by Melissa Seal
They had almost given up when a deputy called in and reported a car abandoned on the road leading to a secluded part of the mountains. All personnel were called in to search the area. Three miles into the heavily wooded area, Lexie heard noises, and the closer she got the louder the screams were, but they weren’t the screams of her partner, it was Chris screaming as he continued to beat Dani relentlessly.
The bat slipped out of his hand, forcing Chis to stop hitting her long enough to pick it up. He heard the dogs and voices of people surrounding the cave. He knew he had to escape, he only hoped he had done enough damage to kill the bitch. FBI Agent Simmons and her team were the first ones to the cave, and when she saw the condition of the victim, she rushed out to tell Derrick to keep Lexie out. Agent Simmons was not aware of the nature of the women’s relationship, but she knew they were partners at work, and she did not want this to be the last memory Lexie would have of her friend. Simmons called in the medics, but she was positive this woman was not going to survive.
Hearing that they would not let her see Dani, Lexie assumed she was dead and focused all her energy on finding her killer. She saw the direction the officers went, and she followed, except she knew her husband a little better than they did. They reasoned that he would go further up into the mountains and away from the water since it was freezing. She knew better. He would do the opposite of what everyone thought he would do. She left the pack when they headed up the mountain. She headed for the lake and found him with an evil smirk on his face. He was covered in blood.
“Don’t worry sweetheart, the blood isn’t mine.”
“Get on your knees asshole and put your hands on your head now!”
Laughing he replied, “I am not going to prison!”
He pointed the gun at his head and before he could pull the trigger, Lexie shot him in the hand as he dropped the gun and screamed in pain.
“There is no way you are getting off that easy!”
She cuffed him as Derrick ran up to them. Chris was still screaming in pain, and Derrick told him to suck it up, he was lucky she didn’t shoot him somewhere else.
By the time Derrick and Lexie made it back to the cave with the killer, the rescue chopper had already picked up the fading detective. Seeing the area where her partner had been nearly beaten to death proved too much for Lexie to handle, and she lost it, turning her pain on the man responsible. Lexie attacked Chris so fast that no one even saw it happen. Derrick eventually pulled her off and was able to calm her down by telling her Dani was alive, and she needed to keep it together for her.
“You will not be any good to her if she has to come visit you in prison.”
Lexie calmed down on the way to the hospital. There wasn’t a trauma center in the area, so Dani was flown to the nearest hospital that could treat her injuries. They drove for four hours to get to the hospital and when they finally arrived, they were told to wait in the waiting room. The doctors were talking to Dani’s parents.
Lexie recognized Ellie and asked, “What’s going on with Dani? Is she going to be alright?”
“The doctor is still talking to her parents; we haven’t been given any information yet.”
Mr. and Mrs. Watkins entered the waiting room, “She is still in surgery and it is touch and go. Once they know more, they will fill us in. Her injuries are significant and very serious, if she makes it through the surgery then she may have a chance, but it is a small chance.”
Dr. Zia didn’t want to give them false hope, Dani was in very bad shape. She had arrived with a collapsed lung, multiple broken ribs, and so much internal bleeding that the surgical team was still trying to control it.
A few hours later, Dr. Zia came out again and told them Dani was out of surgery but would be heavily sedated indefinitely. Her parents went to see her first, and then let Lexie and Derrick see her. Derrick stayed until he knew Dani was stabilized, and then he had to get home to his family. His heart broke as he looked at the strong, independent, courageous young detective fighting to live.
“I need to go home and hug my kids, but I will call tomorrow and check on you guys.”
He cried the entire drive home. It had been a grueling forty-eight hours and he was glad to be alive and going home to his family.
Lexie sat quietly watching Dani sleep and she could still hear the words Chris said to her the last time she saw Dani before they left the cabin. He stayed true to his words, she was unrecognizable. Look at your girlfriend now because the next time you see her you may not recognize her. Her face was swollen, bruised, and she had bandages everywhere. Lexie hated to see her that way, but she couldn’t stand the thought of leaving her there alone, so she sat watching her breathe until she fell asleep. Lexie stayed by Dani’s bedside for six days until she finally opened her eyes. The swelling had gone down a lot, but she still looked bad. Lexie thought she remained the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Dani looked thrilled to see her but could only stay awake for a few minutes. For the next few days, she was in and out of consciousness, but Lexie never left her. Ten days after Dani was rescued from the mountains, she was wide awake, talking, and even eating a little.
It was an uphill battle, but eight months after leaving the hospital, Dani stood beside Lexi as they both testified in Chris’ murder trial. Thanks to their testimony, the man who had destroyed so many lives, was sentenced to life without parole. After the sentencing, Lexie kissed her girlfriend, and walked out of the courtroom knowing that even after all the pain and loss that she had endured over the past few years, nothing could break her now. With her soulmate by her side, she truly was unbreakable.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Melissa Seal is a U.S. Army Veteran with over twenty-five years of honorable service. She enjoys traveling with her daughter and can usually be found somewhere near the ocean. Melissa resides in Courtland, Virginia.
