Finding 02 Finding Megan

by Jean Reinhardt

  Wolf gently rolled her onto her side and the snoring immediately stopped. Pulling a cover over Megan he wondered how she could fall into such a deep sleep so quickly. Under normal circumstances, it would take him ages to drop off. He sniffed, noticing a familiar smell that brought back memories of his abduction to Antarctica.

  As Wolf turned around, a dark shadow blocked the shaft of light coming through the window. Before he had time to react, someone rushed at him, spraying his face with a cold mist. With arms and legs that felt like jelly, Wolf was unable to defend himself and was forced down onto the floor by his attacker. The last thing he remembered before losing consciousness was a strong, sickly smell.

  ******

  Loud music broke into Megan’s dreams. Her eyelids felt so heavy it was difficult to fully open them. She drifted in and out of sleep but the sound was so annoying it forced her to wake up. The room was hazy in the moonlight as she scanned her unfamiliar surroundings. Finally remembering where she was, Megan struggled to sit up. Her head was pounding and she felt dizzy. Realizing the music was a ringtone, she reached across the bed to where Wolf’s jacket lay and pulled Ash’s phone from a pocket. He had insisted they take it with them.

  “Wolf, what took you so long to answer? Are you there yet? Can you talk?”

  “Hi Ash, it’s me, Megan. I think Wolf is downstairs, I must have fallen asleep as soon as I lay down. This bed is awesome, did you make it?”

  “I helped finish the woodwork but it’s the mattress that works its magic on you. I’d love one myself. Is everything okay with you guys?”

  As Megan spoke her head became clearer and she noticed a strange odour.

  “Ash, is there any reason why I should be smelling smoke right now?”

  “Is that meant to be a joke - my name being Ash - or are you serious?”

  “I’m deadly serious,” Megan sniffed. “Is Wolf a secret smoker?”

  “Definitely not. Listen, I rang to let you know that Jake Matthews is on his way over. You have got to trust him, I really think he can help. Go check on Wolf and tell him to be careful with any naked flame. He might have found the candles we use for display - remind him that he’s in a furniture workshop and there’s a lot of highly flammable materials around you. Get Wolf to call me back and please don’t leave, Megan. Wait for Jake Matthews to get there.”

  Ending the call, Megan stood up and stretched her arms. She sniffed the air and knew the smell was definitely not one of candles burning. She remembered seeing a fireplace in the display area and wondering if it was real. Megan didn’t think Wolf would be careless enough to light a fire - it would attract attention. Her head still hurt but the dizziness had gone.

  A large cloud blotted out the moon, making the room quite dark. As she made her way towards the door, in the dim light, she tripped over something. Landing on her hands and knees, Megan found herself beside a body on the floor. Scrambling backwards in shock, she stopped as her feet came in contact with the wall. Peering into the darkness she realized who it was that lay a few feet away from her and crept back to his side.

  “Wolf! Wolf! Wake up, I can smell smoke,” Megan shouted as she lifted his head onto her lap.

  There was no response but his breathing was even. The cloud moved and the moon once again lit up the room. Megan saw slivers of smoke curl around the open door and knew they were in danger. She hit redial on the phone.

  “Ash, its Megan. I found Wolf and he’s out cold. I can’t wake him. There’s smoke coming into the room. Something is on fire downstairs.”

  The phone went dead. Megan dragged Wolf across the floor away from the smoke. She needed to check the workshop downstairs and ran towards the door. The sight of plumes of smoke, rising from below told her how serious their situation was. Just as she stepped onto the landing a large ball of fire shot up towards the roof of the building, forcing her back into the room. As she watched from the doorway, Megan could see over the banister to the floor below. Flames began leaping from place to place, threatening to engulf the entire workshop.

  Mesmerized by the scene in front of her, it took a few seconds for Megan to hear the loud music coming from the phone she was still holding. It jolted her into action.

  “Megan, I’m sorry I hung up on you but I’ve called the local fire station, they won’t be long.”

  “The flames are everywhere downstairs, Ash. I’ve closed the door. Wolf is still out cold. I’m just putting pillows across the bottom of the door now to keep out the smoke and…”

  A loud bang made her jump. It was followed by three more in quick succession. Megan straightened up and stared at the wooden door, unconsciously, still holding the phone to her ear.

  “Megan! Megan listen to me. I heard that. Stay away from the door.”

  Ash could hear she was breathing rapidly and was worried she might panic.

  “As long as you can keep the smoke out you’ll be okay, Megan. Help is on its way, I gave them the exact address. There’s a wide ledge just outside the window. Do you think you can get Wolf out there if he doesn’t come round?”

  Megan ran to look outside.

  “The window is locked,” she said.

  “I know, Megan and there’s no use wasting time trying to force it open. It’s too securely locked. You’ll have to break the glass but it’s very thick. Use something heavy or if you have to kick it, wrap a cover around your leg first, to protect yourself.”

  Her eyes quickly scanned the room for something she could pick up. There were no chairs, only large pieces of furniture and the bed. Megan grabbed a cover and wrapped it around her right leg. She kicked the glass repeatedly but it was no use.

  “I really tried but I’m not strong enough to break the glass. It didn’t even crack - Ash, the smoke is now seeping in around the edges of the door.” Megan ran over and touched the wood, “The door feels hot, I think the fire is right outside the room.”

  She knelt down beside Wolf and shook him, shouting his name out, but the only response was a soft moan.

  “Wolf is still out cold and there’s a lot of smoke coming into the room. How much longer before the fire brigade get here?”

  Megan’s hand was shaking so much, she could hardly keep the phone close to her ear.

  Ash heard the first real sign of panic in her voice. He closed his eyes, trying to remember every inch of the room, sure that there was something Megan could use to break the thick glass.

  “I see a large, very expensive looking ornament on the floor near a desk, would it be okay if I threw that at it?” Megan’s voice, sounding much calmer, broke into his thoughts.

  Ash was picturing the room in his head and knew what she was looking at. It was a large, bronze globe. He wondered if she could even lift it.

  “Of course you can use that but it’s very heavy and you’ll need to throw it hard at the window to break the glass.” he said.

  Megan tried to wake up Wolf, one more time. He moaned but never opened his eyes. She knew that she would have to manage without him. Removing the leather belt from his jeans, Megan ran to the dresser with it. Knocking the globe onto its side, she looped the belt around the base, securing it well. Dragging a huge padded quilt from the bed, she covered Wolf with it, to protect him from any flying shards of glass.

  She wrapped the end of the belt around her palm and held onto it tightly with both hands. Summoning all the strength she had, Megan spun around, rolling the heavy ornament along the floor as she did so, until it lifted itself into the air with the momentum. Taking aim as she turned, she let go of the belt and the globe shot towards the window like a cannon ball.

  Ash heard the sound of breaking glass. Megan had not disconnected the call when she put the phone in her pocket. He was shouting her name but she couldn’t hear him. He heard her talking to Wolf, then a lot of grunting and coughing. It was very distressing for Ash knowing the danger his friends were in - waiting for help to get there and not being able to do anything about it.

  The room was beginning to
fill with smoke, the draught from the broken window drawing it like a chimney. Megan swept the shattered glass aside before dragging Wolf across the floor. She could hear the sound of sirens in the distance. The ledge looked wide enough for her to lay Wolf on but she was worried that he might roll off if he turned over.

  “Wolf, wake up. We have to get out of here.”

  She slapped his face until his eyes opened. A spasm of coughing racked his body as he came round. The drowsy young man tried to stand but his legs gave way, causing him to slump back down to the floor.

  Megan threw the quilt over the broken glass in the window frame and helped Wolf to climb through onto the ledge. The fresh air made them cough because of the smoke they had inhaled.

  “Hold onto my hand and don’t look down, (cough) we’re pretty high up,” she said, climbing out to join him.

  As she did so, the phone dropped out of her pocket and shattered on the ground below.

  “Poor Ash, (cough, cough) I forgot I had his phone on me.” Megan was shaken by a bout of coughing.

  “I can’t see very much (cough) and my head is spinning (cough) Are you okay, Megan?”

  “I’m fine Wolf (cough) but it’s difficult to talk (cough) and choke at the same time.”

  They clung to each other, their backs pressed against the brick wall of the building. Flames licked out through the window, like giant tongues trying to swallow them. Sirens screamed into the parking lot below them, making their ears ring. Such was the scene that met Jake Matthews as he pulled up behind the fire trucks.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  “My poor baby, what have they done to you,” Lydia cried, running her fingers through her daughter’s spiked, bleached hair.

  “I did that to myself, Mom,” said Megan, “It was the best disguise I could come up with.”

  “Well it worked, sweetie,” said Grant, “You managed to make it to Chicago. We are both so proud of you.”

  Megan smiled at her parents, happy to be with them at last. She was wearing a hospital gown and had asked her mother to bring in some clothes. Grant helped his daughter down from the bed and she went into the bathroom to change into her pyjamas.

  “The doctor says you can come home tomorrow, once he gets your results back. You took in quite a bit of smoke, hun. I’m surprised you’re not coughing a lot more?” Lydia shouted through the closed door.

  “I’m fine, Mom, really I am. When they gave me some oxygen in the ambulance, I thought I was going to cough my lungs up but I feel a lot better now.”

  The door opened and Lydia took Megan in her arms, holding her tight, as if she might disappear any second.

  “Can I go see Wolf? I’m worried about him. He was still a bit out of it when we were put into the ambulance.”

  “I’ve just been to check on him. He’s asleep right now,” Grant said. “Why don’t you get some sleep yourself? You and Wolf will be safe here, there are guards posted at both your doors, as a precaution.”

  Jake had assured the Brubakers that the Alliance had nothing to do with Henry’s disappearance and Megan’s abduction. He had read a transcript of her statement taken when her parents had arrived at the hospital. That, along with information he had secured from some of his sources, convinced Jake it was a completely separate organization that was to blame for recent events.

  “The police are sure that the person responsible for the fire at the workshop is long gone. Our house is no longer being watched and Jake says he isn’t being followed anymore,” Lydia said.

  “So does that mean it’s safe for me to go home?” asked Megan.

  Her parents nodded, smiling at each other.

  “I want you to ask Wolf to come, too.”

  “We have already discussed that, sweetie and we both agreed that he should stay at our place as soon as he gets discharged. He may have to stay in hospital a day or two longer than you. It seems he has more of the drug that was used on both of you in his system,” said Grant, “But it hasn’t caused much harm. He’s a healthy young man.”

  Megan yawned and stretched, happy that her parents were being so cooperative. She thought it would have been a lot more difficult convincing them to have Wolf as a guest.

  “You get some sleep now, hun,” Lydia said, pulling the cover over Megan and kissing her on the forehead. “We’ll see you in the morning.”

  When the early morning hospital sounds reached his ears, Wolf opened his eyes. He blinked to make sure what he was seeing was real. Megan sat on a chair humming softly to herself, as she flicked through a magazine.

  “Ohhhh! Ahhh!” Wolf groaned, keeping his eyes closed.

  Megan jumped up and ran to his side, a worried look on her face.

  “Wolf, are you okay? Will I get a nurse for you?” Her voice was full of concern.

  “I’m alright babe, but my back is killing me and my eyes hurt. It could be from all that coughing last night. I just need someone to rub between my shoulder blades, I can’t reach there myself.”

  “I can do that for you, it’s no trouble. Roll over onto your stomach,” said Megan, pulling back the cover, “The doctor says I must have been asleep when I was sprayed with the tranquillizer. I certainly don’t remember anyone attacking me. So I didn’t inhale as much as you, Wolf. That’s why I was able to come round so quickly.”

  “Lucky for you. That stuff got into my eyes, they’re still sore. Actually, I should say lucky for both of us. If you hadn’t come round, we would never have made it out alive. I owe you, babe, big time,” Wolf said.

  “Well, I guess that makes us even. You saved me from being trampled by Pharaoh, didn’t you?”

  Megan undid the back of his hospital gown and began to massage Wolf’s shoulders. The marks from her horse’s hooves hadn’t yet faded and she traced them with her fingers. She thought about the first time they met, when she rubbed ointment into his back at the ranch in Mexico.

  “Does this remind you of anything?” Wolf asked, a cheeky grin on his face.

  Before she could answer he rolled onto his back, circled his arms around her and drew her close.

  “You’ve made a miraculous recovery, haven’t you,” Megan said, slapping him on the shoulder.

  “I couldn’t resist that. Besides, I still get twinges from that massage your horse gave me.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  Having stayed for a few days in Chicago, Wolf and the Brubakers returned to Mexico, Duke accompanying them. Jake had some loose ends to tie up and said he would follow on later. There were big celebrations when the car pulled up at the ranch. Megan ran to meet Amelia, the girls laughing and crying at the same time. The boys gathered around Wolf, slapping him on the back and congratulating him on finding Megan.

  “She found me, really. I’ve never met a more courageous person. You wouldn’t believe how well she coped. It was Megan who saved me from that fire. If she hadn’t woke up, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. Would we babe?” Wolf shouted across the porch, his eyes lingering on her smile.

  “If Ash hadn’t given you his phone, I would never have come round. He has awful taste in music. It’s really irritating to listen to but at least it wakes you up,” laughed Megan.

  Lydia grabbed her husband’s arm, pulling him aside to whisper in his ear.

  “He called her ‘babe.’ I haven’t noticed him say that before, have you? I hope they don’t plan on getting serious. Megan has her education to think of.”

  “I think you might be a bit too late worrying about that, Lydia. Haven’t you seen the way they look at each other?”

  “I’ve watched Megan get all starry eyed around that young man but I didn’t think he was taking it seriously. You’ll have to have a word with him and soon,” said Lydia.

  Grant promised he would, assuring his wife that he would not allow anything to interfere with their daughter’s education. They joined the others who were sitting around, listening to Megan and Wolf describe the events of the previous few days.

  Next day, Jake arr
ived and everyone was eager to hear what he had uncovered. It wasn’t a lot, as the police were as confused as he was by what had taken place. One thing he knew for sure, it wasn’t any group known to him or the authorities that was responsible for the abduction.

  “Do you remember saying that your grandfather’s eyes appeared to be a different colour, Megan?” Jake asked.

  “That’s right, they were brown instead of blue. I’m sure of it,” she said.

  “That can mean only one thing. Henry has left the continent. It would explain why he needed someone else’s eyes. The security scan at the airport. We have no way of finding out what name he travelled under. The case will remain open but his tracks have been well covered. The trail stops at the clinic in Oakhill. I’m sorry, Grant. There’s nothing more can be done, for now anyway,” Jake said.

  “I can’t say I’m too bothered. I know he’s my father but he’s not the man I thought he was. I’m glad he’s gone, let’s hope he never comes back.”

  There was an uncomfortable silence until Jake changed the subject.

  “Have you made the funeral arrangements yet, for your mother?”

  “Yes, Lloyd and Estelle have been really helpful,” Grant smiled at the Seagers. “They organized it all while we were in Chicago. I can’t thank both of you enough for that.”

  “The clinic is waiting for us to pick the right time to switch off life support. We thought we would say our goodbyes this evening and the funeral has been arranged for Friday,” Lydia said. “Nothing big, just the family and any of you who would like to attend.”

  Henry Brubaker had made important medical advances in 3D Bio printing using his wife’s organs. Because of this, Grant gave permission for a research team to take them as soon as life support was switched off. They had wanted to keep his mother on the machine but he had refused point blank. The family needed closure, especially Grant.

  Later that evening, the Brubakers stood in the small room where Rebecca lay. Lydia stroked the woman’s limp hand, then kissed her husband and daughter, telling them she would wait outside.