No Safe Haven

by Kimberley Woodhouse

  "All right, Andie. What would be an appropriate word?" One look at the doctor proved that she did not find this amusing. And they thought I was grumpy!

  "I don't know. I don't feel things."

  "Not even emotions?" The doctor caught on.

  "Well, of course I feel emotions."

  "So, did you feel angry yesterday?" The smooth as silk tone returned.

  "Yes, I did."

  "Let's talk about that anger. What was it like?"

  "Well, for one thing, it wasn't fun. I found out my dad had done some things I didn't like. And for another thing, I was on steroids. Steroids make me emotional and hostile. That's not normal for me either."

  Jenna watched her twelve-year-old and nodded her head. You tell her, sweetie.

  "So you're telling me, you believe you are fine now?" The doctor pointed her pen at Andie.

  "Yes, ma'am."

  "No more anger?"

  "Not really. Nope."

  "Very unusual. This will be a good one for the books."

  "I don't ever do things like the books say I should." Another nod.

  Dr. Baker chuckled again. "Isn't that the truth."

  "Excuse me? Would you care to explain, Doctor?" Protocol lady studied him, pen and paper ready.

  "Andie's case has never fit any of the medical books or journals. That's what she means. In essence, we try to predict what will happen next—according to the books—and she normally does the opposite." Dr. Baker looked like he was ready to end this.

  Jenna wanted to move things along. "Dr. Baker, is this really necessary? Andie is fine."

  A knock sounded at the door. The security guard entered. "Hate to disturb you guys, but we've got a Mr. Carmichael here from the NTSB."

  The NTSB? Jenna knew the National Transportation Safety Board investigated any plane accidents, but it surprised her they'd come to see them here. In the hospital. She watched Cole shoot a glance to Dr. Baker.

  "You know, I think we're done here." Dr. Baker smiled at Jenna. "Let's not waste the good doctor's time."

  Dr. Fullerton grimaced. "That's normally my call, Doctor."

  He patted the woman's shoulder. "I understand how you feel, Doctor. But this was just a test. Not a full-fledged consult." He took her by the elbow, tugging her toward the door, and winked at Andie. "You understand, don't you?"

  "But—but I—"

  Jenna waved. "Thank you so much for stopping by, Dr. Fullerton."

  "You're welcome." The doctor stammered, shaking hands with everyone as Dr. Baker ushered her out of the room.

  The door closed, and the girls began to giggle.

  "That was too funny! Auntie Jenna, you should've seen your face."

  "Yeah, Mom. Your eyes looked like you were gonna shoot fire at her."

  Another knock.

  Cole moved to the door and escorted another man and a police officer into the room. "Officer. Sir." He shook hands with the men. "Cole Maddox."

  "Matt Carmichael, NTSB."

  "Officer Lucas, APD."

  The NTSB agent approached her bed. "Mrs. Gray, I need to ask you all a few questions."

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  COLE

  April 13

  Providence Hospital

  Anchorage, Alaska

  11:14 a.m.

  Cole walked to Jenna's side. "What is this about, Mr. Carmichael?"

  "Please, call me Matt. The NTSB needs to investigate the crash so the debris can be removed from Denali National Park."

  "Of course." Jenna nodded. "What do you need to know?"

  "Thank you. Officer Lucas is here because of the media and rumors that are going around. The APD would like to stay informed and help where necessary. It also falls under their jurisdiction since we know your plane took off from Anchorage."

  Lucas stood against the wall, watching.

  "Mrs. Gray, we don't wish to alarm you, but were you aware that your flight plan had been erased?"

  Jenna didn't hesitate. "I was not aware at the time, but I've heard about it since then, yes."

  "And your pilot was someone you knew and trusted?"

  "Up until that day, yes. He'd been a friend of my late husband, and after Marc passed away, I hired Hank to fly my plane for me until I had my pilot's license."

  Cole hovered over Jenna while the NTSB proceeded to grill her about the minutes before the crash. He watched her shoulders slump as she relived the experience.

  "I must apologize, ma'am, but some things aren't adding up. We flew over the area and couldn't find the plane."

  Jenna peered up at Cole, questions in her eyes.

  Cole straightened. "Matt, do you mind if I answer this one?"

  "Not at all, be my guest."

  "An avalanche covered the crash site after a helicopter shot a missile into the plane."

  Both officers' eyes widened.

  "That's why you can't find it."

  * * *

  ANDIE

  11:25 a.m.

  I shoved another M&M in my mouth as the investigators closed their notebooks.

  "Thank you for your help, Cole." The NTSB guy shook his hand. "We should be able to find the plane with your coordinates." He turned to Mom. "The Talkeetna rangers will fly us in with a law enforcement ranger. We'll investigate the crash, and then we'll need your help removing the crash from the park."

  Mom bit her lip. "Thank you."

  As the investigator dudes left the room, Dr. Baker walked in with a smile. Cole leaned in and whispered something in his ear.

  What?

  "Well, let's check that ankle of yours, Andie." Dr. Baker walked over to me and slipped my sock off.

  He glanced at Cole, looking . . . apprehensive. Was he concerned I would have another outburst?

  Apparently.

  "Dr. Baker, want an M&M?" I used my cute voice and the "innocent look."

  A smile softened his face. "Sure."

  Once finished, he stood up and shook a finger at me. "Do not walk on that ankle unless you use the air cast, understand?"

  "Yes, sir. Besides"— I giggled and shifted my gaze to Cole—"I don't think Mr. Bodyguard would let me so much as sneeze without him knowing."

  Cole winked. "Don't you know it."

  "I should go pick up the cell phones now." Auntie Anesia stood and walked toward the door. "Need anything while I'm gone?"

  I held up the almost empty bag of M&Ms. "Please?" I turned to Mom and did the puppy-dog pout.

  "You finished those already?" Cole's exclamation made me laugh.

  "It wasn't just me, Zoya helped too."

  "Yeah, Andie couldn't eat a whole bag by herself. Well, not normally." Zoya giggled.

  "Girl, nothing about me is normal."

  "I know. That's why I love you so much." She gave me a sideways hug.

  "The M&Ms love me too." I hugged the bag to my chest and gave a dramatic sigh.

  "More like your stomach loves the M&Ms." Cole shifted and lifted his right ankle to rest on his left knee. I could tell he was trying not to smile.

  "So . . ." This time it was two against one. Zoya joined me in perfect puppy-dog pout harmony.

  "Okay, okay. A small bag. Like the ones you buy at the cash register." Mom glanced at Auntie Anesia with a "don't-you-dare-spoil-her" glare.

  Like she's ever spoiled me and gotten a big bag of my favorite candy. Oh, wait. She had.

  Auntie Anesia smiled and left the room with a wave.

  "Let's take a look at those stitches now, Andie." Dr. Baker sat back down on the bed. "Lookin' good. Just don't go crashing into any more machinery."

  "Aww. Why not?" I smiled as Dr. Baker gave me "the look." "Okay, I won't."

 
"Good girl."

  Mom smiled. "Thank you so much, Dr. Baker."

  "Not a problem, Jenna. I'm just glad you're all okay." He stood. "I guess that's all. I'll come and check on you guys again in a little while." He began to walk out, but stopped and turned around. "Girls, I'm so sorry I forgot, but have you told them about that man?"

  "What man?" Mom and Cole spoke simultaneously and turned to me.

  "Uh . . ." I peeked at Zoya.

  "Andie, what man?" Cole stood up and walked over.

  He sat down and grabbed my hand, face stern, eyes worried.

  "We . . . well, when I got my stitches done this odd man in scrubs, without a name badge or anything, kinda appeared and—"

  "He didn't have a badge?"

  Before I could answer Mom, Cole jumped in. "What did he say? What did he do to you?" Cole looked mean. I'd never seen him so angry.

  "He just asked if I was Andie."

  "What did he do?"

  "Nothing. That's it. He just asked twice if I was Andie. I'm sorry, I forgot to tell you." Why had I forgotten? My gaze shifted to the blankets on my lap. Did my not telling them put us in more danger?

  "What happened to him?" Cole put a hand on my shoulder and squeezed.

  "Dr. Baker walked in and he just . . . vanished."

  * * *

  JENNA

  12:30 p.m.

  "What do you mean he just vanished? How does someone vanish?" Jenna pushed herself up in the bed. Bile rose in her throat. She looked to Cole. Someone had been close to her daughter. Close enough to do harm. And she hadn't been there to protect her. "What do we do?"

  Cole glanced to the doctor, his jaw twitching. "I thought you said someone would be with the girls the whole time."

  Regret weighed heavy on Dr. Baker's features. "There was someone with them. A nurse. But when I returned, she was gone."

  "Can we question the nurse?" Cole looked ready to pounce.

  "Let me see if she's here today. If not, I'll contact her. I'm sure she would do anything she could to help." The doctor left the room in a rush.

  Jenna forced herself to breathe normally. The weight of what could have happened settled on her chest. A hospital was supposed to be a safe place. Were they in danger even here? How could that be? She shifted in the bed. They had to leave. But where would they go? Fear gripped her heart and threatened to choke her. She gasped for air.

  "Jenna!" Cole was by her side in an instant. "Jenna, don't panic."

  She gritted her teeth. "I'm not panicking." Another deep breath. "Not yet." Hold it together. For Andie. A tentative smile for her daughter. "It just overwhelmed me there for a minute. The danger. It's so real. So . . . close." She shuddered.

  "Mom, we're okay. Dr. Baker came in at just the right time. I know God was watching out for us."

  Cole laid a hand on Jenna's shoulder. "Andie, do you think you and Zoya would recognize the man if you saw him again?"

  The girls exchanged glances and nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure we could."

  "Good. And from now on, you won't be left alone. Period." Cole squeezed Jenna's shoulder and sat on the edge of the bed. His words comforted her—almost as much as his presence.

  "I can't believe we're not safe here."

  "Jenna, I called in some help yesterday, but it took a while to arrange it. I requested men with top clearance, but they were difficult to find on short notice. They should be here soon."

  "Not soon enough," she muttered. From Cole's expression, she could see he agreed.

  He shifted his gaze to the girls. "I shouldn't have left the room yesterday and I'm sorry for that. Andie, thanks for coming to find me, but that was dangerous. From now on, I don't want anyone leaving this room without me. A guard will always be stationed outside. We need to leave the hospital. And soon."

  Andie shook her head at Cole. "I know you need to keep us safe and all, and it's because you care, but Cole, you really needed to go to the chapel yesterday. I'm glad you did."

  "That's beside the point, Andie. Something could've happened to you or your mom. I shouldn't have left."

  Andie huffed in a way only tween girls could master. "You're ridiculous, you know that? I know this is heavy-duty, but your heart and soul are on the line here." She crossed her arms and glared at him. "Just admit that you need help."

  "Andie, this is not the time for a God-talk—"

  "It most certainly is time for it! If ever there was a time, it's now."

  Jenna felt like she was at a tennis match. Back and forth. Back and forth, she watched the words volley between Andie and Cole. Why couldn't she share her faith as easily and with the same genuine love that Andie did anymore? Had Marc's death robbed her of that as well?

  Dr. Baker burst into the room. "Jenna, we have a problem." He took a deep breath and glanced at Cole. "The nurse with the girls yesterday in the ER disappeared. The staff didn't realize she was missing until about an hour later. Assuming she left, the last person that saw her said she was white as a sheet racing down the hallway. After a crazy night in the ER, the charge nurse thought she had gone home sick. Then, she didn't show up today for her shift. No one has seen or heard from her since she was with the girls." The doctor's pager went off. He swiped a hand down his jaw. "Please excuse me, I'll be back later."

  The doctor's news hung in the air as he left. "Oh my goodness." Would they find her? What if they did something terrible to her? Because of them? Jenna's thoughts ran away with her. "Cole, what do we do?"

  Cole hesitated.

  Andie responded instead. "We pray. God knows exactly where we are and what's going on."

  Cole's jaw clenched. And twitched. He turned to look out the window. No response.

  Andie's words pierced Jenna's heart. Her daughter was right. She closed her eyes. God, forgive me for not trusting wholly in You. Give me that childlike faith again.

  Resolve flooded her veins. No more hiding behind her fears. In the flutter of a breath, her foundation shifted from sinking sand to solid ground. No matter what happened, God was God, and He was faithful.

  "Mom?"

  Jenna opened her eyes. "You're right, Andie. We need to pray."

  * * *

  ANDIE

  12:39 p.m.

  "Dear Lord"—with my hands folded on my lap, I started the prayer—"we need Your help. Please make the bad guys get caught and"—I peeked at Cole—"please let this stubborn mule named Cole let Your love take over."

  His head shot around from looking out the window. I closed my eyes again and continued before he could deny anything. "Please keep us safe. Amen."

  I looked up. Something different shone in Mom's eyes. A new . . . sparkle. Her smile was brighter and bigger. Bigger than it had been since . . . well, since before my dad died.

  "Thanks, Andie."

  What was going on inside that soft heart of hers? "Not a problem. Any time." I snuggled down under my thin blanket. Chills raced up my spine. Kinda cold in here.

  The door opened and Auntie walked in with a plastic bag. "I got the cells. Each one is programmed with the others' numbers." She looked at Mom, then stopped. "What did I miss?"

  "Well, let me see"—I counted it all off on my fingers—"a great discussion with God that apparently made Mom feel great and made Cole even more stubborn." He grunted. "And a stomach that has been in desperate need of M&Ms."

  Mom and Auntie laughed.

  "What? Don't you know that my tummy could be in grave danger? Without M&Ms, it would . . . would . . ." I frowned. Ummmm . . .

  Mom crossed her arms. "Would do what? Cease to exist?"

  "Don't you know it!"

  A knock sounded on the door. A loud knock.

  Cole stood and walked to the door.

  As it opened, my jaw dropped.

  T
wo giants stood in the doorway, their faces cold and stiff as stone. The room seemed to shrink as they accepted Cole's invitation to come in.

  They're as big as elephants!

  I just stared. A shiver raced up and down my spine. And it wasn't from the cold.

  I hope they're on our side.

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  COLE

  April 13

  Providence Hospital

  Anchorage, Alaska

  1:00 p.m.

  Finally.

  It was about time these guys arrived. And they were huge. Perfect.

  Cole turned to the others in the room. The tension in the air was so thick, it felt like a giant curtain closing in on them. He needed to diffuse it. "Jenna, I'd like you to meet Bill and Charles. They're your protection while we get to the bottom of all this."

  Jenna leaned back against the pillows, the tense lines in her forehead relaxing. "Thank you." Her voice cracked. "Thank you so much for coming."

  "You're welcome, ma'am. Marc was a good friend many years ago." Bill was an imposing figure, thanks to shoulders the size of Texas, but he was as loyal as the day was long. "I'm Bill, by the way." He moved forward, reaching a hand to shake in greeting.

  Charles was taller and leaner, but equally formidable. He stepped forward. "Charles, ma'am. Marc and I served together at Richardson."

  Jenna smiled. "It's nice to meet you both. Have you known Cole very long?"

  Both men looked at him, and he answered. "No. But they can be trusted." And they could definitely intimidate. They towered over his six-foot-three-inch frame.

  "Ma'am, if I could interject here." Bill stepped back, hands clasped behind him. "Your husband invited us to an OCF Bible Study when we first met. That's how we got to know one another. We attended until Chuck and I were stationed elsewhere. Marc was a good man." The big man looked down at the floor for a moment, then lifted his eyes to Cole. "We've known of Major Maddox for a long time, but hadn't had the privilege to meet until now."