by Bess McBride
She remembered a hiking path near the shore of the lagoon that led back to the highway, but it was more than two miles long, and she knew she didn’t have the stamina to run that far in the dark without the aid of her hands and arms. She dived down behind a large dead tree trunk surrounded by thick brush and held her breath as she tried to form a plan of escape. Her lungs craved oxygen and she couldn’t think straight. She eased out a breath and dragged in another.
She heard Kevin’s footsteps thudding by as he located the path and ran into the sanctuary. Unfortunately, the sanctuary consisted mostly of birds instead of lions and tigers, and Kevin would not be eaten alive. She bit down on the hysterical gurgle that threatened to erupt.
A bright light appeared in the sky to her right, and Penny heard the soft whopping sound of a helicopter as it circled the beach. She dropped her head to her chest and tried to hold back a sob of relief. It had to be the police. Matt and Cliff were here! The sound of sirens echoed in the distance.
Penny hopped to her feet with every intention of running full speed toward the beach and the safety of the spotlight, but she heard Kevin returning, his footsteps thudding along the trail. She crouched down again as he ran past her sanctuary, effectively blocking her escape toward the beach. Then his steps stilled, and Penny knew he hadn’t gone far. She didn’t know what to do. Run for the beach or run farther into the dark brush of the refuge?
Distant shouts from the direction of the beach reached her ears. Rescue! Her decision had been made for her. She must make for the beach. Matt would be there!
Penny rose to her feet again, and dragged a deep breath into her burning lungs. She launched herself from her hiding place and ran as fast as she could up the path toward the beach. She fixed her eyes on the spotlight of the helicopter as if it was a beacon of safety, and she hoped for the best.
She heard a muttered oath before Kevin’s footsteps crashed down behind her. He’d been hiding...waiting for her. Penny kicked into an overdrive she didn’t know she possessed and crested the sand dune once again. Desperate to wave toward the helicopter, she couldn’t raise her arms. She settled for screaming and jumping up and down. But she waited too long. Kevin hurtled into her and brought her down onto the beach side of the dune. They rolled onto the beach for a moment before Kevin straddled her struggling body, grabbed her hair and wrenched her head up.
“They can’t save you, Penny. It’s too late!” he screamed, his face contorted with rage.
Penny heard nearby shouts. The helicopter’s light swept over them once, returned and locked on. Kevin froze for a moment and stared up into the blinding light. Penny tried to pull away, but his hold on her hair tightened.
“Please let me go, Kevin. Please don’t do this. Take the keys,” she cried.
He muttered through clenched teeth. “Oh, no, this isn’t about the keys anymore. This is for me.”
“Put the knife down, David!” Penny heard a voice...Matt’s voice. She tried to twist toward the voice, but Kevin’s excruciating grip on her hair brought her up short. She felt his arm sweep under her throat, and he hauled her mercilessly to her feet. His arm squeezed painfully against her throat.
“Don’t come any closer or I’ll kill her. I swear I’ll kill her,” he shouted.
Penny saw the knife in his right hand and screamed. She squeezed her eyes shut and screamed as loudly and long as she could. It didn’t matter if he sliced her throat. She couldn’t take any more fear.
A crack rang out, and Penny fell to her knees as Kevin dropped his arm. She flung herself from him and rolled away on the sand, twisting to stare as he clutched his shoulder. He turned and fell to his knees. A dark stain spread over the back of his shoulder
Kevin moaned and collapsed onto the sand.
Shouts from every direction confused Penny, and she didn’t know which way to look. The helicopter hovered overhead, and the bright halo of its searchlight left the surrounding areas in darkness. A dog barked.
Cliff stood over Kevin with a gun aimed at his writhing body.
“Penny, are you all right?”
Strong arms hauled Penny to her feet and encased her body in a protective embrace. Matt’s arms. She reared back for a moment to look at him under the helicopter spotlight. His face glowed under the luminescent light...like a savior.
“Are you all right?” he echoed as he stepped back and ran his eyes up and down the length of her body.
“Get me something to cut this with!” he yelled. A uniformed officer ran up to him and handed him a pocket knife. Penny’s eyes widened at the small metal object, and she jumped back involuntarily.
“Hang on, Penny. I’m not going to hurt you, honey. I’m just going to cut the rope.” Matt pulled her to him and reached around her to saw through the rope. She felt the motion, but no pain. Her arms and hands were numb.
Over his shoulder, Penny saw several uniformed police holding guns on Kevin. One kicked the knife away, though Kevin looked in no shape to be wielding the deadly blade any longer. He lay on the sand without motion. Cliff was nowhere to be seen.
“Okay, that’s it,” Matt murmured against her ear as her arms fell to her sides. A pain such as she’d never known seared through her shoulders at the sudden return of motion, and she cried out as she wobbled uncertainly.
“I’m sorry, babe. I know that must hurt.”
Matt tossed the pocketknife to the waiting officer and reached for her hands to study them. Penny followed his eyes, but the tears in her eyes blurred her cuts and scratches and the lacerations around her wrists from the rope. Her cold hands tingled painfully while Matt rubbed them.
“He wanted to kill me.”
“Shhh,” Matt whispered as he enfolded her carefully in his arms. “Let’s talk about this later. Right now, I want to get you out of here and to a doctor.”
“I’m all right,” she murmured against his neck. His arms felt so safe and secure. She wanted to stay in them forever. No doctor could make her feel any better than Matt did right now.
“Let the helicopter go,” he yelled to one of the uniformed officers. The officer spoke into a radio, and the helicopter moved slowly away.
Matt put an arm around Penny’s shoulder and began to walk her back toward the beach house. Away from the glare of the helicopter’s searchlight, her eyes adjusted to the commotion on the beach. Several all terrain vehicles provided spotlights on the area, turning the scene into something resembling an eerie black and white film noire. Several paramedics emerged from the tree line near the house and ran to Kevin’s side carrying a stretcher. The red and white lights of their ambulance reflected off the trees through which she’d run. A uniformed officer with a lunging German Shepherd stood over Kevin along with several other police.
Penny looked away from Kevin.
“Cliff...” she muttered. “I talked to Cliff on the phone.”
“I know, honey. I was there.”
“I don’t understand what’s going on. How did you know where I was?” She turned to Matt.
Matt urged her along toward a waiting ambulance. “I know you have questions, Penny, and we’ll talk about them later, but right now, I need you to go to the hospital. Sam is going to go with you.”
Penny barely recognized the policeman who came to her house after her car had been vandalized. She instinctively turned toward Matt and clutched his shirt.
Matt covered her hands with his. “I know you’re scared, Penny. I wish I could go with you, honey, but I have to stay here. I’ll come see you as soon as possible.”
“I’m not staying in the hospital,” she shuddered. All she wanted was a hot bath in her own bathtub.
“You’ll do as the doctor says, Penny Brown.” He kissed the top of her head and urged her toward a waiting paramedic. “Go. I’ll find you...whether it’s at the hospital or at home.”
Penny released his shirt reluctantly and turned toward the young male paramedic who helped her up into the waiting ambulance. He had her sit on the stretcher.
> She looked back to see Matt pausing to speak to Sam, though she couldn’t hear their words. Sam nodded, climbed into the back of the ambulance and took up a position on the side while the paramedic wrapped a blood pressure cuff around her arm. She winced as he lifted her arm, and he apologized.
“Do you know where Agent Cliff Sutton is? I thought I saw him here.”
Sam hesitated and then shook his head. “No, ma’am. I don’t know where he is. He was here a minute ago.”
Penny shook her head. “I don’t understand. How did you guys know where I was?”
Penny followed Sam’s eyes as he watched another paramedic shut the doors behind them. Within seconds, the vehicle jerked into motion.
Sam turned back to her with a grimace. “I’m not quite sure about all the details, ma’am. I’m sure Chief Williams will fill you in.”
“Oh,” Penny replied nonplussed. The paramedic had her lay down, and she went willingly, though every bone in her body ached at the movement. He inserted an IV.
“What’s that?” she murmured.
“Just a saline solution to hydrate you, ma’am. How are you feeling?”
“I’m okay,” she mumbled.
“You don’t look okay, Miss Brown.” The handsome young paramedic raised a dark eyebrow in her direction. “I’m here to help you. Where do you hurt?”
Penny managed a small grin. “Everywhere. My shoulders and my wrists mostly. My hands were tied.”
He examined her wrists. “We’ll get those taken care of at the hospital, ma’am. You’ll need x-rays to see if your shoulders are okay.”
“X-rays,” Penny mumbled on a sigh. The soothing rumbling of the ambulance was her last thought before she fainted.
****
“Penny.”
Penny felt warm breath near her ear. Kevin! She opened her mouth to scream, but her throat constricted. No sound came out. Had he cut her throat? She tried to open her eyes, but the lids seemed sealed shut. She clawed at her throat, her eyes. Her hands were captured.
“Penny, honey, calm down! Everything’s all right. I won’t let anything happen to you.” The soothing sound of Matt’s voice calmed her instantly. She managed to pry one sticky eye open. Matt, stood above her holding her hands, albeit a blurry Matt. Her eyes seemed unfocused, and she blinked several times until his beloved face came into view.
She opened her mouth to speak but her raw throat allowed only a squeak. She looked around to see that she was in a hospital bed propped in a semi-sitting position.
“Matt,” she breathed.
He bent low and laid his face against her cheek. His lips brushed her ear. She smelled a combination of salty air and his familiar masculine scent. He straightened once again.
“How are you feeling?” he asked with a grimace toward her wrists which were wrapped in bandages. An IV stretched from her left arm to a nearby drip.
“I don’t know,” she whispered. “I don’t feel anything. Am I dead?”
Matt’s lips twitched. “I don’t think so. You look alive, though pretty beat up.”
“Why can’t I feel anything?” she croaked. “What’s wrong with my voice?”
“Well, I think the doctor gave you something for pain. I don’t know about your voice. Your neck is pretty bruised. You probably strained your voice. I heard you screaming. That’s how we found you on the beach.”
“Oh.” She tried to remember the events of the evening. “What time is it?”
“Just about two in the morning.”
“I’ve been out for a long time,” she whispered. “You must be tired.”
Matt gave her a crooked smile and gently laid her hands down at her sides while he pulled a chair up to the bed.
“I am. I’m going to nap here when you go back to sleep, and from the look in your eyes, you’re almost there now.”
“Sleep,” she whispered as she lost her struggle to keep her eyelids open.
When Penny woke again, soft gray light filtered in through the slits of the blinds in the windows. Matt’s head lay on the bed beside her, one hand under his cheek, his other covering her right hand.
She stared at his dark head with love and longing. He had called her honey...just like he used to. What did that mean? Did it mean anything at all?
She wanted to run her fingers through his hair as he slept but dared not move her hand. His face looked haggard and drawn. Dark stubble covered his upper lip and chin.
She didn’t know if she could bear to leave him. Michigan seemed so far away at the moment.
Kevin... No, David... Jerry... Cliff... Everything was connected. There were no six degrees of separation. Where was Cliff? She needed to talk to him.
The door opened, and a doctor came in.
“How are you feeling today, Penny?” he asked in a brisk manner. His eyes slid toward Matt. “Do we have another patient on our hands?” The young doctor’s smirk as he nodded toward the sleeping Matt brought a matching smile to Penny’s lips.
“I think so,” she whispered.
Matt jerked and raised his head, seemingly confused by his surroundings.
“Good morning, Chief Williams. How did you sleep?”
Matt blushed and gave Penny a sheepish glance.
“Pretty well, thanks, Doc.” He stretched, stood up and reached for the tall, slim doctor’s hand.
“I’m Doctor Lawson. I’m just stopping by to check on Penny.” He turned to her. “It looks like you got pretty well banged up last night.” He bent over to peer at Penny’s forehead though she didn’t know why, then he picked up her arms and examined them. “The nurse checked your wrists earlier and said everything looks good. Your x-rays were clean. No broken bones.”
“Good,” Matt murmured as he beamed at Penny. Penny raised a hand to her cheek and touched it gingerly.
The doctor smiled. “Your face, hands and arms are scratched up quite a bit, Penny, and you have bruises on your face and throat. You won’t want to look in the mirror for a while, but everything should heal nicely.”
Penny searched the room for a mirror. How scratched? An image of jagged scarring across her face ran through her mind. She caught Matt’s reassuring eyes. He tilted his head to the side and with a smile, nodded reassuringly. Penny relaxed.
“Your shoulders are probably inflamed, but there’s no rotator cuff damage. We’ll give you some pain medication and anti-inflammatories for a few days. And you can check out as soon as the nurse removes your IV and gives you discharge instructions. Someone will have to take you home though since you’re still sedated.”
“I’m taking her to my place,” Matt said.
Penny gave him a startled look. His place? Really? Her overworked heart skipped a beat.
“Good. Your other patient is in recovery after surgery--”
“Doctor!” Matt’s unexpectedly loud voice caught both Penny and the doctor by surprise. “Let’s talk outside.” Matt threw Penny a concerned look before he moved around the bed. The doctor glanced at Penny and clicked his tongue with a grimace. He nodded and followed Matt from the room.
“Wait,” Penny whispered, but the door shut behind them.
Who were they talking about? Was it Kevin, no...David? Was he in the same hospital? Well, of course, he was. There was only one hospital in the area. Did he have a guard on his door? Did she have one on her door?
Her heart pounded in her chest, and she found it hard to breathe. She had to get out of bed. She couldn’t be trapped in this room, strapped to the IV drip. She peeled off the bedcovers and slid her legs to the edge of the bed on the side of the drip. Her feet touched the cool tile floor, and she grabbed the drip stand and took a step toward the door. A wave of dizziness stilled her for a moment, and she caught the edge of the bed for support. She pushed off and headed for the door. She pulled open the door. Sam stood in the hall along with Matt and the doctor. They all turned in her direction.
“Penny, what is it?” Matt hurriedly moved toward her.
“Where is he? I know
he’s here.”
Matt shook his head and eased her back into the room.
“He is here, Penny, but I have police on his door. And Sam is right here watching yours. And I’m here. He’s not going to get to you again, Penny.”
She grabbed the front of his jacket. “I was so stupid, Matt. Don’t talk to strangers. How could I be so stupid?”
Matt folded her into his arms. “You couldn’t have known, honey. How could you know?” He led her back to the bed. “Come on and sit down. Let me go find that nurse so we can get you out of here and over to my place.”
His place.
Chapter Seventeen
Penny drowsed on the ride to Matt’s place. She awakened to feel him pulling her from his SUV. They were in an underground parking garage much like the one at her condominium. Light filtered in from the beach.
“You live on the beach?” she murmured as he put his arm around her and practically carried her across the concrete to an elevator. She felt so lethargic.
“Yes, I’ve got a condo down here. Not far from you actually. Just a few miles west of your place.”
“I hate to be hanging on you like this, Matt, but my legs feel rubbery.”
“That’s probably the medication. I’ve got your pills here.” He waved a small sack. The elevator opened onto the fifth floor, and he walked her down an open air hallway toward the second door. He unlocked the door, hauled her limp body into his condominium and settled her onto a comfortable dark blue fabric couch.
“How about something to eat?” he asked as he shed his jacket.
She surveyed his condominium which was much more elegant than hers with gleaming marble floors and a lovely blue and white Oriental carpet in the middle of the small living room. “I couldn’t eat a thing. My throat...” She pointed to her neck which continued to ache despite the painkillers.
“Still hurting, huh? I’ve heard you scream at college football games louder than that!” Matt bent down and kissed her cheek before dropping into an easy chair opposite the couch.