Deadly Shadow

by Kim Cresswell

  Blistered, blackened, oozing puffy skin extended across most of Jade’s body and limbs. Her white bra and panties were blackish-gray and burnt into her abdomen, hips, and breasts.

  Victory twisted her hands together. Panic climbed in her chest. After seeing the full extent of the grisly injuries, she wondered how Jade was still alive.

  A young doctor with white-blond hair and blue-rimmed glasses, and a nurse dressed in eggplant-colored scrubs were busy splinting Jade’s arms and legs to keep her limbs in position to prevent stiffness.

  The automatic glass door swooshed open, then sucked closed. A doctor wearing green scrubs and a mask emerged in the hallway. He walked to Victory and pulled the mask down around his neck.

  Her muscles tightened, and her pulse sped up. She looked at him, searching his face for any indication of possible good news. There wasn’t any. “How is she?”

  “We have her intubated. There is a lot of edema, which is quite common in burns like this. We have her on a ventilator due to the deep chest burns and stiffening of the tissue. We’re pushing high volumes of continuous IV fluids to adjust for the shift of plasma in the interstitial tissue.”

  Victory looked away for a second and watched two other nurses putting layers of white sheets over Jade. The sight reminded her of Gregory preparing The Wrapper’s victims for transport to the morgue.

  “Why are they covering her up like that?” Her voice came out high-pitched and panicky.

  “It’s imperative to prevent hypothermia and evaporative heat loss. It helps increases the patient’s survival rate.”

  All she heard was the word, ‘survival’, drilling the severity of the situation into her again. “Is she going to make it?”

  “It’s too early to tell. Sixty percent of her body is covered in second and third-degree burns. Some of the burns involve critical functional areas including her face, hands, feet, as well as over major joints. Who did this to her?”

  “The Wrapper.”

  His brown eyes widened. “The serial killer? I’m really sorry.” His gaze shifted to the FBI badge on her jacket. “I hope you caught him.”

  “We did.” Victory paused mid-breath. “It’s the only good thing that’s come out of this.”

  The doctor’s pager buzzed and vibrated. He checked the display then looked back at her. “Your daughter’s condition is critical. If she survives, she’s going to require significant rehabilitation. If we’re able to keep her stabilized for a few more hours, we’ll move her over to the burn center. There is a very high risk for infection with severe burns like this. She’s being given antibiotics. Right now, our main concern is keeping her alive.”

  Victory looked at Jade lying on the gurney. She appeared puny, her face swollen, her cheeks and forehead charred and burnt. Once beautiful long red hair was singed at jagged angles. Large patches of hair were missing. Shards of shiny bubble wrap were melted into her skin and gleamed under the brilliant fluorescent lighting.

  “I need to get back in there. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask. I’m Dr. Gillon. Or ask one of the nurses.”

  “Can I go in and see her?”

  “In a little while. Give us a bit more time to finish what we need to do. Then I’ll have one of the nurses bring you in to sit with her. Talk to your daughter. She may be unconscious, but she can hear you. She’ll be aware that you’re there.”

  Victory nodded, unable to speak. She wanted and needed Josh here so badly. If only things could have been different. The pain was raw, biting and shredding every ounce of her being. Jade needed her father. Victory needed her them both.

  After the doctor left, Ryan appeared, the stress evident on his face by the tiny lines around his mouth and the corner of his eyes.

  He handed her a cup of coffee. “How is she doing?”

  “The same. No better. No worse.” She took the coffee unsure if she even wanted it.

  “That’s a good sign.”

  “I can’t believe Elder did this to her. What if she dies, Ryan?”

  He put his arm around her shoulder and watched the flurry of doctors and nurses working on Jade. “I don’t have that answer, Vic. I wish I did.” He took a sip of his coffee. “All we can do is wait and pray that she pulls through this.”

  Anger and fear rippled up inside her. All Victory could think about was Derrick. If had told her about his paranormal skills hours earlier then he had, Jade wouldn’t be…

  She knew she couldn’t talk to Ryan about Derrick. It was a secret she would be forced to keep for the rest of her life. Or at least as long as Derrick was alive.

  “Is Derrick still here?”

  Ryan removed his arm from around her shoulder. “He’s in the waiting room with Curtis, Sean, Mike Andrews, Joe Mains and a bunch of other agents from the field office. Derrick really came through, got Jade to the hospital during one of the worst snow storms I’ve seen in years.”

  Victory was surprised Derrick hadn’t left yet. She figured he would have taken off after getting them to the hospital.

  “I know this isn’t a great time, but I have some news about Elder. Thought you’d want to know.”

  He was right. This was not a good time. The last thing Victory wanted to do was talk about the man who had done this to her daughter. She peered through the window for a long moment, working hard to drive away the anger for now, for her own sake. “That’s okay. I need a distraction. What is it?”

  When Mike and the team searched Elder’s house, they found a wedding invitation dated ten years ago for Elder and a woman by the name of Lily Anne Sutherland.”

  “I thought Elder was single?”

  “Me too. Nothing in his house suggested he was married. There’s no marriage license on file in Ohio, even though the invitation said the marriage was to take place at St. Andrew’s church in Cleveland. They filled out the marriage license application. The joyful day never happened.”

  “Maybe one of them got cold feet. Called it off.” Victory’s thoughts raced in every direction, then it struck her. “Wait. Lily called off the wedding. It fits our profile to a tee. I’m betting she has the exact same physical traits as the women Elder had killed: petite, green eyes, brunette. That explains why he hunted and killed women that looked like Lily. Revenge for axing the marriage.”

  “You could be right. Makes the most sense.”

  She took a drink of her coffee and another thought hit her. “I wonder if he killed her?”

  Ryan shrugged. “We’re looking into it.” He downed the rest of his coffee and crumpled the paper cup in his hand. “I meant to ask you. How did you know where to find Jade? That warehouse wasn’t on our list to check out.”

  “Excuse me.”

  Victory turned toward the female voice.

  “You can come in now and be with your daughter,” the nurse said.

  “I have to go.”

  He nodded. “Hey. Tell Jade I love her, and she needs to get better.”

  “I will.” Victory stopped outside the door leading to the ER and glanced over her shoulder at her partner. “Pray for her, Ryan. She needs all the help she can get.”

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  Sparks of light crawled above the horizon and ignited the magnificent blue sky. The storm had finally moved on, leaving the ground covered with mounds of fresh snow. Perspiration dotted Derrick’s forehead. He stood in the corner of the cramped waiting room, away from all the FBI agents. He wasn’t feeling comfortable around so many men and women dressed in navy suits, and others wearing jackets with bold yellow FBI letters, especially after he had eliminated Shane.

  After watching what Jeremy Elder had done to Jade and the fear and sadness in Victory’s eyes, guilt gnawed at his gut. He should have helped Victory earlier instead of dealing with Shane. If he had, he would have found Jade before the monster had burned her. It was a decision he’d have to live with. But he had an idea, a way to help Jade. It was an illogical attempt to make himself feel better to make up for his earlier poor decision.
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  Derrick dug into his coat pocket and pulled out his phone. He was about to call his father when he noticed there were already two missed calls from him and three missed calls from his production manager. He hit his father’s number on speed dial. After four rings, he heard his father’s voice.

  “Son, I was beginning to think you were ignoring my calls.”

  “Not at all. I’ve been busy. What’s up?”

  “President Burke sends his gratitude for looking after our problem with Shane. Did you get rid of the reporter’s laptop?”

  Derrick half-panicked for a moment. He had forgotten all about it. The reporter’s laptop was still sitting on his desk at home with her notes about the Elara Project on it. His father didn’t need to know, not now. “It’s been looked after.”

  “Glad to hear that,” his father said.

  Derrick knew he was about to go out on a limb and there would be no turning back. “Remember when I was in my second year of training with the Elara Project?”

  “Of course.”

  “There was a female recruit skilled in energy medicine and psychic surgery. I can’t remember her name.”

  “Where is this leading, son? And why?”

  He heard the concern in his father’s voice. “I just need her name.”

  “Tamera Harris. She was working with the US Army in Afghanistan. She was uniquely different to anyone who was part of the project as far as psychic surgery was concerned. She’s the real deal. Can heal anyone. You aren’t planning on asking her to help someone, are you? That wouldn’t be wise. It would put us at risk.”

  There it was. The point of no return. The guilt-laden, questioning apathy Derrick had dealt with all his life. If Tamera had the ability to remove disease and heal injuries using energetic incision, then Derrick would do what he could to make that happen. He had no choice but to tell his father about what had transpired.

  “On second, Dad.”

  Derrick left the waiting room and walked toward the washroom at the end of the hallway. The potent odor of antiseptic and cleaning products invaded his nostrils as he eyed a male hospital worker leaving one of the washrooms with a spray bottle in his hand. Derrick walked past him, stopped, and leaned against the wall. An elderly woman in an electric wheelchair whizzed past him and stopped in front of a snack vending machine.

  “An FBI agent knows about my abilities and the Elara Project.”

  “How’d he find out?”

  “I told her—”

  “A woman? For Christ sakes, son. You know how important it is to keep the project protected and the president. Us too.”

  “The circumstances were—unusual.”

  “Our paranormal abilities are considered unusual. I can’t think of any situation that would require you tell the woman about the Elara Project.”

  “I had to help. Her daughter was kidnapped by a serial killer. Luckily, I was able to find him. Her daughter is barely hanging on. Pretty much burnt alive.”

  “You had better hope the agent doesn’t cause us any problems. The fallout would be catastrophic. I doubt you want the president ordering you to take care of her to ensure the project isn’t exposed to the public.”

  A doctor dressed in blue scrubs and another one in a white coat walked by him, talking and exchanging encouraging smiles.

  Derrick kept his voice low. “Like I said, she’s not a problem. And won’t be.”

  “So, you want Tamera to help the daughter?”

  “Dad, it’s the right thing to do.”

  “Why is this your responsibility? People die every single day. That’s the way it works. Walk away. It’s the best thing for you to do. For all of us.”

  His father wasn’t known for being overly compassionate which was what made him the best at his job as Secretary of Defense. The man had the ability to be detached, dispassionate during any situation that affected the country but lacked empathy when it came to day-to-day relationships or for those around him.

  Derrick gritted his teeth and raised his voice. “Have some compassion. It’ll actually make you sound human.”

  “This isn’t about compassion, son. It’s about protecting our asses. You know that.”

  “They’re protected. You have my word.”

  “Are you prepared to kill the agent if you’re ordered to?” his father asked.

  Derrick knew it wouldn’t come to that. Victory was completely aware of what he could do when she was sleeping.

  “Yes.” He quickly changed the subject. “I had a weird experience when I was traveling. It was if someone was trying to connect with me. It felt like someone close, someone related. Have you been traveling lately?”

  “Not at all.”

  A nerve twanged in the back of his head. Derrick couldn’t shake the feeling his father was hiding something, but he had no idea what, or why.

  “Sorry, son. I’ve got another call coming in. Talk later.”

  Derrick stared at his phone after the call abruptly ended. With a long, deep breath he dialed Evelyn’s number to get Tamera’s contact information. He hoped he wasn’t too late to help Jade.

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  By twelve-thirty in the afternoon, Jade had been transferred to a spacious suite in the burn center at the other end of the hospital. Victory sat next to the bed and held her daughter’s hand wrapped in white gauze. Beeping, swooshing, and clicking came from the half-dozen machines monitoring and keeping her alive. Even the clock ticking in the room seemed louder than it should.

  “Your father would tell you to fight, baby. I know you’re doing the best you can. Keep fighting.”

  Jade’s head and face were wrapped in bandages and white gauze. She looked like a mummy. Only swollen closed eyelids were visible.

  Outside the room, Victory spotted Dr. Gillon putting on a blue hospital gown over his scrubs. Then he put on a mask and gloves.

  The door slid open.

  “I wanted to speak with you and give you an update.” He pulled a chair over to her from the other side of the room and sat beside her.

  Victory’s muscles tensed. Worry worked through her. “Is something wrong?”

  “At this time, Jade’s condition is still stable. She’s still unconscious. It could be from shock of the injuries, pain. Sometimes the body takes over to protect itself. We’ll keep the breathing tube in until we’re confident the swelling in her throat has gone down.”

  There was something in the doctor’s voice that sounded worrisome. She couldn’t pinpoint it, but it was there.

  He stretched his legs and crossed them. “Due to the extent of your daughter’s injuries, it’s important to know if a patient has any wishes regarding their care. A DNR order will withhold CPR or any advanced cardiac life support to allow for a natural death.”

  She felt as if she was just sucker-punched. A do-not-resuscitate order was the last thing Victory wanted to think about. She couldn’t. The thought hurt too much.

  “I know Jade is a young woman, but is this something she’s ever discussed with you?”

  Victory looked away and stared at the sign on the wall: No Live Flowers or Plants Allowed. They had discussed a DNR right after Josh had died. Jade had said she didn’t want to be resuscitated if she had cancer or if she was disfigured from a horrible accident. Victory had chalked up her daughter’s decision to losing her father suddenly and tragically. Jade wasn’t thinking clearly at the time. How could she? She’d just lost her father, a man she loved and adored.

  Victory shook her head. “She hasn’t.”

  “Whether you choose to sign a DNR or not, we will continue treating her with antibiotics, pain medications, and any other appropriate treatments for the burns so she can hopefully improve.”

  She tried to rationalize the conversation in her mind. “But you just said she was stable.”

  “She is. Like I had mentioned earlier in the ER, there is an extremely high-risk of infection and it could affect her heart. She is receiving high doses of antibiotics and pain meds. Sometim
es that isn’t enough. I understand this is a very difficult and personal decision. Sometimes it helps to talk it over with other family members or close friends.” His gaze traveled to Jade then back to Victory. “She’s doing okay at the moment, considering the magnitude of her injuries. Her vital signs look good at this point. So far there’s no sign of infection.”

  The doctor patted her gloved hand. “Take a break, Victory. This is a lot to take in. Go have something to eat and drink. You both have a long road ahead of you. This is just the beginning.

  She wasn’t leaving Jade alone. “I can’t leave her. I’m all she has. Her father died a year ago.”

  Victory saw a spark of empathy in the doctor’s eyes.

  “I’m sorry. She won’t be alone. We have the best burn care team here. They’re caring and have been through this many times. She’ll have a large team of doctors around the clock, including plastic surgeons, neurologists, dermatologists, rheumatologists, specialists in internal medicine, critical care doctors, as well as a team in place to treat her mental health. It will be overwhelming for both of you at first.”

  “You won’t be any good to Jade if you end up hospitalized for exhaustion. When was the last time you ate anything?”

  Victory couldn’t remember. She wasn’t even sure what day it was. Everything up until when they had arrived at the hospital was a distant blur. “I have no clue.”

  “Go and get something from the cafeteria. You need to keep up your strength. Can’t say it’s the best food in the world, but it’s better than nothing. We’ll call you if anything changes.” He patted her hand again then stood. “I’ll have one of the nurses come and sit with her until you get back.”

  Victory let out a long sigh. She knew the doctor was right. She was mentally and physically exhausted, running on stress and pure adrenaline for the past six days. The thought of having to make a decision about the DNR was draining her energy and stressing her even more.