Protector: The Flawed Series Book Three

by Becca J. Campbell

  The sounds of clacking footsteps and soft patters converged together, with children’s voices overlaying them. The deeper tones of a father chided, “Quiet down. Walk slow.” They passed Ethan, and the clunk of interior doors professed their departure from the building.

  The lobby where he sat was central for the building. They had wandered the corridors for a bit until Nicodemus got his bearings. The hospital was split into two sections—a newly refurbished half and an old, unoccupied part that was taped off for construction. The new section had two wings: one for adults and one for children.

  When Nicodemus left Ethan in the lobby and went to scout out the children’s ward, Ethan pondered that deserted old wing. He’d stepped close enough to the double doors to catch a brief glimpse of the ragged interior through the darkened panes of glass. While not quite as enticing as Carlsbad Caverns, that wing beckoned the part of him that got a thrill from dark, confined spaces. He’d have to explore later, but for now he flipped a page in his magazine and tucked the thought away.

  After several minutes, Nicodemus’s pungent cologne engulfed Ethan once again.

  He casually lowered the magazine. “What’d you find out?”

  The chair next to Ethan squeaked as Nicodemus sat down. The odor of Funyuns breath mixed with the cologne as Nicodemus leaned close. Ethan almost gagged.

  “Found her.”

  “You sure it’s her?”

  “No doubt.”

  “What was she doing? Did you have trouble getting in? Tell me everything.”

  “No problems getting by the receptionist. These oglers got the charm.”

  Ethan assumed he was pointing at his eyes.

  “Gave them a story, got a visitor pass. Once I was in, it was nothin’.”

  “So where did you see her?”

  “Checked her office first. She’s either one busy chick or she’s a slob. Piles of crap everywhere, paintings, paperwork.”

  “She wasn’t there?”

  “No. I asked some people if they knew where she was—other workers. ‘She’s getting ready for the fundraiser,’ they told me. Finally saw her coming out of the studio. Don’t know why I didn’t think to check there. Makes sense—she’s an art shrink or whatever.”

  Ethan’s pulse raced. “Did you talk to her?”

  “No. She wasn’t alone. Some teenage kid was leaving with her. Weird one, that guy.”

  “What? A resident?”

  “Yeah. Pale kid—like albino pale, ’cept without the red eyes.”

  “Did she see you?”

  “Don’t think so, but the kid did.”

  Ethan frowned. “He’s not going to be trouble, is he?”

  “Nah. Scrawny thing. Either of us could probably take him down if we needed to.”

  “You don’t think he suspects anything?”

  “Nah. Just another crazy in this house of crazies.”

  “What happened after that?”

  “She went to her office. I followed, but somebody was in there waiting to talk to her. It wasn’t a good time.”

  Ethan was eager to get to her, but taking it slow was the right thing to do. He was glad Nicodemus had held back. Getting kicked out of the hospital right now would be the worst thing he could do.

  “Okay.” Ethan thought about their next move. “We’ll have to wait for an opportunity. You get a good scope of the place?”

  “Yeah,” Nicodemus said. “So what’s the plan?”

  “She has the fundraiser tonight, right?”

  “Right…”

  “So, we don’t want her vanishing before that. Better to take her when she won’t be missed for a while.”

  “Okay.”

  “So we’ll lay low for a bit. There’s something I want to check out. Then we’ll show up tonight. You like art, Nicodemus?”

  “I dunno, not really.”

  “You’ll have to pretend that you do.”

  Kelsey looked over several of her clients’ files, briefing herself on names of the parents, siblings, and extended family who would be visiting that afternoon. The office receptionist buzzed her office intercom again.

  “Bill needs you to come check something in the banquet room. Apparently Regina didn’t order enough table arrangements.”

  “Tell him I’ll be down right after I meet the Gershwins.” Kelsey sighed. She’d already noticed one glitch in the evening’s schedule—Regina had hired the auctioneer for 6:00 pm, when dinner was to begin. But he shouldn’t be coming on until seven—after dinner, Kelsey’s speech, and the children’s drama presentation. Thankfully, she’d been able to fix the problem with a simple phone call. But now with the floral arrangements…she didn’t have time for many more complications. Mr. Bercovitch would have her ass if any major hiccups kept the event from being successful. She pushed the negative thoughts aside and drew in the positive aura she aimed to always project.

  Positive inside, positive outside. It was necessary in her line of work, especially with the kids here. She had to stay in control of her own faculties and present a calm front. Pasting on a determined smile, she headed to the reception area just outside the children’s ward.

  The waiting area was packed, as expected. Parents of the residents chatted with each other while others waited to visit their children. Kelsey scanned the group, looking for the Gershwins, whom she hadn’t met. They’d rarely visited during the last year since their daughter had been admitted. Misty had told her she thought it was due to their in-progress divorce and the fact that Mrs. Gershwin had moved out of state.

  Kelsey searched for anyone with Anna Gershwin’s red hair, but the only redhead was a short, wiry man with a mass of curly hair and cold, gray eyes. He seemed to be with an older man, though, and didn’t have any of Anna’s vibrant charm. His narrow jaw was set, and his fox-like expression made Kelsey uncomfortable.

  Her gaze flicked to a man and woman sitting nearby. The woman with golden brown hair had a dusting of freckles across her cheeks more subtle than Anna’s, but Kelsey thought it must be her mother. The woman sent nervous glances toward the children’s wing. Sitting close, the man spoke softly to her, the right corner of his mouth ending in a dimple the same way Anna’s did.

  Kelsey approached the couple. “Mr. and Mrs. Gershwin?”

  The man stood and smiled, offering his hand.

  “I’m Kelsey Matthews—I’m the art therapist here. It’s great to finally meet you. Anna is a pleasure to have in the studio, and—”

  Kelsey was reaching to shake his hand when a small figure shot out from the ward and darted between them. Gwendolyn’s blonde curls bobbed as she scuttled between people, flinging something from a small bowl gripped tight in her hand.

  An orderly in his blue scrubs burst into the waiting room after her. His eyes went wide when he saw what she was doing. “Gwendolyn—stop! Come here!”

  The girl ignored him and continued to run around the waiting area. Globs of green gelatin spewed from her clutches, and one piece splattered right onto Mr. Gershwin’s forehead.

  Gwendolyn continued to dart through the seated people, yelling and flinging Jell-O. The orderly tried to chase her, but she darted away. He attempted to corner her, and she escaped.

  Concerned expressions appeared on the faces of the waiting families, their eyes taking in the girl and narrowing at Kelsey and the orderly.

  This is not going well, Kelsey thought. They had to get the girl under control before they lost the confidence of the Gershwins, not to mention everyone else here. The last thing she needed right before the gala were complaints from their guests. And if Mr. Bercovitch found out…

  Kelsey took several slow steps sideways, easing toward Gwendolyn. The orderly caught her eyes and mirrored her motions on the girl’s other side.

  Gwendolyn let out a long, howling burst, as if her aim was to make everyone as uncomfortable as possible. The cry rang on, reaching an unbearable pitch. Families held their ears, and a baby began to cry.

  But the girl was still out o
f their reach. Before Kelsey ease any closer, the red-haired man with the chilling eyes grabbed Gwendolyn by the arm. Snagged, the girl’s focus turned to him, her eyes going wide.

  “Stop it,” he said through clenched teeth. “Calm down and get back to your room. Now.” His tone sent chills down Kelsey’s arms, but she was certain it would only ramp up the child’s misbehavior. The nurses here had learned the hard way: the more you pushed Gwendolyn, the wilder she got.

  But to Kelsey’s astonishment, Gwendolyn turned and calmly walked back into the children’s ward, her posture as composed as an adult’s the entire way. The orderly stared mutely, watching the girl leave.

  Kelsey blinked. She didn’t know whether to chastise this stranger for grabbing one of the residents or whether to commend him for somehow getting Gwendolyn under control. She’d never seen anything like it.

  “Ugh!” Mr. Gershwin said, wiping his forehead with a hand and frowning at the sticky green substance on his palm.

  “Is this how the residents normally act?” Mrs. Gershwin asked, a frown creasing the spot between her brows.

  “I’m so sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Gershwin,” Kelsey said hastily. “Gwendolyn is…going through some things.”

  She caught the orderly’s gaze as he hurried toward the corridor after the girl. “I’ll just grab some paper towels and get this cleaned up,” he said. “Be right back.”

  “I can take you back if you’re ready to see Anna now,” Kelsey said, hoping she could distract the Gershwins.

  “Is there a restroom nearby where I can wash up?” Mr. Gershwin asked, frowning at his hands.

  “Of course. Follow me,” Kelsey said, leading them back into the ward.

  She breathed a silent sigh, hoping Anna’s budding enthusiasm would overshadow the chaos they’d witnessed. One thought lingered in her mind as she entered the children’s wing. How had that man had managed to get control of Gwendolyn so easily?

  ~

  It wasn’t until Ethan and Nicodemus had split up that Ethan could finally relax. Nicodemus had noted the hospital’s layout, including locations of security cameras, and relayed the floor plan well enough that Ethan wouldn’t lose his bearings, even without his vision. He’d also disarmed the camera at the back door of the old wing. One exit was all they needed, and that one was ideal.

  Disarming the camera early in the morning had one prime benefit—it allowed them to gauge the level of surveillance on the vacant wing. Security had noticed the malfunctioning camera, but it didn’t seem to be their priority at the moment. As Ethan had hoped, Sprawling Plains didn’t seem too worried about the possibility of activity in the old wing. The power to that area had been cut for renovations, and likely they assumed that was good enough. Oh, how gloriously wrong they were.

  Too long he’d been sitting blind under fluorescent lights, but as soon as he entered the old wing, his vision returned. The double doors shut the last sliver of white out behind him, giving him the brief reprieve he so desperately craved. Not that there was much to see here—ragged carpet, peeling paint, baseboards curling away from the walls, and warped door frames. He stepped around a sink lying on its side, rusting pipes still attached. A few antique fixtures lay scattered throughout the hall as if they’d been removed during a partial demolition and left, forgotten.

  Ethan passed an alcove that could’ve once been a waiting area or nurse station, with crumbling composite floor tiles and everything else stripped bare. Beyond it, the corridor continued with doors lining either side. He peeked into a few that stood open, but most were the same: cracked flooring and stacks of rusting chairs and ancient medical equipment, all thick with a layer of dust.

  That was until he found rooms 108 and 109.

  The odd pattern on the walls drew him in. He frowned, wandering inside 108 for a better look. His eyes widened. This was a room once used for solitary confinement: bare, padded walls; an industrial-thickness, soundproof door; and a ring fixed to the wall to contain the patient. An old lock still hung from the ring.

  Desire tingled inside Ethan. It was almost too perfect. Considering the little pet Ethan had brought along for the trip, it suddenly felt poorly inadequate for the task at hand. Besides, what connection did Kelsey have with a mere scorpion? Now that he’d discovered the isolation rooms, he realized there was a much better way to get the object of his obsession primed and ready for a nice, long stay with him. That it was right here on her own turf only sweetened the deal.

  He headed back to the rental car to let his poisonous pet go. He had a more important creature to catch tonight.

  It was nearly five o’clock when Logan began to wonder why he hadn’t heard from Jade. Was she still upset at him? Their few fights had never lasted over a day. He’d thought she would have cooled off and called him first thing in the morning. He even texted her a few times—something he rarely did since it was incredibly time consuming to manage on his antiquated cell phone—but she hadn’t responded.

  What was she doing today, anyway? Studying? A nagging sense of worry pecked at him, but he refused to consider it.

  He finished grading his tests and washed the dishes from lunch. Unable to wait any longer, he called her. It rang four times before she picked up.

  “Uh, hi, Logan. What’s up?” Her voice sounded awkward, a bit strained.

  “I was just wondering how you were doing,” he said casually.

  “Good. Yeah, I’m good.”

  A pause.

  “You aren’t still upset?”

  “Huh? Oh, no.”

  “So…we’re okay?”

  “Yeah. Fine.” She sounded distracted.

  “So you want to hang out later this afternoon?”

  “I’m not sure if I can. I’m a little busy.”

  “So you’re not mad, but you’re too busy to hang out with your boyfriend?” He tried to joke, but it came out sounding unnatural. He heard a voice over a loudspeaker in the background. Logan frowned. “Where are you?”

  “I just pulled into Pueblo.”

  “What?”

  “I’m at the mental health center. I’m going to see Kelsey.”

  “You went by yourself?” Panic flooded his chest, constricting his heart and his lungs.

  “I had to, Logan. Somebody’s got to warn her.”

  “But Jade! What about Ethan? He’s out there somewhere!”

  “Exactly. I can’t not do anything.”

  “But what if—”

  “I’ll call you after I talk to her.”

  “How long are you going to be there?”

  “I don’t know yet. I’ll call you, okay?”

  He bit back a string of protests he knew wouldn’t help at this point and sighed. “Be careful, okay? Please?”

  “Of course. I’m fine, Logan. It’s going to be fine.” He heard the reassurance in her tone but wasn’t comforted. Instead, the panic had morphed into a deep fear, pooling in his gut and slowly working its way through his limbs like a debilitating poison.

  After hanging up, he couldn’t stop pacing. Back and forth, back and forth, wearing a path into his already threadbare rug. His fingers raked over his freshly chopped hair.

  Jade, talking to Kelsey. In Pueblo.

  If Ethan had found Kelsey by now, or if he’d seen the news story, he might already be there, lurking, waiting. Biding his time until the right moment. He might have seen Jade already, too. And if he had, what would he do? He couldn’t be happy that she’d escaped him. The thought sparked a new rush of terror through Logan’s veins.

  He stopped pacing and grabbed his boots. His hands were shaking as he thrust in his feet and tied the laces. He wasn’t leaving this to fate. He had to go.

  He had to protect her.

  Swallowing hard, he grabbed his jacket and headed for his truck. He shoved down the terrifying question that wouldn’t leave him alone: what if he couldn’t?

  ~

  After Ethan let the scorpion go, he used his cane to find his way to the car where Nicodemus sat wait
ing.

  He waved the cane at the spot where the car had been then frowned. Moving a bit farther, he tried again. This time, he hit the rim of the wheel.

  “Nicodemus?” he called, hoping the windows were down.

  “What?”

  “Never mind,” Ethan said. He was sure the car had been parked one spot to the left, but he didn’t want his partner to think he was losing his mind.

  “Now what?” Nicodemus asked.

  “Now we go find appropriate attire for a black-tie event. When we return, we’ll park at the back exit.”

  “Where I took out the security camera?” Nicodemus asked.

  “Right.”

  “There’s already a truck parked out there.”

  “There wasn’t one there this morning,” Ethan said, frowning. If someone else was using that exit, it could hamper their efforts at a quick escape.

  “I got a drink while I was waiting for you.” That explained the alcohol on his breath and why the car had moved. “When I got back, I drove around that side of the hospital and noticed the truck there.”

  Ethan cursed then calmed himself with a deep breath. “It’s okay. We can work around this. Let’s go check it out.”

  They walked through the hospital, and when they reached the empty wing, Ethan’s vision came back online. They ducked under the construction tape and passed through the doors.

  Nicodemus pulled a flashlight from his pocket and flicked it on.

  “Keep that aimed at the ground,” Ethan said as they passed the two isolation rooms.

  The corridor turned to the left and eventually ended with a metal door. Nicodemus pushed it open, but it was still too bright outside for Ethan to see anything.

  “Truck’s right here. It’s, like, one of those moving trucks. Guess you can’t see it?” Nicodemus asked.