As I watched, his eyes got bigger, as if something spooked him, and he took off running. I pulled my car closer to where he was sitting to see if I could get a view of what frightened him.
Glancing in the direction he faced, I noticed a man who stood way over six feet, weighing a good two eighty, standing next to a very expensive luxury car. He seemed to be yelling at someone on the phone. I rolled my window down enough to hear something, anything, hoping for a clue to what Mel heard that caused him to run.
I heard talk about money and deadlines before he yelled “fuck you” into the phone, throwing it clear across the abandoned lot.
Thinking he was about to get into his car and drive away, I was curious why he walked toward the back of his vehicle, opening his trunk. He pulled out a thick roll of plastic and a chainsaw. It wasn’t unheard of that some people came down to these buildings to strip them of all their copper pipes. If this was what he was up to, then he’d be spending the night in jail, no question.
I watched him intently as he carried his items into the building. I radioed into dispatch my location and asked for backup. I received a response immediately, backup was five minutes out. I got out of my car and slowly made my way across the road where I waited as lookout.
I didn’t hear much, I just stood and watched when I heard a psst noise. I turned my head. There, a few feet away from me, was Mel, hiding behind a lone dumpster.
“You gotta save her, Officer Garrity.”
Confused by what he was asking me, I needed more information. “Save who, Mel?”
Mel’s face turned to anger as he shook his fist toward the building. “There’s a girl in that building. I heard her crying out. I was going to see what the problem was when that big guy showed up. He’s up to no good, Officer Garrity, I can feel it.”
Nodding, I walked over to Mel and placed my hand on his shoulder to calm him. “I’ve got backup coming, I’ll help the girl.”
Mel just nodded back to me, his eyes widened as he gasped before taking off when my backup had finally arrived. The three cars pulled up. I relayed to them what Mel had said to me. I took point and headed toward the building.
It was quiet, which in itself frightened me to the core. I kept going, slowly clearing all the rooms before making it up to the next floor and then the next. It wasn’t until we hit the third floor that we heard sounds. Low moans, the soft sounds of a radio off in the distance, and what sounded like trash bags being opened.
I pointed to myself, my eyes, then toward the direction of the sounds and took off. As I stood in the opening of the doorway I saw the man with the dirty look on his face as he looked toward something out of view. He adjusted the chainsaw. That’s when I lost it.
“Freeze,” I screamed. “Don’t move. Put the chainsaw down right now.” I moved slower now, calculated, as I stepped inside of the room.
The man looked at me with disgust. He shook his head as he slowly bent forward, placing the chainsaw on the ground. I walked a little closer now, my eyes trained on him for any sudden movements.
“Put your hands up and turn around, you’re under arrest.”
He turned around slowly, clasping his hands behind his back when the officer to my right gasped. That’s when I saw her. A woman was bound, lying lifeless on the floor. She looked as if she had been tortured and beaten. I was angry. I felt every bit of anger take over as I tackled this man who was a good three times bigger than I was and handcuffed him.
There was a flurry of activity, screams into radios for people in charge, along with the call for an ambulance were resonating all through the room. I kept my knee into the back of this man I had no doubt was about to commit murder.
“Oh fuck,” one of my guys called out.
“What is it?” another one asked before I did.
“I think this is that missing girl, Jonathan Thomas’ daughter.”
“Fuck!” Another called out, “Someone call this as a priority. She needs to get to a hospital really fucking fast.”
By the time the screaming had died down, our captain had come into the room. His face was shocked at the sight before him. Paramedics rushed in and several high ranking lieutenants came in after them, pulling up the suspect I still had pinned to the ground.
I stood by watching as they were checking her, trying to cover her modestly as to not disturb the evidence that was no doubt covering her body. I ached to hear any sign of good news, but I didn’t hear anything good. They were hooking her up to monitors, trying to jab her with needles. I wanted to scream for them to stop fucking around, this poor girl didn’t need any more torture.
They were loading her onto a board so she could be lifted onto a gurney when she finally opened her eyes like one of those little baby dolls with the eyes that moved independently when she was jostled. I don’t know if she saw me or if she could see anything with how badly her face was swollen.
“Nico,” she called out so quiet it was almost a whisper, but it sounded like a bullhorn in that room.
They lifted her to the stretcher as they were talking to her. “Hang in there, we’re getting you out of here.”
“Her pulse is thready,” one of them yelled before a buzzer sounded, causing everyone to turn.
“She’s flat-lined, let’s go.” As if Moses was standing there parting the Red Sea, there was an immediate path of free space and they took off.
I could only follow as far as the ambulance. When they loaded her into the back of that awaiting vehicle. I sent a silent prayer in hopes that God would see fit to give that innocent girl a chance at life.
Chapter Twenty
Christianna
Cain stood before me. He’d dropped the plastic sheeting down on the ground and it landed with a thud that shook the floor. I knew my life was over. Whatever happened had run its course. I would never make it back to my family.
My family.
My family now consisted of my daughter and Nicholas. He’d never know about the child I carried within me, nor would that child have a chance to grow up and live a life filled with love and happiness.
I knew Cain didn’t understand this kinda love and family, if he did, he probably wouldn’t be doing what he was doing now.
When he picked the chainsaw up, pointing it in my direction, I knew this was how I was going to meet my maker, as the hacked up star in my own horror movie. I wanted to cry out in anger that my life had taken this turn.
Closing my eyes, I slowly prayed for my own death, hoping I wouldn’t live through the torture, nor would my family have to find out that someone not only had taken my life but I was alive while my body was being dismembered.
I slowly began to slip in and out of consciousness, when a loud scream caused me to jump.
“Freeze,” the scream shouted. “Don’t move. Put the chainsaw down right now.”
I opened my eyes a fraction to see a figure entering the room. Cain looked on in amusement as he slowly bent forward to place the chainsaw on the floor.
“Put your hands up and turn around, you’re under arrest.”
I think I managed a smile when I saw that Cain wouldn’t get a chance to take my life.
There was a flurry of activity surrounding me. I could barely manage to keep my eyes open. When I looked up again, I saw a shadowy figure surrounded by a bright light.
It was him, he was standing right there smiling at me. He was going to save me.
“Nico…” I called out, willing my arm to reach out to him.
More people surrounded me, I could no longer see him. Suddenly I felt this pulling, pulling me back into the darkness. Sleep, yes, sleep, I wanted this. I needed this and then…
Nothing…
***
Nicholas
I sat in the chair next to the bed where my little girl slept. I couldn’t take my eyes off her face as her little lips sucked in at nothing. The little smiles that tugged at the corner of her lips as she dreamt her beautiful baby dreams.
Today she was much easier to h
andle, as if it had gotten easier for her to cope without her mother around. It wasn’t getting easier for me, it was getting harder with each day.
Anderson was holding on by a thin thread. There had been no word or sightings of either Anise or Bobby, it was like they were being hidden by some entity that had it out for me.
Every single person who aided them would be taken out as quickly as I found out who was involved.
I closed my eyes just for a second as a lone tear escaped from its corner. I was one mean son of a bitch, I knew this. Somehow my woman had turned my ice-covered heart into a warm one that beat only for her.
Loud shrieks came flowing up the stairs, they seemed to be heading straight for the room we were in. It got so loud that it jostled Layla from her sleep. The door flung open, frightening the both of us. Layla’s cries on the bed caused me to jump up. I grabbed her off the bed to calm her. I was ready to lay into every single one of the people that came into the room and woke her up so abruptly.
When I turned, holding Layla tightly in my arms, I saw who was standing there. Evelyn stood with tears down her face, surrounded by Christianna’s sisters and brother. Evelyn reached for Layla and I shook my head.
“No.”
I wouldn’t give her up, they couldn’t take her from me.
“Nicholas, please hand me Layla.”
I shook my head harder. “Not on my life.” I stressed.
“Son?”
I looked up to see my dad standing in the middle of the doorway.
“Son, hand Layla to Evelyn. We need to go.”
“Go?”
“They found her, Nicholas, they found her,” Evelyn said, walking forward, it took me a moment for it all to sink in. I was still clutching Layla as she was trying to loosen my grip.
“Come on, son, we have to get you to the hospital.” That was Dad, trying his hardest to get me to move.
Placing a kiss on Layla’s forehead, I let her go to her grandma and I followed my father out of the house.
“Security?” I questioned. I wouldn’t leave them unsecured.
“The place is surrounded, no one will get close.”
Nodding again, I slipped into the car. Wringing my hands the whole way to the hospital, there were so many questions I wanted to ask. So many things I needed to know, but my brain wasn’t triggering my mind to speak. I knew the others were speaking to me but I just couldn’t say anything.
When we pulled up to the emergency room doors of the hospital, the press was already swarming. The moment I jumped out I was inundated with questions about my involvement and how I knew the victim.
I turned to the interviewer and looked straight into their camera. “You will not address her as “the victim” you will address her by her name as a sign of respect for her parents and her child. If any of you forget what I’ve said here, I swear to all things holy that you’ll be looking for a new job before the night is through,” I growled into the camera before stalking off.
Once inside we were ushered into an elevator and taken to the third floor. When the doors opened up I was presented with a sign that read “Critical Care Unit.” My whole body fell back involuntarily to the wall. I don’t know how I managed to walk out of that metal box or down the hall to the room where Jonathan was standing. He looked at me with sad eyes as he spoke to a man I’d never seen before.
“Nicholas,” he said as I walked over. “Nicholas, this is Dr. Byrd. He’s going to be taking over Christianna’s case. He was just about to tell me what happened. I’m glad you’re here.”
“Dr. Byrd,” I said, shaking his hand.
“I assume you’re all family,” he questioned, gesturing to the room. When we all nodded, he took a seat at the round conference table. “Please sit.”
Once everyone was seated he turned to all of us.
“I’m not sure how much you know about the conditions where she was found.” I watched a couple of heads shake no before he continued. “I don’t know all of the details, but I can relay to you what the paramedics relayed to us when she was brought in.”
Clearing his throat, he continued. “When the paramedics arrived on the scene, Christianna had a pulse. It was barely there and they were careful to get her moved onto a stabilizing board and onto the stretcher to get her out of the building. They noted the bruising and blood that was located on various parts of her body.”
“Can I ask what her injuries are?”
“Yes, as of right now she’s got a dislocated jaw. My guess is that she was struck significantly to the right side of her face several times. The bruising and lacerations on her face indicate that was the case. I am unsure as to what struck her at this point, but I can say that.”
Clenching my fists, I wanted to pound something. Someone had used her as a punching bag. That someone was going to fucking pay.
“She also has a broken hand, I believe she fought back at some point and I suspect that during a struggle it was broken. When she arrived, she wasn’t wearing any clothing; what was left of the things she was wearing had been cut off by the paramedics and emergency room personnel to assess her injuries.”
“Was she violated?” Jonathan asked the question I couldn’t begin to ask.
“From the exams we performed, she wasn’t. However, she did suffer a miscarriage. That was due to the trauma she sustained from, we believe, a kick to the abdomen. We took photographs of the injuries. There is a bruise in the perfect shape of a boot print located in that area.”
I jumped up and was almost out the door when Jonathan stopped me.
“Nicholas, you can’t do this. You need to be strong. You need to know everything so we can prepare ourselves.”
“I’m sorry,” I said before taking my seat. “I’m sorry, but I love her and I know how much she wanted this baby. We lost a child. I wasn’t prepared for that.”
“It’s okay, and I’m very sorry. Do you want me to continue or shall I stop?”
“Please continue, I promise I won’t lose it again.”
“Okay. She hasn’t had anything to eat or drink in days, so we’re currently trying to rehydrate her, but that isn’t our main concern.”
“There’s something else?” Jonathan asked.
“Yes, her heart stopped for six minutes during transport. They were able to get it restarted and we’re closely monitoring it. I was able to get some of her records and saw that it had happened when she was born. This concerns me greatly, but she’s strong. The next few days we’ll be doing observation, trying to get her better.”
“Can I see her?” I couldn’t wait any longer, I needed to see her and hold her and know she was here, alive.
The doctor looked at Jonathan first and he nodded. When he looked back at me I was out of my seat and on my way out the door before he could speak. I found the nurses’ station and gave them her name.
“She’s my wife,” was all I said to them and gave them the “I dare you” look before they told me where to go.
The walls were glass, but the curtains had been pulled for privacy. There was no light on in the room other than low lights in the back of the room. The door slid open as I got closer and I stepped in. Three steps into the room I saw her—my knees almost gave way.
She looked like a small child lying in that bed, her bruised and battered body looked worse in comparison to the stark white of the linen.
I stood next to her bed looking down at her. I touched the side of her face, her skin was cold. I laid my hand upon her chest. It didn’t take long before I felt her heart beating against my palm.
“Fight for me, baby. Fight for you, fight for Layla. I will make them all pay.” I leaned in, my lips an inch from her ear. “They will all die. I love you. I love you more than my own life.” I placed a kiss on the only spot of skin that wasn’t discolored by a bruise before I stood up fully.
I don’t know what possessed me or why I needed to see it, but I had to. The one thing the doctor said about what had happened to her and our baby. I moved the
covers down and lifted up the gown to get a better look. There, right across her midsection in black and blue bruising was the very familiar outline of a boot, and that was enough motivation to wage the war I would begin and end, starting with Anderson.
Carefully, I covered Christianna back up, kissing her one last time before I left the room. I walked down the hall toward the room I had left Jonathan and the doctor in.
There were new people standing in the room, I stepped in to find out what was going on.
“Nicholas, this is Officer Garrity. He was the one that found Christianna.”
“Thank you.” I shook his hand. “I owe you so much, we all do.”
“I was just doing my job. If it weren’t for the man who alerted me to her, I wouldn’t have known.”
“Please get his information to my father, and I will reward you both. I’m sorry to leave so abruptly, but I need to get back to my daughter,” I lied.
“I understand.”
“Thank you again.” Giving my father one last look and a nod to Jonathan, I was off.
When I left the room, I looked up to see I was flanked by my closest guys.
“Any word?”
“Several, but the one you’re going to want to know I have ready.”
“And who’s that?” I turned to find out what the news was.
“Let’s just say the man who was caught with Christianna is on his way to your dad’s place.”
I smiled, I was ready.
“Take me home, I need to change.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Christianna
Wherever I was it was quiet. I was warm and comfortable, I didn’t hurt any longer. I wasn’t sure if this was heaven or if I was in some sort of limbo. I was feeling no pain, I was okay.
My mind started to flip through memories, vivid pictures of my life. Every time my mind conjured up images of Nicholas and Layla, I felt a wave of euphoria coming over me.
Can't Walk Away (The Thomas Family Chronicles #1) Page 25