Vanguard Security

by S. J. Bishop

  Thinking I deserved the treat, I grabbed a spoon I had just washed and started to devour the pudding. Nothing had ever tasted so sweet. By the time I finished, however, I was still famished, so I started opening the cupboards, looking for something else to eat. There was nothing of interest.

  As a final resort, I headed for the pantry where all of the non-perishables were kept. At first, all I saw were canned fruits and vegetables. Nothing that would kill this craving for something sweet. But then I saw it.

  “You little sneak!” I whispered to myself, quickly grabbing the nearby stepladder. So this was where Franklin had hidden all of the cookies!

  I swiped them off the shelf, but my movement was much too quick. The world kept spinning even as I tried to stand still. Desperately, I reached out my hand to try and steady myself, but it was already too late. I came crashing down, my head banging against the lower shelf.

  My vision blurred with white before a shoot of pain radiated through my skull. A groan escaped my lips as I lay there, feeling like I had shattered into a million pieces. I tried to call for help, but I was incapable of making a sound. All I could do was moan as the pain grew worse with every second. It radiated through my body, leaving me numb.

  I managed to crawl a few inches, but that was all. I was splayed on the pantry floor with no one to help me. Everything started to fade into darkness. Fear left me crippled. Soon, it overwhelmed me.

  In my unconscious state, darkness kept me engulfed in its depths for a long, long time. I couldn’t quite pinpoint how long I had been wading through the sludge, but it felt like an eternity. I just kept swimming and swimming, but with no end in sight.

  Until suddenly, a tiny pinprick of light appeared in the distance. I hastened toward it, but my pace was slow and my path treacherous.

  At one point, I thought about giving up, but if I did that, then what would happen to me? What would I strive for? This thought gave me an added push of motivation.

  Finally, I reached the light. I reached out to touch it. As soon as my fingers made contact, it exploded, painting everything in white and chasing out the darkness. A lightness came over me that made me feel like I would start floating at any second. And in fact, I did.

  My body hovered in the air for a moment until it flew higher and higher.

  A burst of frigid air erupted from the sky.

  I gasped and suddenly, I was no longer in the void.

  Instead, I was in a room, one decorated in white and full of beeping machines. It didn’t take long for me to realize that I was in a hospital.

  My last waking memory crashed into my mind like a freight train, leaving me winded. At the same time, my stomach tightened and twisted as it imagined the fall.

  Before I could drive myself into a full-blown panic attack, someone squeezed my hand. I looked up to find Franklin sitting by my bed. He was leaning forward, his head resting on his arm like a pillow.

  A nurse walked into the room. She smiled when she saw I was awake. “Can I get you anything, miss?”

  I was about to ask her a million and one questions when I realized just how parched my lips were. “Water…” I managed to croak.

  She nodded and left the room, her feet padding through the hall before the sound eventually disappeared.

  When it did, I gathered the courage to look down at Franklin. He was still fast asleep. I couldn’t believe that he had stayed by my side this entire time… How long had I been unconscious anyway?

  The nurse returned, handing me a cup of water. I drank it greedily, nearly choking. “Careful,” she warned. When I was done, she threw away the plastic cup for me. “How are you feeling?” she asked, resting a hand on mine and patting it gently.

  “What happened…?”

  “From what we were told, you took a nasty fall and bashed your head against a shelf. We gave you a few stitches, but at least you avoided a concussion.”

  “What about the baby?” I asked, fear gripping my heart.

  “The baby is just fine. He looks healthy from the ultrasound we performed.”

  “He?” My eyes widened. “Did you just say he?”

  “Oh my… did I? Just a slip of the tongue…”

  “I’m having a boy…?”

  The nurse didn’t answer right away, but she eventually nodded. “Congratulations.”

  My heart swelled with joy. I started to fantasize about the future. Would my son become a major league baseball player? Or would he become a mathematician? Maybe a doctor? Who would be his first girlfriend? Who would act as his father figure? I frowned at the last thought. A boy needed a father. Someone who could act as his role model. Someone he could look up to…

  My eyes fell on Franklin.

  9

  Franklin

  I woke up to find someone running their fingers through my hair. It was a pleasurable sensation that brought me back to a time that felt so distant. For an instant, I was once again with my wife, enjoying those few moments on a Sunday morning where we just cuddled up together, savoring the warmth.

  The fingers, however, soon proved to be different than those of my wife. It was a subtle difference, but enough for me to notice.

  Finally, I opened my eyes. Reality returned a moment later.

  Lauren!

  “You’re awake!” I exclaimed in surprise. “How are you feeling?”

  “Fine.” She was wringing her fingers together as if nervous. Her eyes darted around the room, searching for something she could not find. A soft pink colored her cheeks.

  “Were you just playing with my hair?” I asked.

  Her cheeks grew redder. “No.”

  I could tell she was lying. She had uttered the word much too quickly. Besides, she was refusing to make eye contact.

  “Why…?” I narrowed my eyes in suspicion. Being alone for so long made me question everyone who tried to get close. This woman was up to something, I could almost smell it.

  Still, there was a part of me who wanted to show her compassion. She deserved as much. Everyone did. So I took her hand in mine and squeezed it gently. “Tell me.”

  “I don’t know… your hair looked so soft…” she mumbled under her breath. “Can we just drop this? It’s getting kind of weird.”

  “Sorry.”

  There was a moment of awkwardness that passed between us that made the air thick and unbreathable. I wanted to say something, but I didn’t know what. So I just kept holding her hand, rubbing my thumb along her skin. As I did so, I noticed that there was a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach. It was one I had not felt in a long, long time. A deep warmth that radiated through my body. Little sparks of electricity surged under my skin, creeping from my arm to my shoulder and then straight to my heart.

  It began to beat a little faster.

  What was this feeling?

  “How’s the head?” I asked, if only to break the silence that filled the room.

  “Fine… I can’t really feel it, you know, numb and all.”

  “Right.”

  “What happened? How did I get here?”

  “I brought you here.”

  “But… why?”

  “Well, I couldn’t just leave you on the pantry floor. There was so much blood… I thought you were dead. When I picked you up, you felt so cold…” My voice started to crack. I cleared my throat before continuing. “So I carried you to my car and drove you here.”

  “Why did you stay?”

  “I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

  “But I thought you hated me.”

  I shook my head. “I know I haven’t been the most gracious of hosts…”

  “It’s my fault.” She looked down at her hands, a frown etched her face. “I shouldn’t have imposed myself on you like that. There are thousands of single moms out there who manage to make it on their own. I didn’t even try. I just gave up. But I’m scared. I don’t even know if I can do this on my own. Each day, as the baby gets closer and closer… I fear what’s going to happen. What if I�
�m a bad mother? What if I can’t provide for my child? What if something goes wrong?” Her bottom lip quivered like she was about to cry. “I just feel so alone… I don’t have anyone to lean on. I don’t have anyone to call when I’m having a bad day… I just need a friend…” She looked deep into my eyes.

  I held her gaze, her words touching me to the core. It was as if she’d spoken my own fears and doubts. I took her hand once more and gave it a squeeze. “You don’t have to be afraid anymore. I’m here for you.”

  She shook her head. “Why are you being so nice to me? I’ve done nothing but take advantage of you…”

  “Forgive and forget.” I got up and stretched my limbs. “I’m sure you’re hungry. How about I go down to the cafeteria and get us something to eat? That way, you won’t have to eat the horrible hospital food that’s been sitting there for hours.” I jerked my thumb toward the tray.

  “Has that been there this whole time?”

  “Yep.”

  “What’s that yellow stuff?”

  “I think it’s supposed to be eggs…? I’m not too sure. I wouldn’t trust it if I were you.”

  “You’re probably right.”

  “Do you want me to get you anything specific?”

  “Just some orange juice. I don’t care about anything else.”

  “Hmm, easy enough.” I waited a moment to make sure she didn’t think of anything else before I walked out of the room and headed down the hall. Before I even made it around the corner, my phone started to ring.

  Cruz.

  “Hey, tell me you have news on Dean.”

  “What would you like to know?” My heart stopped in its tracks when I heard a deep, sinister voice coming from the line. He chuckled. “Cat got your tongue?”

  “How did you get my number…? Wait, how are you calling from Cruz’s phone …?”

  “If you’re asking me these questions then you really have lost your touch, Franklin.”

  My hand tightened around the phone. “What do you want?”

  “You know exactly what I want.”

  “I beat you once. I can beat you again.”

  “Are you sure about that?”

  “You’ve been in prison for the last ten years. There’s no way you’ve kept up. You don’t stand a chance against me.”

  “Now, that’s where you’re wrong. While you were living the life of luxury with that cute little wife of yours, I was plotting. I know more about you than you think. Just remember that.”

  Without warning, he hung up.

  10

  Lauren

  It felt like Franklin was taking hours to return. I feared, for a moment, that he had abandoned me in the hospital. It would give him the perfect opportunity to pack up my things and throw me out on the street.

  Just then, I heard heavy footsteps coming down the hall. I sighed in relief, thinking it was him.

  It wasn’t.

  A strange man walked into my room. He stood in the doorway and looked at me, his features sharp and menacing. The corners of his lips twitched as his eyes wandered over my body like a hungry vulture.

  Something was wrong. Very wrong. This man was not supposed to be here.

  Quickly, I reached for the call button, but in an instant, his hand wrapped around my wrist, squeezing hard.

  I was about to scream when his other hand clasped around my mouth. I tried to struggle with all my might, but it was no use.

  Suddenly, there was a sharp pain in the side of my neck.

  Everything faded to black.

  When I woke up, it felt like someone had taken a sledgehammer to the side of my head. I felt like I was going to throw up.

  I tried to open my eyes, but no matter what I did, I was still surrounded by darkness. It was only after a few panic-stricken minutes that I realized my eyes were open. I had been blindfolded!

  Dread settled in my bones. The image of that ghastly figure appeared in my mind. Who was he? What did he want with me? What had he injected into the side of my neck?

  Slowly, I assessed my situation. It was bleak. Very bleak.

  My mouth was gagged. I was tied to some sort of chair in such a fashion that I could barely move. I could wiggle my fingers, but that was the extent of my mobility.

  Trying to remain calm, I took deep breaths through my nose. It didn’t help. I could feel the panic bubbling inside of me. It threatened to consume me.

  My panic led to a desperate attempt to escape, but it was futile. There was nothing I could do. No one to help me. No way to scream.

  Eventually, I wore myself out and fell into troubled slumber.

  In my dreams, I was holding my baby in my arms. He was suckling at my breast as I sat on a park bench. He was covered with a blanket.

  A few joggers ran past us, chatting happily with one another. An elderly couple held hands as they power-walked. They were wearing matching jumpers. I watched them, a smile on my face, wondering if I would ever find a partner who would love me enough to grow old with me.

  Then, across the field, I noticed Franklin. He was walking right toward me, holding something in his hands. I couldn’t quite make out what it was, but it was bright red.

  As he got closer, it came into focus. Roses. A lot of them.

  When he approached, he held them out to me, a smile on his face.

  “Franklin…” I whispered, staring at them in disbelief. I couldn’t believe that they were actually meant for me. It didn’t make sense. Why would he get me flowers?

  “I want you to have this.”

  “But why?”

  “Because I want us to raise this baby together. I can’t live with myself, knowing that you’re struggling to provide for my son. Come back home with me. We can start a family together. We don’t have to be alone anymore. We have each other.” He reached out and took my hand in his, bringing it to his chest. I could feel the beating of his heart, strong and powerful.

  Our eyes locked, making my heart skip a beat. Slowly, he leaned down, his lips approaching mine. I felt like I had been waiting for this moment my entire life. Everything had led up to this. Preparing myself for the sweet taste of his lips, I closed my eyes.

  But then, the moment never came.

  I opened my eyes to find Franklin staring at me. There was a blank expression on his face. His lips were parted slightly, a line of blood running down his chin. I gasped in horror, scrambling from my seat, my baby still in hand.

  The second I did, he collapsed like a mannequin that had been tipped over at the store. A pool of blood gathered underneath him, growing larger and larger with every second.

  Looming over him was the strange man. He cackled with amusement before he stepped forward, snatching the baby out of my arms.

  There was a sinister look on his face as he looked at my son. His eyes shone with pure evil.

  In that moment, I knew we were all dead.

  11

  Franklin

  I hurried back to Lauren’s room. I had this gut feeling that something was wrong. My gut had never let me down before. I just prayed that I would get to her in time.

  In my haste, I nearly rammed into someone being brought in on a gurney. The hospital staff shot me dirty glares that forced me to slow down. It was torturous. The dread that filled my soul was getting worse by the minute.

  When I finally got back to her room, it was already too late.

  She was gone.

  The bedsheets were thrown to the floor like someone had roughly pulled them from the mattress. The heart monitor was overturned, its screen cracked. Still, it continued beeped ominously, even though it no longer had anyone to monitor. Wires had been cut from the medical equipment. I shuddered to think what they could be used for or what Lauren was going through.

  I knew, without a doubt, that this was his doing. It had to be. The phone call was just a distraction. No, it wasn’t even that. It was a taunt. He was toying with me. To him, this was all just one big game. Well, if he wants to play, then he better be prepared to
play hard.

  Furious with myself for letting this happen, my fist suddenly flew toward the wall. I busted a hole through the drywall, which crumbled to the ground, coating it in a fine white powder.

  I cursed under my breath, nursing my hand.

  Just then, the doctor walked into the room. His eyes widened when he saw the state of it. “What in the world…?” he muttered to himself, a horrified expression painted on his face.

  “How could you let this happen?” My fury transferred to the man. “How could you let him just barge in here and take her?” I grabbed him by the collar, pinning him to the wall. “He just fucking took her, and no one even realized!”

  The doctor gaped at me like a fish out of water.

  Disgusted, I dropped him.

  He gasped for air before running out of the room. I knew it would only be a matter of minutes before I was swarmed by a contingent of security guards. I had to work quickly.

  I scavenged the room for clues. Knowing Dean, he had probably left one for me, something that would force me to continue playing the game. But it would not be easy to find. He always hid it and hid it well.

  Seconds ticked by, and still, I could find nothing out of the ordinary.

  Footsteps thundered through the hallway. I no longer had time to escape. With no other choice, I opened the window and climbed out. I quickly closed it, making my retreat less conspicuous. As a room positioned in the middle of the hospital, there was no fire escape to save me. The ground was far, far away. Quickly, I thought through my options. There wasn’t much I could do without breaking a leg.

  Suddenly, men barged through the door. I dropped down, clinging to the ledge, hoping they wouldn’t think of looking out the window. I held my breath, listening carefully. Someone was approaching.

  I pressed myself against the side of the building, but I knew that wouldn’t be enough. I had to drop down. So I did.