by R. J. Lloyd
“I see one in Missouri, but I don’t like the looks of it. It looks like it’s for the criminally insane. I’ll send you the details,” Kyle said.
Ian tossed the driver an extra twenty and asked him to drive faster. “Kyle, do they mention an east wing?”
“Ummm… yeah. But it says it’s been closed since the early nineteen hundreds.”
“Why close the wing and not the whole place?” Ian was confused.
“So, now you’re looking into some creepy insane asylum?” Kyle tone grew more and more full of concerned for his friend.
Realization hit Ian that he hadn’t told Kyle what had happened. “Oh crap. Man, I saw her. She’s real.”
“What?” A shuffling noise filled the line as Kyle nearly dropped his phone.
“She’s real,” he repeated.
Kyle paused a moment before replying. “So, what’s with the psycho ward?”
“When I got to the station, she was being carried out by some guys. Her best friend was there, and she knew who I was, but it was too late. Eva’s dad had brought some guys from this place, and they took her away.”
“Just call her dad and prove who you are,” Kyle suggested.
Ian sighed. “I wish it were that easy. This guy is super controlling and hiding something. Michelle tried to talk to him, but he blew her off. I don’t trust him, or this whole thing.”
“Are you sure you want to get involved? This is definitely getting spooky. Maybe this chick is actually insane.”
Ian put his shoulders back and sat up. “Yes. She’s worth it. And no. She’s not insane. This woman… I can’t explain it. But I need to find her.”
“You want me to come out there?”
“No. I think I got this. Just keep your phone handy.”
“Will do.”
Ian clicked the line off as they pulled up to the rental place. He picked up a car as quickly as possible, checked the phone for the address Kyle sent and got on the expressway.
He didn’t want to lose any drive time.
Ian drove through the night and reached St. Louis the next afternoon. Scouting out the facility first, he sat in the parking lot and assessed the people coming in and out and the layout of the grounds. There was a high probability he wouldn’t be let in to see her. So, he tossed around ideas such as just walking in, stealing a uniform and sneaking in, calling the police, calling the media.
After about thirty minutes, his brain was completely exhausted. His thoughts and ideas wound around each other like snakes in a pit. The more he thought, the harder it was to discern one from the other or formulate a feasible plan.
Eventually, his eyes closed, having not slept after bolting from the hotel to race there from New York.
Exhaustion overtook him, and he slept. This time, dreamless. When he woke, it was dusk, and the parking lot was close to empty.
Stepping out of the car, he looked around. He spotted a gate in a narrow opening between two buildings west of the front doors. Tilting his head, he started assessing its possible use.
Twelve
Eva
Eva woke with her arms outstretched, still reaching for Ian. With a slump, she dropped them onto the bed and stared at the ceiling.
It was evening, and she could hear the announcement in the hallways requiring all residents to come to the dining room for dinner. All residents aside from herself that was. She waited for one of the men in the white coats to come and either bring her food or escort her to get dinner.
Deciding not to get up until they came, she continued to stare at the ceiling, fantasizing about fighting her way to freedom or finding a way to sneak out on her own. Flashes of the movie Terminator 2 went through her mind, and she pictured herself the heroine, taking out everyone who got in her way as she broke out of the asylum.
The keys in the lock to her door shook her out of her wishful thinking, and she slowly sat up on the edge of the bed.
“Hello, Eva.”
It was a man’s voice she knew all too well.
She looked up. “Dad?”
“How are you feeling?” He took a seat in the wooden chair across from her bed.
She stood, fighting the urge to start hitting him. “Why don’t you tell me? You seem to think you know everything lately.”
“Don’t,” he scolded her. “I am just trying to look out for you.”
“How? By hiring two strange men to drug me and throw me in a mental ward for violent criminals?”
“By keeping you from ruining your life,” he replied.
She balled her fists. “What do you think this is doing? I don’t think being in a mental ward will exactly look good on my record.”
“First off, young lady, nobody knows you’re here. I’ve pulled some strings to make this happen — to keep it quiet and make you safe.” He crossed his legs. “But it’s not being here that’s the issue. It’s you connecting with that man.”
She gasped. “So you know he’s real.”
“I know what will happen if the two of you end up together, and I can’t let that happen,” he said.
Fear gripped her as she slumped back down onto the bed. “What will happen?”
“I can’t tell you that.” He leaned forward, his eyes boring into her. “You just need to trust me.”
“Trust you?” She gritted her teeth. “You won’t tell me anything, and you’re keeping me against my will. Why should I trust you if you won’t trust me? And how long do you intend to keep me here?”
“As long as it takes to make sure you’re not in harm’s way.” He stood and walked to the door.
“Please don’t do this. Just explain what’s going on, and I’ll listen. If it’s bad, I can stay away from him. Just tell me. Don’t keep me here,” she pleaded.
He didn’t turn to face her. “I can’t.”
She was left her room alone, angry and confused. Her thoughts racing too fast to settle into just one. Minute by minute, it sank in that her father knew more than he would say… and she knew less than she thought.
Eva paced, trying to make sense of it all, ignoring everyone who came to her door, including the man with her dinner. And as time ticked by, she began to feel like she belonged there.
She leaned against the window, overlooking the courtyard, and started talking to herself. “Dreaming of real people, running off to meet a stranger in New York, being abducted by my own father and strange men by force and with drugs, being locked in some mental ward and not allowed to leave. I don’t understand how I got here. I don't…”
She was interrupted by something hitting her window. Then, it happened again; tiny rocks hit the glass in front of her. She looked down, expecting to see some patient throwing things at her like a child, but what she saw, she wasn’t braced for.
His name came out in a whisper. “Ian.”
She started waving, mouthing a string of sentences that she was happy to see him. That if he could get her out of there, she had news about her father.
He sat back on his heels, looking up, and smiled. Giving a simple wave back, he assessed her location in the building. She could see the concern cross his face as he gathered the location of her room in the middle of the floors.
She searched her memory for the areas around her room and any escape route. But she came up empty.
Ian raised his arms, shrugging animatedly, signaling to her that he was at a loss as well. The stress and frustration welled up in him, showing in how his shoulders tensed.
Seeing an orderly coming, he ducked into the bushes under her window. He stayed low and watched where the man went in the building into the wing Eva was being held. She watched as the uniformed man swiped a card before pulling the door open, shutting it tight behind him.
Ian moved out of the bushes and signaled to Eva to sleep. She watched his gestures, knowing exactly what he wanted to do, and smiled. Longingly and still scared, she watched as he crept his way back toward the opening between the buildings.
Eva immediately ran for
her bed, knowing she needed to get comfortable. Her level of excitement of seeing him was surely going to keep her awake for a bit. And despite knowing he would have to get to a bed and fall asleep, she was sure she would be restlessly awake for a while.
She wasn’t sure how long it was before her adrenaline slowed, but eventually it did, and she drifted off.
“Eva!” Ian ran across the room for her before her eyes fully focused.
She reached for him. “Ian! How did you find me?”
“You’re not the woman I dream of every night?” He smirked.
She pushed his shoulder. “No. I meant in reality. How did you find where I was?”
His hand grazed the side of her face before he kissed her cheek. “I told you I would find you, and I did.”
“Where’s Michelle?” She backed up and leaned against the wall.
He joined her, pulling her into his arms. “I asked her to stay back. I don’t know if she went home or not, but I just couldn't bring myself to trust her.”
Eva thought for a minute. “Why? Did she do something?”
Ian stepped in front of her, his legs on either side of hers, his body so close that if she twitched, they might have touched. He had his hands pressed to the wall on either side of her shoulders. “Right now, I want to kiss you. I didn’t get to in New York. So, if I can’t in real life, I want to here. Just let me breathe for a minute. Then, we can plan.”
His lips pressed against hers, and for a moment, the fact that they were in their alternate reality faded away. She melted into the feel of his touch and the fire built up inside her. His hands connected with the sides of her face, pulling her into him as hers found his hips, gripping them and mirroring the pull.
Still hungry for more, her fingertips pressed firmly into him. She only released her grip when he yanked her dress off, pressing her against the wall. His lips crashed down onto hers again.
Fumbling with his button, she unfastened his pants. Reaching in, she released his hard cock, stroking it softly as he lifted her up and set her on it, pressing her against the wall as he pushed inside of her.
She broke from the kiss when her head tilted back. A moan escaped from her loudly, her legs tightly wrapping around his waist.
A growl emanated from deep in his chest. With one hand on her thigh, holding her up, his other found its way into her hair. He gripped her tight, thrusting in and out of her hungrily before turning and carrying her, still deep inside, and laying her down on one of the tables.
She gripped his strong biceps and pulled him down to her. Kissing the delicate flesh along her cleavage, he flicked his tongue against the nipple of her breast before trailing a line of kisses up to her neck.
Thrusting harder, he buried his face there. Her arms wound around him, her legs pulling him in closer, deeper, harder until neither of them could contain it any longer, and they both fell over the edge to climax together.
Panting and coated in sweat, Ian lifted her off the table, lowering them both onto the floor where they found a neatly stacked set of pillows and blankets.
She curled into him, letting him cover them both up. Her head coming to rest on his shoulder. “Before one of us wakes up, I need to know we have a plan.”
His breathing was still labored. “Okay, tomorrow morning, ask to be escorted to the court yard. I’ll hide in that opening and wait. It’s really overgrown by ivy and vines. It’s so overgrown that I don’t think anybody has noticed the gate is broken, or even that the narrow path goes all the way through. It didn’t take me long to hack my way in, and I pushed the vines around on my way back out to cover up my trail.”
“What then?” She stole a quick kiss. “What happens once we’re both in the courtyard?”
“Then I do what I need to do to get you out of there.” He brushed the damp hair off her forehead.
She stiffened. “I don’t want anyone to get hurt.”
“I don’t want to hurt anyone, but what we need to bear in mind is, these people are holding you against your will.” He kissed her temple. “But, yes. I’ll try to get you out without going to any extremes. I’m not some professional at this. I just want to get the woman I love out of harm’s way.”
She laid her head back down on his shoulder. “I love you.”
He wrapped his arms around her. “I love you, too.”
They relaxed, and she gave him more details on her ‘assessment’, the orderlies, what she’d seen around the place and the visit from her father. Thankful they were granted a dream sequence that went on for what seemed like a couple of days. It wasn’t hard to make the best of their time together.
But when Ian started feeling that pull, they quickly returned to thinking about reality. She repeated the plan, making sure they were both set.
She smiled, kissing him one more time.
He grabbed her hand. “I’ll watch for you, Eva.”
Thirteen
Ian
The moment his eyes opened, Ian jolted up. He rushed around, got dressed and hurried back to the facility. Knowing Eva was going to ask to be escorted out to the garden area, as they planned, had his nerves jumbled into a mess. He didn’t know when it would happen, or if they would allow her to go, but he didn’t want to miss this chance.
Tucked in the overgrown, overlooked entryway, Ian prepared himself for a long day. He wanted to stay alert, knowing he might have to get on the move at any moment. So, he’d brought water and some food, but he arranged himself in a way that would allow him to change his location fast.
And a long day it was.
Time passed slowly, and eventually, the sun began to go down. Not sure if any of the orderlies would bring anyone outside at dusk, he let down his guard and slumped against the trunk of one of the bushes, sighing.
Munching on a granola bar he’d tucked into his pocket, Ian jumped, almost falling into view when the door on the side of the building opened. He slammed himself back against the trunk of the bush and turned to get a clear view.
It was Eva with a large man in white scrubs. The man, clearly unenthused with his task by his slumped posture, escorted the much smaller woman out by her arm. He grumbled as he looked around when they entered the clearing. Once he appeared satisfied they were alone, he let Eva’s arm go.
Ian watched as Eva slowly wandered the gardens, looking for the opening between the walls he’d explained to her. Then, he turned his attention to the brawny man who stood between the two of them. He stood as the orderly was turned the other direction, making his presence visible to Eva. And to his relief, she spotted him and took his lead, making her way over to the general area he was in, trying to appear casual.
The closer to the opening she got, the more the muscle bound worker paid attention to her. Finally, he called out after her. “Ma’am, you need to come back to the center here.”
“Why?” She batted her eyes. “Are there monsters in the bushes?”
He scoffed. “Please do as you’re told. Those are the rules.”
“How much are they paying you extra to keep me against my will?” Her tone was thick with disdain now.
“Like I said, just do as you’re told,” he repeated, his teeth gritted.
She stopped where she stood. Ian saw the look on her face. Fear blanketed her features, telling of the debate raging within her mind on what direction she should go. It wasn’t that Ian was a small guy, but her guard had the look of someone one would expect to see on stage at a body builder competition. Not in scrubs, committing a felony by aiding a kidnaping.
But then again, was there a standard to those types of people?
Watching as the man started walking toward her, Ian tensed. The man’s steps were slow, but they were deliberate. “Miss, I am not going to tell you again. You need to come back to the center of the courtyard, or you will not be allowed to be escorted back out here.” He took another step.
She had been backing up toward the bushes as he spoke. The trepidation between them was so thick, it felt like it was
the thing that pushed her backward. Her fear of him and of that place was nearly palpable.
Just as she was in arm’s reach, Ian reached out and grabbed her, yanking her backward. Branches scraped across her as she fell backward, struggling to find her footing. He tried to push as much of the foliage as he could aside, but he practically dragged her, trying to stay as far ahead of the orderly as he could. The sound of the crunching branches pushing him forward.
Ian spoke softly once she was able to get her feet planted with each step. “The car is waiting. Once we’re through the brush, I’m going to hand you a hoodie. Put it on and run with me.”
“He’s a massive guy. What if he catches us?” She glanced back. Her grip on Ian’s hand tightened after seeing the orderly gaining on them.
“Don’t think about it. Just think about keeping hold of my hand and running.” He continued to pull her along, closer to his pace.
Once clear of the bushes, he handed her the hoodie, and they raced to the car. Planning ahead., he’d left it unlocked. As they drew near, he pointed her to her door and ran around to the driver’s side.
Shoving the key in the ignition, he yanked his door shut at the same time he threw the vehicle into reverse. But as the car screeched backward, the large man in scrubs pulled the door open and reached for Eva.
With one foot on the door frame, he’d jumped onto the side of the car and yanked her out toward him as Ian pulled out into the parking lot aisle. Ian slammed it into drive and grabbed Eva’s other arm, hoping the man would lose his footing and fall.
But no such luck.
The man jerked on Eva’s arm, trying to free her from her spot. His other hand gripping the top of the car like a vice.
Ian looked around the car, searching for something to shake the guy off. Careening around the corner and in between the next section of cars, Ian yanked on his seatbelt and pulled Eva’s arm around it. “Hold on!”
She put both hands on the strap and closed her eyes as Ian steered the side of the car into the backs of several vehicles in a row. The impact of door slamming into him and the collisions sent the man toppling over the trunk of a smaller car, and Eva’s door slammed shut. Once they were free of him, Ian smashed the gas petal down, speeding out of the parking lot.