They spotted Sammy, sitting in the rental car, waiting across the street from the emergency entrance.
As soon as they got in the car Mike took out his laptop. He was typing frantically.
“What are you looking up?” Heather asked.
“Party supplies,” Mike said.
“What! I sure don’t feel like partying,” Heather said.
“Here’s one. Partido Tierra...Party Land. Not too far away and open all night. They’ll have ice; maybe even dry ice. Otherwise we can try some liquor stores.”
“Good idea. But I think we should split up now,” Rod said. “The professor and I will try to find the dry ice. We can store Michelle’s eggs in the freezer compartment in one of our hotel rooms. Maybe you,” he pointed at Mike, “and Heather can go into the main hospital and see what’s on that floor with the bridge to the clinic. See if it would be possible to sneak Michelle out that way tomorrow.”
Heather laughed. “I’ll call you on my cell if we get caught and sent to jail.”
Mike rolled his eyes, “Oh man, a Mexican prison. Those policemen in the clinic lobby sure were interested in us. I’ve seen movies. It’s like hell on earth.”
“You two can appear like a lost couple, totally innocent, just wandering around, curious,” Rod said.
“Okay. We can do that.” Mike hopped out of the car and held out his hand for Heather.
“Meet us back at the Tapatio Hotel and Resort near the airport,” Rod said to Heather as she got out of the car. He handed her something as she got out. “We’ll keep in touch.”
Heather looked at the roll of bills in her palm. “We can pay for a taxi,” she protested.
Rod shook his head, smiled at her, and told Sammy to take off.
Chapter 20
Michelle was smiling when she came back. The last thing she remembered, her last thought, was being on the stairs in almost total darkness, and the wonderful sight of her lover, Rod, her best friend, Heather, and oddly, Professor Vincent Middleton, whom she knew was in California. Even an imaginary vision of her favorite people brought happiness.
Then she opened her eyes...and saw Omar staring deeply into them.
It was startling enough to start her heart racing. She was attached to some kind of monitor, and could hear the beats speed up rapidly.
Abruptly, she remembered Heather telling her once that Omar had creepy eyes. And they were, she thought as she looked at him. They were large and dark, slightly slanted, and fixated on her with an avaricious, predatory clarity.
Michelle recalled thinking she saw snakes, worms, and insects reflected and squirming in those almost-black eyes. At the time, several months ago, she had decided to have sex with him, hoping to end the panic attacks she’d had every time she was alone with a man. That image, seeing nasty disgusting bugs and worms wiggling in his visage, had totally disabused her of any sexual thoughts. She’d aborted the attempt to cure herself with a sensual encounter with Omar.
Once, on the island of Kauai, she actually saw his eyes change from their usual dark color to glowing yellow, when Omar was performing a spell, trying to mesmerize her.
Those visions of Omar’s eyes might have been imaginary, simply a warning from her subconscious that he was evil. The other idea, that she was seeing the real thing, scared her shitless. It was like viewing the living devil himself, here on earth. She shuddered and felt cold shivers run down her back.
Unlocking from Omar’s gaze took profound energy, and effort, but finally she was able to pull away from the eye-lock.
Reality settled in when she gazed around herself with profound disappointment. The escape was a total disaster. Michelle couldn’t fathom how she had been removed from the stairwell and plunked back in her hospital room. Another damned hole in her memory, she thought, unhappily.
What was real, for sure, was that she had held Lucifer, heard his happy meows, and felt him pat her face. She wondered if he was still here, hiding someplace, as she peered around the hospital room.
Everything appeared totally normal, if this situation could ever be deemed normal. However, the lights were back on and all was as stark, sterile white in the room as before; walls, ceiling, the nurse’s uniform on Dondi.
Since she was just waking up, Omar was speaking to her convincingly, knowing that upon awakening the mind is more pliable to suggestion. He was trying to persuade her that what he had done, abducting her and stealing vital parts of her body, was reasonable and justified, that she would be happy in her new life. He was whispering right in her ear so the nurse, Dondi, couldn’t hear what he was saying, as Michelle felt the prick of a needle in her forearm, and was again attached to an IV, dripping who-knew-what medication into her arm.
The slight pain of the needle didn’t bother her, what she hated was feeling Omar so close, his hot breath puffing on her skin, as he spoke.
The medication seeping into her body was fast-acting, causing immediate, profound sleepiness and lethargy. She tried to fight the drugs as Omar continued:
“I will give you everything you ever wanted.”
Didn’t he know she already had everything in her life right now that was good, Michelle thought sleepily? She had a wonderful life with friends and a job she loved; a wonderful man whom she loved.
“We will travel the world together. You’ll have diamonds and jewels and wealth beyond belief.”
All worthless, Michelle thought. What is the price of wealth without freedom and happiness?
“And you will have countless children with special gifts to bring you joy.”
Evil children, raised by a madman, Michelle countered in her mind. This was such a sad thought she vowed she would never let it come to pass.
“I can see you don’t understand yet what I’m offering you, Michelle. We will have everything you could ever want or need. We will travel the world, with beautiful homes in France, Italy, Spain, and anywhere else you want. Anything, Michelle. Beautiful designer clothes and servants to cater to your every whim. All will be yours. An opulent, wealth life, without strife or worry.”
“No,” Michelle said as loudly as she could, when she felt her eyes closing. She struggled to open them again but the lids seemed made of lead and she couldn’t even take a peek through her eyelashes.
As she fell asleep she could hear him droning on and on. She had a frightening thought; she’d heard that brainwashing can take place during sleep, when suggestions are repeated over and over, again and again. She didn’t want his evil, malevolent beliefs influencing her mind.
One thought popped in her mind though, effectively drowning Omar out. She remembered feeling vibrations in her feet from people coming up the stairs below her when she was in that dark stairwell earlier this evening, trying to get away from Omar. She didn’t only see them, and hear them, but she felt them.
Could a conjured hallucination cause physical vibrations? Could her friends really be here?
‘Good, good, good, good vibrations,’ she sang in her mind, from the old Beach Boys’ song.
Then she was totally out, helpless, and unconscious.
Chapter 21
Omar continued painting verbal pictures of the spectacular life he and Michelle would lead together in the future after she’d gone to sleep. The subconscious mind is always awake. He believed he could influence her while she slept.
After a while though, seeing her closed eyes with the long dark lashes, made him sleepy as well. She looked beautiful, lying there in repose, with her thick black hair spread out on the pillow.
He sighed, deciding to go back to his suite on the third floor. Get some sleep. He didn’t believe the four people who’d come take Michelle back to Hawaii could still be in the building. Especially now that the lights were back on. It was way past visiting hours, almost eleven o’clock. They couldn’t possibly still be sneaking around, trying to sabotage his plans.
The nurse, Dondi, came in the room to say she was leaving for the night. Another nurse was taking over the night shift
.
Omar gave instructions that he wanted Michelle watched closely.
Dondi shook her head, “I’m so sorry about your wife. Maybe she got scared when the lights went out. She’s been experiencing some memory loss. She couldn’t remember why she was here; that she was having surgery. Maybe she panicked, and that’s why she was wandering around in the dark when you found her.”
“Well, I don’t want it to happen again,” Omar said sternly. “She’s not to be disturbed by anyone. No visitors. I want her to have complete rest for the next few days. Make a note at the nursing station about my instructions so the other care-givers here can follow-up. She could have been hurt.”
Dondi nodded mutely, appearing abject that she had been remiss in her duties.
Omar was satisfied as he went down to the third floor. His instructions should be perfectly clear by now. Maybe it was a good thing that Michelle had wandered around. She would be watched more closely and thoroughly sedated. By the time she was allowed visitors, he would have moved her to another location. Her friends would never find her.
As he was preparing for sleep in his room a little later, Omar remembered Lucifer, who had hidden himself under Michelle’s bed. Damn cat. He’d just have to stay there. Omar was pretty sure the cat wouldn’t come out if doctors or nurses entered Michelle’s room. Lucifer was leery of strangers. Most likely, he hide. There was a chance he’d attack if he thought Michelle was being threatened, but Omar was tired and didn’t want to bother with the animal. He’d probably have to crawl under Michelle’s hospital bed to get the damn cat. It was beneath his dignity to even attempt such a thing.
Omar opened his suitcase and pulled out the toiletry case to get his toothbrush. He frowned in surprise, and then turned the case over, pouring all the items, his comb, nail clipper, slippers, toothpaste, and hairbrush on the bed.
No! He’d hidden the diamond in there.
He mashed the case in his hands, squeezing hard. Nothing. He turned the leather case inside out to check any crevices. It couldn’t be missing. But it was.
Omar gave a gigantic sigh and quickly started dressing in his street clothes again. He’d have to go upstairs, back to Michelle’s room. Those diamonds were tricky. It was meant for Michelle. Somehow it had changed locations. He knew this could happen with magical spirits embedded in solid objects.
This one was evidently a doozy, he thought, a little alarmed. He hadn’t expected it to be so active. There must be a very powerful spirit sleeping inside that was awakened. Now it was attached to Michelle, in the way that a baby chick is imprinted to its mommy duck.
An even more alarming thought: the diamond was attracted to Michelle because she was so formidable. The worst possibility was that the diamond spirit could use Michelle herself for its own purposes of anger or revenge. These spirits were not usually benign. The other negative possibility was that Michelle could put its power to work for herself. If she didn’t, the diamond would take control of her.
Omar practically jogged out of his room to the elevator in his haste. The spirit was too dangerous for Michelle. With the diamond, she would have almost unlimited supernatural ability, if she learned how to use it.
Chapter 22
Heather felt Mike’s hand close around hers as Sammy drove Rod and Vincent down the street and out of sight. It was nice.
The air was still and balmy even this late at night, and the sky was visible through the trees along the sidewalk, stars winking through the leaves above.
It reminded her of her date with Mike when they almost had a car crash and needed to walk off the adrenalin shakes. Hard to believe that was only two days ago. She felt comfortable with Mike now and squeezed his hand, seeing him smile at her when she looked up at his face. Most importantly, although she’d only known him for a couple of weeks, she trusted him.
This was such an abnormal experience, traveling to Mexico to rescue a friend, but she felt Mike would do everything in his power to keep her safe. The odds of getting Michelle away from a controlling and formidable man like Omar would be tricky and hazardous. She hoped they could accomplish it without a major confrontation with Omar.
The main hospital wasn’t far from the Emergency building, where they were standing, just a short block away. They both stood still and looked at the giant edifice. It was much taller than the fertility clinic, where Michelle was located. Even at this hour it appeared as though there was lots of traffic; a good thing. They could remain anonymous. The entrance was busy with people rushing in and out of the swishing automatic glass doors.
“Let’s walk around the building so we can take a look at the walkway,” Mike suggested. “We can count floors. The walkway from the hospital is probably on the twelfth floor, like the clinic, but maybe they numbered the floors differently.”
Heather nodded, “We’ll count and see.”
It took some time because the hospital took up more than a whole city block, but when they reached the side of the building they could see the walkway. They counted floors and concluded that it was actually on the tenth floor of the hospital. There weren’t many lights on, so they speculated it might be a floor for the medical management offices. The other floors were lit up; probably composed of patient rooms.
They went back to the main hospital entrance and walked into the lobby, still holding hands, like an innocent couple. There was a bank of elevators and they tried to walk casually and confidently, like they knew exactly where they were going.
Mike punched the button for the tenth floor as people crowded in around them inside the elevator. Heather looked up and saw twenty floors, hoping they counted right.
The trip was slow because there were many stops on the lower floors. At one point people had to make room as an orderly pushed an elderly patient inside with a wheel chair. Heather was squashed in the back, Mike pushed into the front of the elevator by the crowd.
They were the only ones exiting on the tenth floor, but no one commented that they might be in the wrong place, or that visitors were not allowed here, as the elevator doors closed behind them.
They stood still and looked around. There were more hallways going outward from where they stood in four directions. Signs with pointing red arrows in both Spanish and English proclaimed: Radiology, Laboratory, Surgery, Hospital Management, Anesthesia, Gynecology, Internal Diseases.
Mike was turning around and around.
“What’ya doing?” Heather whispered.
“I have no sense of direction,” Mike said. “I can’t figure out which way to go.”
“Me neither. This place is like a labyrinth.”
“Maybe the labs are connected by the bridge. Let‘s go check.”
Heather nodded. “Makes sense.”
They followed the arrowed signs for the laboratory, making several turns in the hallways, and happily didn’t see many people. There was a cleaning crew, with a vacuum droning away, but the operator didn’t say anything as they passed him.
Heather felt out of place, wearing jeans, a light blouse, and sandals that showed her toes. She was conscious that the left sleeve of her blouse looked chewed with tiny holes since it had been burned on the stairwell banister, which added to her discomfort, making her feel messy and disheveled. Mike appeared more businesslike, in a blue button-down shirt, but he was also wearing jeans and sneakers. If someone was working late in one of the offices, they might be stopped, so they hurried along, not holding hands anymore.
“Looks like we were right. This is the floor for the main offices of the different medical departments,” Mike said as he passed several doors with named directors of particular departments.
By the time they reached the end of a hallway and found the door that said Laboratory, Heather thought they should have dropped bread crumbs to help find their way back. They’d taken many different turns and hallways, moving further and further inside the bowels of the building.
Mike must have been having the same thoughts, Heather decided, when he said, “It will
be a miracle if we can find our way back to the elevators.”
“Cross your fingers it isn’t locked,” Heather said, as she tried the doorknob.
“Whew. I guess they unlock the doors for the cleaning crew,” Mike said softly as they entered.
The lights were dim, probably to save on electricity. It was a very large space with offices to the right and open cubicles in the center of the room. They could see the actual laboratory with lots of medical equipment and a pharmacy at the back.
There was a man holding a large trash bag, emptying waste baskets. Several workers were polishing and dusting. Another was vacuuming.
Mike nodded toward the back of the office and smiled. Heather saw the fertility clinic building through the back windows in the laboratory area. They could even see the bridge, like a giant umbilical cord, connecting the two buildings.
Mike nodded and said, “Hola,” to several members of the cleaning crew as they went through the office and into the laboratory area.
“Go sit there,” Mike whispered, pointing at a work station in front of a microscope. “Act like you’re just checking stuff on the desk. Then grab the lab coat off the chair and put it on.”
Heather nodded. If they were wearing white coats they’d look more like hospital workers.
Her phone buzzed as she pretended to be busy, moving papers around on a bench that held several microscopes, watching Mike from the side of her eyes, at another work space, as he slipped on a lab coat that had been left on a chair.
She glanced at her phone. It was Rod. “Hi Heather.”
“Hi. Did you get the ice?”
“Yeah. We found some dry ice and are on our way to the hotel. The professor knew exactly how to pack up the eggs to keep them the at right temperature. First, we got a sturdy packing box and added dry ice enclosed in plastic pouches around the canister with the eggs. Then Vincent told us to line the box with Styrofoam and aluminum foil to help keep the temperature uniform. Not only that. He called a buddy at San Francisco General Hospital, who will pick up the package when we send it, and store it for us at the hospital there. So Michelle might just have children in the future.”
Witchy Woman - Book 2 - The Necromancer Page 16