by HMC
She was right. It wasn’t a risk he was willing to take. They would have to find another way.
‘I’m not asking you to make the decision right now. I’m just putting it out there. If something isn’t done soon, it could be too late and both you and I seem to be the only ones who give enough of a damn to act before that happens. No one wants to touch this.’
It was exactly what Harry had said.
All she wanted him to do was to go with her and check it out. It was simple enough. If they couldn’t get into this so-called private research facility, then at least he would see that one existed.
‘I’ll do it.’
‘Great. Look, I have to go, they think I’m talking to a counselling helpline and Grady is shuffling around nearby. I’ll contact you again soon with more of a plan. Goodbye.’
Before he could speak again, she was gone.
Travis turned the key in his ignition, wishing that he hadn’t let Jade Thatcher hang up. If he were honest with himself, his desire to go to Maine now and check it out was overpowering.
Sam might be alive. It was painful to think that Karl had hurt his daughter and lied to him.
Travis knew that if he went, he would be wandering around aimlessly without Jade. He couldn’t even contact the doctor and had no idea when she would call him again. If he had to wait too long, he knew he wouldn’t be able to help himself. But she had a sense of urgency – surely she would get back to him quickly.
Sam … where are you?
A white van rolled up beside Travis’s patrol car and blocked his access to the road. Travis was the one who pulled people over, not the reverse. He didn’t like this and unholstered his gun as an older gentleman jumped out of the van before him. ‘Please officer, we need your help,’ he called, desperation in his voice.
The constable returned his weapon to his holster and got back to his job.
Angus’ satchel sat under the hotel dining room table with no one paying it any notice. She knew what was inside it: everything she’d need, everything to get the job done all on her own. But she didn’t need it yet. She had Travis. It’d been a few hours since Jade called him and she hoped it was long enough for him to think over what she’d said.
This time she’d call from the hotel lobby. The excuse of calling a counsellor again wouldn’t cut it in such a short timeframe, so she racked her brain for an appropriate reason. She had a plan now, well, half a plan.
Ayrah was taking a shower and both Grady and Angus were chatting out on the balcony. It was a nice hotel, a pleasant adjustment from the norm. All of the dodgy, cheap hotels they’d stopped at in the area had been fully booked. It was too bad she wasn’t in the frame of mind to enjoy the luxury fully.
From out of nowhere, the perfect excuse to get out popped into Jade’s head, where Ayrah being absent was a necessity. ‘I’m going down to the foyer to buy tampons.’ The two men stared. ‘I saw a small shop off the lobby that probably has some.’
‘Wait for Ayrah,’ Grady said.
‘Really? You seriously want me to wait?’
Grady looked embarrassed. ‘Okay,’ he finally said. ‘Please don’t leave the hotel and don’t be long.’
‘If I’m not back in ten minutes, come down.’ Grady looked wary, almost pained to let her go on her own. She understood. She could be taken in a matter of seconds and he would be ten minutes behind.
‘I’ll be careful.’ They were eleven floors up and though the elevator looked all new and shiny, it was painfully slow. Perhaps ten minutes wouldn’t be enough. Jade tapped on the banister she was leaning on. Come on. Gawd.
The entrance hall was magnificently large and from the pay phone she’d be able to see Grady exiting the elevator. She could end her conversation and disappear before he even noticed her. The receptionist smiled at her like a Stepford Wife as she picked up the pay phone.
Travis’s mobile rang three times before being answered.
‘Constable,’ Jade breathed.
‘Yes.’
‘It’s me.’
‘Jade?’ This wasn’t Travis’s voice. She didn’t recognise the male tone.
‘Oh Jade, where have you been?’ Trackers.
‘Who is this?’ She was tempted to hang up, in case they were tracing her call.
‘Travis is busy. He told us you’d call with instructions. Where can we meet?’
‘What have you done with him?’ People passed her by and the foyer became blurry.
‘He’s being taken care of. The real question is: what are you going to do without him?’
‘Please, what do you want?’ She thought she knew the answer.
‘An eye for an eye. A life for a life.’ Her life? ‘You took my son, doctor, and now I’m coming for you.’
The room spun. Her stomach twisted in a knot and she couldn’t speak. She’d killed someone. Someone’s son? A tracker’s son?
She had a vision of the young man dead on the floor. She was dizzy and the hotel lobby buzzed. Jade hung up and found it hard to remain stable. It was her fault they had Travis and it would be her fault if he was hurt. Or worse.
Were they here, watching her? She stumbled over to the elevator and waited for someone to get in the lift with her and rip her apart. No one came, and the doors closed.
The doctor dry-wretched and steadied herself against the moving wall. What have I done? They could kill Travis.
The elevator chimed and the doors opened. This was her floor. She had to go back inside to face the others. Two agents were there to protect them. That should’ve been enough. But she was terrified. Perhaps she should tell them what she now knew. Then what? Lead them all to the same fate that had now befallen the young policeman? No. She would do this on her own. She would face the consequences as they came.
You can do this.
She pulled herself together. Before Jade entered the hotel room, she had one little pit stop to make.
‘I have a special visitor for you.’
Sam had never been to this part of the hospital before, and she was only beginning to fathom just how large the underground purgatory of Maine actually was. When she came to the door and looked through at her special visitor she cried out.
Travis. He’d been beaten to a bloody pulp. So much so that both of his eyes were swollen and his face was blue and purple. It had taken her a few seconds to recognise him. They’d put his arm in a cast and he sat with his head dropped down on his chest, as if he were sleeping. Her heart was broken for him and she loved him at that moment more than ever.
Was this what it was like ... to have true feelings for someone? It was powerfully overwhelming – a desired pain. Like being ground to dust and ashes, but wanting it.
It was her father’s fault that all of this was happening. And Green – let’s not forget him. It was her fault, too, for stirring the nutcase.
‘What have you done to him?’ Machines were connected to Sam to measure her heart rate and she thought it would beat right out of her chest. Perfect – they had what they wanted, Sam felt, and they had evidence. She was shocked that Green wasn’t here himself to watch the show of her anguish at the sight of her loved one. He was probably filming it.
‘Sick, perverted bastards!’
One of Green’s lackeys sniggered behind her.
‘Travis,’ she whispered. There was no movement. She tried again, this time stroking his hair. Sam felt his pulse and it was there, but faint. She sat by his side, leaned against him and cried for the first time in many, many years.
‘What have they done to you?’
Samantha Phillips decided that she would no longer just kill Dr. Clancy Green, she would torture him first.
BEST SERVED COLD
Several things could stop her if a single mistake was made. There had to be no mistakes – not a single one or everything would come crashing down.
There were also several elements on her side. Jade had access to a vehicle, a bag full of weapons that looked like harmless gadgets, and a whole heap of information on underground Maine. It was all thanks to the late Dr. Karl Phillips that her plan might actually work.
There was a new fire in her belly. Breaking point had come and gone. She’d not listened to her patients properly and had brushed off their pleas. All of them could’ve been killed in the fire. Now, she had left them behind in a nightmare. She’d led trackers straight to Karl, which had gotten him killed. The people who were meant to help her were doing nothing, and now Travis was also in trouble. He could be dead, too, and she was to blame if he was.
Jade wouldn’t include a soul in her plan this time. It was all up to her now.
Clear, calculated, emotionless judgement would be critical. As she lay in her hotel bed, pretending to nap for the afternoon, Jade replayed her plan – moment-by-moment, step-by-step, she memorised the script of it. The hardest part would be giving her companions the slip. Her timing would have to be perfect and it came in the form of a six-pack of Crown Lagers and a recently filled prescription.
Later that evening, Jade saw Grady rubbing his eyes on the sofa, as they sat together watching television. It was time.
‘Beer anyone?’
‘We have beer?’ Angus asked, surprised.
‘I picked some up when I went to the foyer earlier.’
‘That was imprudent,’ Grady snapped.
‘Get used to it!’
‘Oh, she came back all right, Grady, lighten up. I’ll have one, Jade.’ Ayrah smiled at her. She seemed to like beer as much as Angus.
‘Not for me,’ Grady moped. She’d known that would happen and had prepared for it.
‘I got you some soda water,’ she called back from the kitchen. She’d noticed him drinking it a few times. Jade opened the beers for Angus and Ayrah. She then checked that they weren’t out of their seats before drugging the drinks. It only took half an hour for all of them to start nodding off. Jade ushered them to bed and just as she’d predicted, Angus took the longest to succumb. They had to be completely asleep or else she wouldn’t be able to get away to do what she needed to.
Once everyone was out, she gathered her things, ready for the night ahead, still in disbelief that she was about to be so reckless.
The early morning quiet was broken by the faint sound of birdsong as the sun loomed overhead and mocked her. Grady’s Ford came to a halt and Jade ensured the vehicle was well hidden behind the trees, invisible from the side of the road.
Directly across from her was the stark brick Maine Hospital building. Jade was surprised at how little fear she felt. It had been easy so far; everything had fallen into place. Now she found herself waiting outside and ready to do some serious damage. Implementing the rest of the plan would be the hard part.
At exactly 6:59 AM, a red Toyota Corolla pulled into the driveway and disappeared behind the building. She knew she’d be able to depend on Green’s banality. She placed her newly acquired backpack up onto her shoulders and made her way across the street.
Jade walked in through the front doors of Maine Hospital as if she owned the place. She wore a cap on her head and had pushed all of her hair into it. The last thing Jade wanted at this point was to be recognised, but her disguise was lame at best.
A receptionist looked up from her desk and spoke in a thick Australian accent. Jade was happy that she didn’t know her.
‘Can I help ya, love? Bit early for visits.’
Jade spoke back with an accent just as thick. One way to sell yourself to someone was to be just like them. People were far more into themselves than they realised. ‘G’day. I’m Marjory. You can call me Marge.’ Jade reached over and shook the receptionist’s hand with vigour. ‘I’m the new kitchen hand. Do’y possibly know which way I’m s’pose t’go? I’m s’posed to help with this mornins’ brekkie.’
‘Helen. Nice to meetcha. Ah yep, just down that hall darlin’ and to the left. You’ll see tha elevatas. Then there’s a sign. Just follow et.’
‘Ta.’ Jade took off in the direction she was pointed in.
There was light footfall all around her as nurses buzzed by, whispering and sipping coffee. Jade could smell toast and bacon cooking. She kept her head down and moved quickly. She’d memorised the hallways and floors on the hospital map that Karl had given her. It was all printed in her mind now, like a little book. She took the elevator down.
The security guard stood up as she approached him. It had been the same red-nosed man who had let her escape. She was surprised they hadn’t fired him, or at least put him on a less important door. So they must have had guards stationed on either side now. Even though the door could only be opened from the inside.
Jade had assumed she would need to get Green’s attention via the cameras, but that would no longer be necessary. She spoke confidently as the security guard put his hand up to stop her.
‘They’re expecting me.’
The guard raised his eyebrows, suspicious now. He didn’t recognise her so far. ‘You need to move along.’ The over-sized guard latched onto her arm and ushered her away. His fingers dug hard into her.
Jade turned to him, and took off her cap. ‘You don’t remember me, do you? I’m the patient you buzzed through this very same door and allowed to escape recently.’ He stopped and looked at her as if she’d just slapped him. Then, with full force, he yanked her back towards the door. ‘Easy now. I told you, they’re expecting me.’
The guard held her fast and knocked on the door three times. He looked up at the security cameras and spoke them. ‘Green will want to see this one.’
There was a buzz, and the first door to underground Maine swung open.
Moments later Dr. Green stood before her. ‘What a pleasant surprise, Dr. Thatcher.’ He put out his hand. ‘Backpack.’ She passed it to him. ‘Two security guards, and neither of you thought to take this from her before letting her enter?’
The guards looked at each other as Green shook his head in disgust. ‘Search her.’
The first security guard started towards Jade.
‘Not you, moron!’ Green shouted. ‘This is not your post. Get outside the door and be on full alert. No one is to enter this morning without my personal consent.’
The second guard nodded, then proceeded to put his hands all over Jade until she felt she ought to at least have been offered a cigarette when it was over.
‘Nothing,’ the security guard announced and Green smiled with delight. His face reminded her of a shiny-headed ghoul from an eighties horror movie she’d watched as a girl.
‘Interesting.’ He glanced her up and down. ‘Follow me.’
A screaming alarm woke him with a start. Grady reached over and switched it off, then stretched the full length of the bed and looked over at the time.
He jumped up and received cramping pains in his legs for his trouble. He looked over at the other single bed, and it hadn’t been slept in.
Jade was gone.
Maybe she was out making breakfast?
Grady wasn’t hopeful; he couldn’t hear a sound, apart from Angus’ snoring from the next room.
The agent had slept far too well, which wasn’t like him at all. As he made his way out to the kitchen, his heart sank.
There was a handwritten letter on the counter.
To whomever gets this first,
Don’t feel bad about not waking up. I drugged you all with sleeping pills. Sorry. By the time you get this, I should be inside Maine.
See you there.
Jade.
PS If you REALLY want to help, tip the media off, and tell them that something is about to happen at Maine Hospital.
Grady shook Ayrah and Angus awake. ‘Get up, she’s gone.’
‘What?’ Angus moaned.
‘Jade�
�s gone. Get up, we’ve got to go.’
Angus came to at that, and bounded out of bed. ‘This is my fault. This is my fault,’ he muttered, as he got up and put his pants on.
Grady disagreed. It was he who was supposed to be watching her. She’d given him the slip so easily. It was because he’d trusted her and that was a crucial mistake. Grady should never have let Jade out of his sight.
‘This is no one’s fault.’ Ayrah snapped her gun into its holster and pulled her hair back into a ponytail. Grady passed Angus the note to look over.
‘This isn’t like Jade, but she’s a different person lately,’ Angus said.
‘There’s no time to worry about that crap. Save the blame. Pull yourselves together and focus now on what we can do.’ Ayrah was right. There was no time for blame.
‘What is she thinking?’ Grady wondered aloud as he gathered some of his belongings.
‘Thinking is just what she was doing. She’d have probably thought about whatever it is she is about to do, for a long time now.’ Ayrah was ready first.
‘She’s right,’ said Angus.
Grady stood at the door waiting. ‘We might get there in time, before she even goes in.’
Angus shook his head as he barged past, doing up his fly. ‘We woke up when she wanted us to. She will have taken your car, too, so that buys her more time. She’ll have it planned down to the minute.’
Grady checked his jean pockets and, sure enough, his keys were gone. ‘Grace is gonna have kittens.’ Grady noticed Angus searching the room.
‘She wants us to call the media. But you guys, you really need to call some police or … more agents … or something. People you can really trust.’ Angus was nervous. ‘And you really need to do it right now.’
‘I know who to call, but first we need to phone someone for a lift.’ Grady pulled out his mobile.
‘No, call your agents first. Jade has my bag.’
Ayrah stopped him. ‘Why does that matter?’
‘Because of what’s inside it.’
