All of the women were tortured and had hundreds of knife marks on their bodies. They had all starved to death or had been tortured until their bodies gave out. They all were abducted from surrounding counties. I looked back at the date Cara had been rescued. It had been a little over three years ago. The timeline matched up and so did the marks on her body. Now I just needed her to wake up and talk to me.
A scream emanated from the other room. I stood so fast my chair flew backwards. I raced down the hall and flung the bedroom door open. My heart was thumping wildly at the thought of her being hurt. She was huddled in the corner of the room shaking in fear. I took a moment to get myself under control. If I was tense, she would sense it and it would scare her even more. I slowly walked towards her with my hands up in a placating gesture.
“I’m not gonna hurt you. My name is Cole. I found you outside earlier today. Do you remember that?”
Her face turned to confusion and she shook her head. Tears started to leak down her face.
“What’s your name, sweetheart?”
I stopped a few feet in front of her and knelt down so she could see my eyes. She pushed back against the wall and let out a whimper.
“I’m not gonna hurt you. I’m just trying to help you feel better. When I found you, you said not to take you to the hospital because he would find you. Can you tell me who that is?” Her breathing increased and she was going to start hyperventilating if I pushed.
“It’s okay, sweetheart. Why don’t we just start with your name.”
She stared at me like she wanted to believe me. Why wouldn’t she give her name? Then I realized why.
“I’m not gonna ever let him hurt you again. I will protect you. You can stay here as long as you’d like or I can take you somewhere else, if you’d prefer. He will never find you again.”
She was still shaking, but she seemed to want to believe me. Her shoulders sagged slightly and she opened her mouth to speak. She had to clear her throat several times to get anything to come out. “Alex.”
“Alex. I’m Cole Reynolds. It’s nice to meet you. How about we get you back into bed so you can rest. I’ll get something for you to drink. Are you hungry?” She nodded slightly. “Okay, I’ll find something for you to eat.”
I helped her back into bed and tucked her in.
“I don’t want you to be scared, but my mom is coming here to help me take care of you. My cousin will also be coming over. She’s a doctor and she can tell us what to do so that we can get you healthy.”
As I was speaking, she started to panic and then shake her head. It was obvious I was going to have to take things slow with her.
“Alex, I don’t know what to do to make you feel better. I promised you I wouldn’t take you to the hospital, but I’m not sure what to do for you besides feed you and I’m sure you need more than that. My mom is a real sweet woman and she can help you get back on your feet.”
“You’re making me leave?” Her voice croaked as she talked.
“Hold on one minute, okay? I’m just gonna grab you some water.”
I went to the kitchen just as mom was walking in with the groceries. I asked her to come back with me to meet Alex. We walked in the room and Alex scooted back in bed as we approached.
“Alex, it’s okay. This is my mom. I will still be here if you want me, but there are some things you might be more comfortable with my mom helping you with. You tell me what you’re comfortable with and we’ll go from there, okay?”
I handed her the bottle of water and she took a shaky sip. Alex nodded and mom stepped forward to introduce herself.
“Hi, Alex. I’m Mrs. Reynolds, but you can call me Patricia or Patti. I called my niece to come by and look you over. She’s a doctor and she’s really nice. If you want Cole or I to stay with you, we will. You just let us know what you need.” Alex nodded and looked like she was ready to fall back asleep. “Why don’t you lay back and rest and I’m going to go make some chicken noodle soup.”
She walked out of the room and I heard her working in the kitchen.
“Well, I’ll let you get some sleep. Just call me if you need me.” I turned to leave when I heard a noise come from her direction.
“Will you,” she cleared her throat and tried to speak louder. “Will you stay with me? Until I fall asleep?”
I couldn’t resist her. She was frightened and looking at me like I could make her world better.
“Sure.” I walked over to the bed and sat down next to her. “I’m not sure what you’re comfortable with, so you’re going to have to tell me.”
“Would you mind laying with me?”
I wasn’t sure I was okay with that. We didn’t know each other and I was afraid that I would scare her if she woke up next to me. Not only that, but I tended to have nightmares during stressful times. If I had one and started thrashing around, I might scare her. Still, her face said that she needed me, so I walked over to the other side and laid down next to her.
I lifted my arm and she scooted closer to me. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and pulled her in closer. She snuggled into me and fell asleep soon after.
I had just started to doze when there was a light knock on the door. I looked over at her and saw that she was still asleep. Mom peeked her head in through the door.
“Honey, Kate is here. Should I send her in?”
“Let me wake her up first.”
The door shut and I turned to Alex, shaking her lightly.
“Alex.” Nothing. “Alex. Wake up, sweetheart.” She stirred a little and after a minute, her eyes opened and she looked around in confusion. Then she saw me and a blush crept up her face. “My cousin is here to see you. Are you ready for her to come in?”
She nodded and I got up and let her in. Kate was about 5’7” and had long, chestnut hair that was pulled up into a ponytail.
“Hi, Alex. I’m Kate. I’m here to look you over and make sure you’re alright. Would you like Cole to stay here while I look you over or would you like to be alone?”
Alex looked over at me and turned back to Kate. “Stay.” Kate smiled at her and set her bag on the bed. She did a thorough exam and looked over all her injuries. The cuts from the ropes seemed to be infected and so did the burns on her back.
“I really think you need to be in a hospital, but Patricia tells me that you don’t want to go. I’m going to set up an I.V. That should help you to feel better the fastest. Based on how thin you are, I would say, let’s start you off on broth with a few small meals in between. If you eat too much, you’re going to get sick. I have some ointment in the car for your burns and we’re going to have to start you on antibiotics for infection. Can you tell me anything about where you were held and the conditions? It would help with treating you.”
Alex’s eyes turned wide and she started to hyperventilate. Kate moved towards her, but Alex shuffled back from her, trying to get away. Her breathing was growing erratic and I moved quickly to the other side of the bed.
“Hey, sweetheart. Calm down. Here,” I pulled her towards me and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. “Put your head down between your knees and breathe deep. She took in several deep breaths and I could tell she was starting to calm down. Kate had slipped out the door and reappeared a few minutes later with a pole and bags of fluid. She set up near the bed and after Alex was settled, she pulled out the line and needle.
“What are you doing? Don’t come near me! Stop!”
Alex started screaming and flew into my arms, her hands clawing at my back to get closer. I started rubbing her back and telling her that I wouldn’t let anyone hurt her, but I could see this was going to be challenging for us. Everything seemed to set her off and I was afraid we were going to do more harm than good. She was sobbing into my neck and I could feel her tears leaking onto my skin. It about broke me to see this woman so damaged. When she finally calmed down, I laid down with her in my arms and held her close. She still clung to me and I decided that if this was what she needed, I would g
ive it to her.
“We’ll skip the i.v. How about you just take these pills for the infection and we’ll just have you drink a lot of water?”
I took the pills from Kate and grabbed the bottle of water off the nightstand. She swallowed the pills with the water and snuggled back into me. Kate had slipped out of the room and came back about fifteen minutes later. She pulled her equipment back out and got to work.
“Won’t she wake up when you stick her with that thing?”
“I gave her a sleeping pill with the antibiotics. She really needs the fluids. If she’s not going to go to the hospital, then this is what I have to do. She’s really sick and is going to need some time to heal. Are you sure you can handle this?”
I thought about it for a minute. When I had returned from war, I was a wreck and it took six months for me to be able to function. My family and friends had cared enough to be patient with me and make sure I was doing okay. If I could do that for her, it would be like paying it forward.
“I can handle this. Just tell me what I need to do.”
CHAPTER FIVE
Alex
Every part of my body was in pain. My skin felt like it was on fire, blazing a trail up my back. I tried to open my eyes, but they wouldn’t cooperate. Something was different though. I was on something soft and it didn’t smell like urine all around me. My head was like a lead weight when I tried to turn my head to the side. A rough hand touched my hand and I tried to pull away, but my arms wouldn’t do what my mind was saying.
“It’s okay, Alex. You’re safe.” The rough hand was back and gently caressing my hand. I tried to pry my eyes open, but after a few minutes I gave up and succumbed to sleep. When I woke later, I could see the light streaming behind my eyelids. I was able to crack my eyelids and look around the room. Light was peeking around the edges of the closed curtains and it was enough to get a good look at the room. My eyes began to adjust and I saw that I was in a large, masculine room in a huge bed. There was someone sleeping in an armchair next to the bed. It was the man that was here the last time I was awake. His big frame was hanging out of the small armchair and he looked uncomfortable.
When I tried to sit up I felt a prick in my hand and saw that I was attached to an IV. That would explain the sudden urge to pee. I got up as quietly as I could and slid the pole with me to the bathroom, leaning on it for support. It was slow going, but using an actual bathroom had never felt better. There was a knock at the door followed by a gruff voice.
“Alex, you okay in there?”
“Yeah, I’ll be out in a minute.” My voice was barely a croak and a glass of water sounded really good about now. My tummy started sounding the alarm that it needed to be fed and I was extremely happy that I was in a place where I could eat when I was hungry. After washing my hands, I shuffled over to the door and opened it to see the man leaning against the door frame with a look of worry on his face. He grabbed my elbow gently and led me back over to the bed.
“Why am I so sore? I feel worse than I did when…” I trailed off, not wanting to mention anything about my time in captivity.
“Well, you came running out of the woods yesterday morning. I didn’t get much from you, but from the looks of it, you had been out there for a while.” I sat down with relief and he stared at me expectantly.
“My heads a little jumbled. I don’t really remember much from the past few days.”
“What’s the last thing you remember?”
“I escaped. Then I was running through the woods, but I only remember bits and pieces.”
“That doesn’t surprise me. You collapsed when you got here, so I’m pretty sure you were exhausted. Do you remember my mom and cousin stopping by?” She thought about it a minute and there was a vague memory of two women being here. “Kate gave you a sleeping pill because you needed the rest and she needed to hook up your IV. Speaking of, you need to take your antibiotics. How about I go make us something to eat and bring it to you?”
“That sounds good.”
I leaned back against the headboard, letting my body relax and I closed my eyes. I heard him get up and walk away when I remembered my manners. “Thank you for your help, um..” My cheeks flushed in embarrassment when I couldn’t remember his name.
“Cole.” He turned and left the room and I relaxed back again, enjoying the warmth of the bed. My thoughts drifted to the sun and how lovely it would be to lay on the bed with the sun beating down on me. Then a shadow of foreboding crossed my mind and I started to panic.
If I opened the curtains, he could see inside and he would find me. Oh, God. He would take me back to that cellar.
“Cole!”
My breathing was increasing and I knew I was having a panic attack, but I couldn’t stop the feeling of dread that overtook my body.
“Cole!”
I was screaming now and tears were streaming down my face as Cole came bursting into the room and ran over to me. He pulled me into his arms and held me as I cried. I felt a little foolish for crying, but I just couldn’t stop.
“Hey, calm down. Take a deep breath in. That’s it. Keep taking deep breaths.”
He continued to rub my back as he held me. My breathing finally slowed and the panic receded.
“Do you want to tell me what happened?”
“I thought…It feels like he can see me. I know that sounds silly, but… I wanted to open the curtains and then I started to think that if I opened the curtains, he would be able to see inside and find me.”
I pulled back and looked up at him. I could now add madwoman to the list of things that had gone wrong in my life. I sounded crazy, talking about people peeking through curtains, but I knew the only way I would feel safe was to stay completely sealed in.
“Can you make sure the window is covered?”
He smiled down at me, making me feel a little better about my freak out.
“I have blinds on these windows, so how about I pull them down and we keep the curtains closed? When you think you’re ready, we’ll just open the curtains to bring in a little more light.”
I nodded slightly and was glad he was being so understanding and not judging me. Then a thought entered my mind. I didn’t know how long I would be able to stay here. I hadn’t talked about it with him and he might be expecting me to leave soon. My fingers started to knot together in nervousness.
“Um…I suppose your wondering when I’ll be leaving. I just need a few days to figure out-“
His fingers slid under my chin and lifted it to meet his gaze.
“I’m not wondering anything. You stay here as long as you need. When you’re ready to move on, you let me know, but until then, you are welcome to stay here. I do have one condition though…”
I held my breath in anticipation. What did he want from me and would it be something I could live with?
“I only have one bed, so do you mind sharing? That chair is rather uncomfortable for me to sleep in.” A grin split his lips and I smiled back at his attempt to lighten the mood.
“That’s fine. This bed is definitely big enough for both of us. I don’t want to put you out in your own house.”
“Don’t worry about me. Let’s just focus on getting you better. I think breakfast may be burnt now, so I’ll see what else I can scrounge up.”
“Oh, I feel so bad. I’m so sorry.”
I looked down again, feeling horrible that I had ruined his breakfast. It seemed all I was feeling lately was horrible.
“Nothing to feel bad about. We’ll just eat something else.”
He got up and left the room, returning ten minutes later with a tray of food. It all looked delicious. He had two plates with buttered toast, grapes, melon, strawberries, blueberries, and a banana. He also had two glasses of orange juice. I licked my lips. This was the most appetizing thing I had eaten in a long time. He set the tray on the bed beside me and sat down next to it, sitting back against the headboard. I grabbed my tray of food and started inhaling it.
“You m
ight want to slow down. I don’t think you want to be throwing up all this food.”
He was right. This was so delicious and I really wanted to savor it, not throw it back up. After a few minutes of silence, I decided to ask a few questions about my stay here.
“So, Cole, how long will I need to have this tube in me? I’m feeling better. Do you think we can take it out?”
“Kate will be stopping by this morning to check on you. I’m sure she can tell you how much longer you should have it.”
“Besides your mom and Kate, is there anyone else that knows I’m here?”
Nerves ran through me as I waited for his answer. I didn’t want anyone to know where I was. The more hidden I stayed, the easier it would be when it came time to start my life over somewhere else.
“I haven’t told anyone else. My mom may have told my dad, but they would never say anything to anyone. My mom knows that you were running from someone, so she’ll stay quiet about the whole thing. I do think that we should contact the police.”
I was shaking my head as soon as he started to say it.
“I don’t want anyone to know I’m here. As soon as I’m better, I’ll leave and start over somewhere else. He could find out somehow if I go to the police. I can’t take that chance.”
“I have a friend, Sean, in the police department. What if he came here and talked to you, but didn’t file a report? He wouldn’t have to tell anyone. We could just find out as much information as possible and maybe we can catch this guy. You wouldn’t have to start over somewhere else.”
“No. I need to get away from here and soon.”
“If you run now, you’ll always be running. I promise you, Sean is one of my best friends and he would never do anything that you don’t want. If it doesn’t work, I will help you get away.”
Cole: A Romantic Thriller Novel (For The Love Of A Good Woman Book 2) Page 4