lifted his forearm, intending to block that slice and then disarm her. The blade flew over his skin. He felt the cut burn into him and then—

  Thud.

  Dr. Summers crumpled to the ground. Ana stood behind her, the flashlight gripped in one hand, and the weapon he’d given her in the other.

  “Dammit,” Ana swore. “I bet I gave her a concussion.”

  Because she’d just driven the butt of her weapon into the back of the doctor’s head.

  “Had to stop her, though,” Ana said with a sad shake of her head. “You were working hard on some hero complex and I was afraid you were about to let her carve you into pieces. Jeez, you’re bleeding.” She reached out and touched him.

  Cash stilled. “Ana . . .”

  “What was that all about? Offering yourself up like that? Why have you gone crazy?” She yanked at his shirt, ripping some of the material and starting to wrap it around his arm. “You’re going to need stitches. You’re going to scar from that—”

  “I didn’t want her to hurt you.” He wanted to touch Ana, so badly, but he didn’t move.

  She stilled. “Don’t risk your life for me again, got it?” Then she was backing away and bending over the doctor. “She’s breathing. Hell, I didn’t want to hurt her, but she wasn’t stopping! And you weren’t fighting back.”

  He would have fought back. He just hadn’t planned to kill the doctor. He bent over her, felt for her pulse. Far too fast. “She is on something.” And that would make her dangerous until they got her to safety. He scooped the doctor in his arms, barely feeling the throb from the slice she’d given him. “Let’s get her the hell out of here.” They needed an ambulance.

  “I’m going first.” Ana hurried in front of him, her gun at the ready. “Just in case there are any more surprises waiting, I’ll make certain you’re covered.”

  Dr. Summers moaned. “M-monster . . .”

  “Don’t worry, Doc, this monster is getting your ass out of here. You will be okay.”

  A swirl of lights illuminated the exterior of Bellhaven. An ambulance roared away from the scene, taking Dr. Ellen Summers to safety. Another ambulance waited nearby, and Cash was in the back of it, growling at the tech who was trying to tend to his arm.

  Cop cars were spread out, their lights so bright. Crime teams were running into the facility, desperately searching for evidence.

  The FBI agents had finished their sweep of Bellhaven. The perp hadn’t been there, he’d obviously fled before they arrived. He’d left his victim, pumped full of who the hell knew what . . . and he’d put a knife in her cell.

  Why? Did he want Dr. Summers to use that knife on herself? Or on the people who came to save her?

  Ana breathed out slowly. In her mind, she could still see the doctor charging for Cash. And Cash—he’d had his gun lowered. He’d just been waiting for the attack. He told her to come at him. To leave me alone.

  Playing the hero.

  Or actually being a hero?

  Her hands shoved into her pockets as she strode toward the ambulance. The EMT was just finishing up with Cash’s stitches.

  “When was your last tetanus shot?” the EMT demanded.

  “I’m good,” Cash growled. “Just slap a bandage on me and I’ll get back to work.”

  The woman frowned at him, but she did roll a bandage over his wound.

  “Difficult patient,” Ana said softly.

  Cash’s gaze jumped toward her. “It’s just a scratch.”

  “A scratch that needed seven stitches,” the EMT muttered.

  Cash sighed. The EMT finished up and then he was climbing from the back of the ambulance. Ana tensed, then forced herself to relax. His blood had been on her fingers, warm and wet and terrifying her. She’d known the wound wasn’t life threatening, of course, but . . .

  His blood. Something inside of her had seemed to break as she felt his blood dripping through her fingers.

  “Thanks for the backup, Ana,” Cash said, voice a rumble.

  She shook her head. “You’re the one who made her let me go.”

  He shrugged. All of the lights in the lot let her easily see his expression. His gaze was sharp as he studied her neck.

  That wound had just been a scratch. Not deep enough for any stitches, it already stopped bleeding by the time the ambulances screeched up to the scene.

  “You put yourself at risk,” Ana said, “to protect me.”

  Once more, he shrugged.

  Her eyes narrowed. In a flash, she’d grabbed his shirt front and fisted it in her hand. “Don’t do that crap again.”

  “What?”

  “I had it handled. I would have disarmed her. You didn’t need to put yourself at risk. You didn’t need to hurt yourself for me.”

  But he laughed. A tired, rough sound. “Oh, Ana, when are you going to get it? I’d damn well do anything for you.”

  She jerked back as if she’d been burned. “What? No, no, you—”

  “Anything, Ana. With you, it’s that simple fo
r me.” Another agent called his name. Cash sighed. “Excuse me. I’ll be right back.”

  She stood there, the lights swirling around her, her head shaking in denial. No, no, no. Why would Cash say that? Why would she matter so much to him?

  Why does he matter so much to me? So much that I nearly broke apart when I found out how much he’d been hiding from me.

  Ana backed away. The cops and the FBI agents were swarming inside, and a K-9 unit had just arrived. She knew the dogs would be checking inside Bellhaven, and they’d be searching the surrounding woods, hoping to catch the killer’s scent.

  Was the killer long gone? Were they wasting their time?

  Maybe—once Dr. Summers was stabilized—she would be the key. She could tell them everything she knew about the perp who’d abducted her.

  But if we’ve taken Dr. Summers, then won’t the killer move on to his next victim?

  Her gaze returned to Cash. He was talking with the female agent she liked so much—Faye Comwell. Their heads were together as they chatted and a shiver slid down Ana’s spine. She pulled out her phone, just—just needing to look and make sure the killer hadn’t tried to call her again.

  Was she actually expecting his call now? Yes, she was, and Ana knew that was twisted.

  But we followed your clues. We came here, just where you wanted us. So now what happens?

  Her eyes closed, just for a moment, as she tried to think like the killer. She’d been so cocky when she told Cash that she understood monsters, but this particular perp, he was different.

  Why pull us out here? Did you want us to save Dr. Summers?

  It was all about payback. Vengeance. Hurting those who’d hurt others.

  Her eyes opened. She turned, staring into the darkness of the woods that surrounded Bellhaven. So who hurt you? Who had created this monster? Maybe they’d been looking at the case wrong all along. It wasn’t about who the victims were. It was about why this guy wanted to punish them so much.

  Because he’d been hurt. He’d been a victim, too.

  Bellhaven. River View. Wingate Penitentiary.

  Places picked by chance? Or places that might mean something to the killer?

  We don’t need to look at his victims, we need to look at these places. At him. Cash was striding toward her. “The cabin,” Ana said, excitement sharpening her voice. “The one where your agents found the ditched phone . . . who did you say owned it?”