Take On Me

by Stacy Claflin

  Davidson, a deputy who was newer to the force than Alex, stopped by his desk. “Did you hear the news?”

  Alex’s stomach tightened. “What news?”

  He leaned against the desk. “That guy Brock everyone’s looking for—he’s your cousin, right?”

  “My cousin’s husband,” Alex corrected. “What about him?”

  “Potential local sighting.”

  Alex’s heart skipped a beat. “He’s here? What was the sighting?”

  “There was a report of his type of vehicle downtown. The plate was only a partial, but it was a match.”

  “Why would he be here?” Alex’s throat dried. Could Brock be his mysterious commenter? Was he trying to find Ayla? Or focused on making Alex pay?

  “You okay?” Davidson asked.

  “Just thinking.” Alex sipped his coffee. “When did the report come in?”

  “About ten minutes ago.”

  Alex pulled out his phone and looked at the threatening comment again. It had been left within the hour. His stomach dropped. It was a leap to assume anything yet, but it was also a coincidence he couldn’t ignore. “I need one of our tech experts to look at an IP address to see if it’s local.”

  “That’d be anyone under thirty.” Davidson laughed. “Am I right? Everyone older is clueless when it comes to that.”

  “Excuse me.” Alex raced past the deputy, his pulse pounding.

  Then another thought struck him. One that made him stop in his tracks.

  If Brock was in town, did that mean he’d left Robin for dead back in Spokane?

  Recognition

  A tear ran down Ayla’s face, but she couldn’t do anything about it. The trail it left behind tickled. Itched. She wanted to wipe it away, but that wasn’t the only reason she wanted to move—she needed to tell someone where her mom was. There was no time to waste, and she couldn’t do a thing. She was probably lucky to have remembered anything.

  So much time had passed! Mom could be really sick or worse by now, and that was a thought that made her stomach lurch. More tears threatened. She struggled to move.

  The only good thing was that most of the memories still felt like watching a movie—something that wasn’t real. But the thing was, she knew her mom was really in danger. Her dad was scary, and now he was worse than ever. He’d gotten meaner with time, and now he was going to try to kill Mom.

  Hopefully Mom was right, and she could stop him from killing her. Maybe she could. After all, Ayla had managed to get away. Mom could, too. She might’ve just been waiting for Ayla to escape first. It was possible she’d left after Ayla.

  Ayla prayed that was the case. Begged God to let her and her mom be reunited soon.

  Click, click, squeak.

  The door opened, and Ayla strained to see from the corner of her eye. The angle made it hard to see without feeling dizzy.

  Voices sounded, both were female. Neither were familiar. Good. She didn’t want to see either of the nurses who came to her the night before. She just wanted help, and they’d done this to her. Now she couldn’t move.

  Two women appeared. The younger one had an afro and a dark purple nurses’ outfit with some kind of colorful design on it. She took notes on an iPad as she spoke with the lady who had long red hair with gray mixed in. The redhead spoke too fast for Ayla to understand. Or maybe it was her accent.

  The younger one came over to Ayla and smiled when they made eye contact. “You’re awake. How are you feeling today?”

  Ayla tried to respond, but the words wouldn’t come.

  The nurse brushed some hair away from Ayla’s face. “Don’t worry about talking, sweetie. The medication from last night is still lingering. It’ll wear off soon. Can you blink twice for yes, and once for no?”

  Ayla blinked twice.

  “Perfect.” She smiled again. “I’m Tamika, and I’ll be helping you today.”

  Ayla liked her better than any of the other nurses. She also liked the rainbow-colored kittens on her scrubs.

  “I’m going to ask you a few questions, and I just need you to answer with the blinks like you just did.”

  Ayla blinked twice again. She hated it, but at least it was a way to communicate.

  Tamika asked questions about how Ayla was feeling and even a few questions about what she could remember about the night before. Ayla blinked once or twice, depending on the answer, though she really wanted to speak. Tamika would listen if she could tell her about where Mom was.

  But there was no way to get that across, unless she asked about it directly. And so far, there were no questions about her parents.

  Tamika put her hand on Ayla’s arm and smiled again. “That’s all the questions I have for now, sweetie. I’ll be back soon. Is there anything I can get you?”

  Ayla blinked twice.

  “Are you thirsty?”

  She was, but that wasn’t what she wanted. Ayla blinked once.

  “Hungry?”

  One blink.

  “Too warm?”

  She blinked one time.

  “Too cold?”

  One blink.

  Tamika frowned. “You don’t want more medication, do you?”

  Ayla closed her eyes and squeezed them as tightly as possible before opening them.

  “I don’t blame you. I’m sorry I can’t help you yet. After I check on my other patients, I’ll come back here and see if you can talk. Sound good?”

  Ayla blinked twice. She wanted to go back in time and punch the nurse who gave her the shot.

  Tamika gave her arm a gentle squeeze before returning to the other lady. She might’ve been a doctor since she didn’t wear scrubs. Just a boring blue jacket. They whispered, their tones stressing out Ayla. They were arguing about something.

  Had she done something wrong? Answered a question badly?

  Ayla sighed. She was always disappointing someone. And even more since all this mess started, but at least nobody was as mean about it as her dad. And she was safely away from him.

  “She really shouldn’t have that medication,” Tamika said.

  The other lady was still too hard to understand, but she said something. Her tone was annoyed.

  “It’s hardly been used on kids before!” Tamika’s perfect eyebrows drew together.

  Now the other woman sounded more frustrated.

  “I don’t care about her weight,” Tamika replied. “It’s too much for her. Can’t you see that?”

  They left the room, arguing.

  Relief washed through her. At least someone was on her side, and Tamika was as nice as could be. Ayla just needed to get her mouth working.

  She could breathe, so why not talk? Tamika had said that would happen soon.

  The sooner the better.

  Ayla struggled to speak. To yell. She hardly made a sound. Not even a whisper. She focused on her breathing and built up a deep breath. Then she held it for a moment and prepared her voice.

  She screamed. Actually, she tried. There was no sound still.

  Maybe she was going about it all wrong. What if she needed to start with a whisper instead of a shout? She tried and she tried, attempting all different things.

  Nothing worked. None of it. And now she was exhausted. Her eyes were growing heavy.

  So much for all that.

  Click, click, squeak.

  Ayla held her breath. Was Tamika back? She had to try to say something. Had to somehow let her know where Mom was. She knew the exact place.

  Heavy footsteps sounded. Came nearer.

  A male nurse in navy scrubs with baseballs appeared next to the bed. But that wasn’t what caught her attention. It was the red on the collar. Blood. She stared at it. That didn’t seem right. It wasn’t that kind of hospital. No operations. Or were there?

  “Ayla.” She recognized the voice.

  Her heart sank. It had to be a nightmare. She had to be sleeping—there was no way her dad was there. Not a chance.

  Swallowing, she looked at the nurse’s face.
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  It was him.

  Her dad.

  Right there. Close enough to touch, if she could move.

  He could do anything he wanted to her.

  Click, click, squeak.

  “How’s Ayla doing?”

  Tamika.

  Ayla’s heart thundered. She would help.

  Dad cleared his throat and stepped to the side, keeping his back to Tamika. “Quiet.”

  “Unfortunately, that’s going to last a while thanks to the medication.” She stepped closer.

  Ayla’s dad inched away, keeping his back to her. Then out of the corner of her eye, she saw him flee the room.

  He was gone for now, but how long until he returned?

  Check

  Macy put her car in park and checked the time. She might miss the staff meeting at work, but she’d be there in time for her first client of the day. Checking on Ayla was the priority, especially since one of the nurses had called her and asked her to stop in.

  That concerned Macy because the nurse’s tone sounded worried. She didn't say anything was wrong, but the lady obviously thought something warranted a visit. The conversation just didn’t sit right with Macy. It had been like the woman wanted to say more but couldn’t.

  Macy set her car alarm, marched toward the building, showed her ID, then asked for the nurse who had called her. She sat in the same waiting room as the night before. A few minutes later, a slender nurse with a sweet smile stepped in. “Macy Walker?”

  “Yes.” Macy rose and shook her hand. “I’m Ayla’s cousin and also a child psychologist.”

  “Oh, good.” The nurse looked relieved. “I’m Tamika, Ayla’s daytime nurse.” She looked around and stepped closer. “I called you because I’m concerned about something.”

  Macy’s heart skipped a beat. “What?”

  Tamika glanced over to the corner of the room and hurried over. Macy followed, and they sat. Tamika leaned over and whispered, “Did you get the call last night about Ayla’s sedation?”

  Macy shook her head. “They probably called my brother. He’s her temporary guardian.”

  “Right.” Tamika looked around again. “Have you heard of Zylaphat?”

  “The experimental drug?”

  “It’s been approved for use in adults.”

  Macy studied her. “That must be new.”

  “It’s fairly recent. They—”

  “What does this have to do with Ayla?”

  Tamika cleared her throat. “That’s what she was given last night to sedate her. I wasn’t here, not that I would’ve had the authority to stop the doctor’s decision.”

  Macy gave her a double-take. “Ayla was given Zylaphat? She’s only twelve!”

  “I don’t agree with it, either. Their reasoning is that her weight was within the limits. But she still can’t speak. And one kid in the trials had permanent vocal cord damage from it.”

  Anger raged through Macy. She took a deep breath. “I appreciate you telling me. I’m going to check her out. If I’d have known Zylaphat was part of her treatment plan, I’d have never suggested bringing her here. Where’s the paperwork?”

  “You said your brother is her legal guardian?”

  Macy slapped her forehead. Of course she couldn’t check out Ayla. She’d needed him to check her in. “Right. I’m not thinking straight.” She pulled out her phone and called Alex.

  Straight to voicemail.

  “Call me immediately.” She ended the call then texted him the same thing.

  Tamika put a hand on Macy’s arm. “Would you like to visit her? She’s been communicating with blinks.”

  Macy drew in a deep breath. The fact that Ayla could communicate, but not with her voice, was beyond concerning. What if she could never speak again? That would be on Macy—she’d been the one insisting the hospital was the best thing for her. She’d have never agreed if she thought they’d give her Zylaphat.

  “Mrs. Walker?” Tamika asked, bringing Macy’s thoughts back to the present.

  “You can call me Macy. Yes, I want to see her.”

  A siren sounded. Red and white lights flashed from the ceiling.

  Macy looked around. “What’s going on?”

  “Some kind of emergency.” Tamika pulled out her phone and looked at the screen. Her eyes widened. “Security breach!”

  “What kind of place is this?” Macy exclaimed. It had such high ratings, and her colleagues had always spoken so well of it. It was nothing other than a colossal mess.

  Tamika turned to her. “Stay here. I need to figure out what’s going on. You won’t be able to visit anyone right now.” She ran off before Macy could reply.

  Macy got up and turned the knob. Locked.

  Pressure squeezed her chest. Why had she ever suggested bringing Ayla here? She would’ve been better off at home. It wouldn’t have been ideal, but she could’ve made sure Ayla didn’t see Luke or Alex, or any other man. That’s all she would’ve had to do. Now her young cousin faced the possibility of never speaking again! All thanks to a hospital that was now under lockdown because of a security breach.

  She muttered under her breath as she called the office. At this rate, she’d likely miss the appointment with her client. Maybe the next two, as well.

  Macy explained the situation to the receptionist as best she could with the siren wailing. Then she called Alex again. Still straight to voicemail. Why wouldn’t he get off the phone long enough to check his messages? She sent him another irritated text, not that it would do any good. If he was out on a call, there was probably nothing he could do about his phone. It might even be shut off for safety reasons.

  She paced the room, staring at her phone, ready to answer it the moment it rang. Which it didn’t. Each time she passed the window, she looked out but didn’t see anyone in the hall.

  Finally, after fifteen minutes that felt like five hours, the alarm shut off and the lights stopped flashing. It took her ears a few moments to adjust to the silence.

  She tried the doorknob. Still locked.

  Great.

  A lady’s voice sounded over the loudspeaker. She announced that the situation was safe and the lockdown was over, but gave no useful information.

  Macy was about ready to break the window with a chair and find her cousin.

  Just as she was about to grab a chair, Tamika appeared in the hall. She opened the door and rushed in.

  “Is Ayla okay?” Macy demanded.

  Tamika nodded. “All the kids are, thankfully.”

  “What happened?”

  “Someone came in and was impersonating a nurse.”

  Macy gave her a double-take. “How’d she get in?”

  “He,” Tamika corrected. “They’re looking into that, but it appears the man assaulted one of our nurses and swapped clothes with him. We’re looking for someone with bloody scrubs.”

  Macy sat down. “I have got to be dreaming. This can’t be happening!”

  Tamika frowned and took the seat next to her. “I know. It’s like we’ve entered a different reality. First the Zylaphat, and now this.”

  Macy sat up straight. “Could they be related?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Is it possible the imposter came in last night, too? Gave Ayla the medication?”

  Tamika scratched her head. “It could be possible. I wouldn’t discount anything at this point, no matter how unlikely it is.”

  Macy’s heart jumped into her throat. “That would mean the man was specifically after Ayla.”

  She and Tamika exchanged a wide-eyed glance before they both bolted from the room.

  Hopefully Ayla was still in her room.

  Shift

  Alex ended the call with Hoffman and reached for his bottle of ibuprofen. He set the phone on his desk to swallow the pills which would hopefully relieve his headache. That was when he noticed the missed calls and texts. They were all from Macy, and the previews of the texts sounded irritated. What else did she expect when calling during wor
k hours? He could’ve been in the middle of a sting operation. Or dealing with a death threat, which was actually the case.

  Hoffman had said they’d been unable to locate Brock’s vehicle, so the possibility of him being in town wasn’t out of the question.

  Alex was still waiting on Sergeant Wu, who was said to be the best IT guy in the precinct. How difficult was it to find out where Stalker420 had typed the comment?

  Another text came in from Macy.

  He almost ignored it, but didn’t. What if it had something to do with Ayla? He accepted the call. “What’s going on?”

  His sister spoke so fast, it was hard to take it all in. But the gist of it was she needed Alex to check Ayla out of the facility.

  “You really don’t think she just needs more time?”

  “Have you heard a word I said?”

  “It’s hard to take them all in when you speak so fast.”

  She took a deep breath. “They gave her a medication they shouldn’t have—not without permission, at least. And I never would have recommended it. In addition to all of this, they just had a lockdown due to a security breach. I was wrong about admitting her here.”

  It was Alex’s turn for a deep breath. “Let’s think about this for a minute.”

  “That’s all I’ve been doing! I have to get to the office, but I’m here. It was just supposed to be a quick check before work, but I’ve been here over an hour—and I’m not leaving until Ayla’s signed out.”

  “Who’s going to watch her? She’s scared of me.”

  “I’ll do it.”

  “Isn’t Luke a problem, too? Any guy?” Alex glanced at the time and tried to figure out if he had time to leave and sign out Ayla. If he was needed on a call, he’d have to leave.

  “I’ll make sure he stays out of her line of sight. She’ll only see me and Caden, and I’ll be the one to work with her. My colleagues will have other ideas. We’ll make this work. But we need to get her out of here.”

  “Okay. I’ll head down, but I can’t promise I won’t be called out.”

  “I’ll wait if that happens.”