The Taking of Eden

by Robin Alexander

  That evening as Jamie pulled into her parking spot at the center, she felt relieved to see Holly's forest green Camry sitting in its place. "Well, Miss Patton, I hope your head is clear now because tonight's the night I become a criminal. Let's just hope it goes smoothly and doesn't cost me my career."

  Night shift was considerably more relaxed, especially the early hours of the morning when all the patients were asleep. Most of the staff sat in the lounge and played cards. Holly had bowed out of the game when she lost the last of the cash she had in her purse, assuring the rest of the players she would watch the halls while they carried on.

  When she gave the all clear, Jamie began to work on Carmen's office door. She slipped a credit card between the facing and the latch and had the door open in a matter of seconds. She pushed the door open slowly and peeked into the dark office.

  She felt strong hands on her back shoving her into the room and stifled a scream as she fell to the floor frozen like a frightened rabbit. The door shut, making the room dark as pitch. "Get up off your ass, we have to find that file!" A familiar voice hissed.

  "You're supposed to be my lookout, damn it!" Jamie growled as she ran her hands over the floor trying to find the penlight she dropped when Holly shoved her.

  "I told you we're in this together. Besides, they have a hot game of poker going and no one's going to leave that table. Now get up and start looking."

  Armed with only penlights, both women searched carefully through cabinets and drawers, finding nothing on Eden Carlton. Holly plopped down in Carmen's chair close to throwing a fit. "Tell me that bitch didn't take that file home with her!" Holly hissed loudly.

  "Calm down and lower your voice! Help me think; where else could she have put it?" Jamie whispered, trying to keep her anger at bay.

  Holly ran her hands over the calendar that dominated Carmen's desktop. She paused when she felt something tucked under several pages. She pulled out a plain manila folder and examined it. There was no name on the file, but Holly recognized the schedule that Carmen kept immediately.

  "Look at this," she whispered as Jamie joined her and peered over her shoulder. A crude handwritten schedule of medications was listed on a single page found in the folder. The handwriting was not Carmen's, but they both knew they had found what they had come for. Holly studied the list intently. "I recognize all these drugs; there's nothing exotic or new here. Although, no physician in her right mind would administer these in such combinations. It's no wonder she becomes combative at times."

  Jamie took out a pad and jotted down the list of medications and the dosing schedule. Holly took great care in replacing the file just as she found it. "Let's get out of here. This is making me a nervous wreck," Jamie said as she tugged on Holly's sleeve, pulling her closer to the door. As she reached for the door handle, the door flew open and the room filled with light.

  Both women sat nervously fidgeting in front of the nursing supervisor's desk as Carmen made a quick phone call. She never took her eyes from them as she held the revolver in front of her. Jamie's mind raced out of control. She recognized the drugs on the list from her years of working in neuro ICU. Holly was right, no doctor would mix those kinds of drugs unless she wanted to do harm. Jamie came to the quick realization that she was about to be more than fired or arrested.

  "Don't you think the gun is a bit much?" Holly sneered when Carmen finished her phone call.

  "How am I supposed to know how two drug addicts will respond when caught stealing?" Carmen replied in a cool tone. "I figured something like this would happen, that's why I had the silent alarm installed. I never dreamed that two of my best nurses would stoop to such a level."

  "We are not addicts," Jamie shot back. "A simple blood test will prove that we're both clean and that you're lying to cover up what you're doing to one of your patients."

  Carmen regarded Jamie with cold eyes. "Your autopsy will confirm your drug use."

  In one quick and violent move, Holly stood, grabbing the small table nestled between the two chairs where they sat and slammed it into the side of Carmen's head, sending splatters of crimson across the room. The unconscious form of their supervisor dropped to the floor. Holly checked for a pulse while Jamie sat stunned and unmoving. After making sure Carmen was still breathing, Holly jumped up and pulled Jamie to her feet.

  "Listen to me," she nearly screamed as she shook Jamie roughly. "Whoever she called will be here soon, so we have to move fast!" With the front of Jamie's shirt still clutched in her hand, Holly opened the door and peeked into the empty hallway before venturing out. "We need to get Eden and get the hell out of here—now."

  Jamie came to her senses as Holly dragged her down the hall to Eden's room. They walked in as calmly as they could and shook the sleeping woman awake. Jamie tried to control the emotion in her voice as she talked to the disoriented patient.

  "Eden, we need to leave quickly. Something has gone wrong, and we need to get you out of here. Do you understand?"

  Surprised to be addressed by her own name, Eden could only nod and acted obediently when Holly shoved a pair of sweats into her face. "Put these on, it's pretty chilly outside," she said calmly as she tugged at the gown Eden wore.

  The decision to take Holly's car was made as they fled the center unnoticed by any of the other staff. The small Toyota would be easier to maneuver than Jamie's SUV. Holly jumped into the driver's seat, and Jamie helped Eden and herself into the back.

  Silence filled the vehicle as Holly raced down the deserted tree-lined road. Eden's teeth chattered audibly in the cold car. "You need something on your feet," Jamie said as she pulled off her socks and shoes. "These will help a little," she reassured as she tugged the socks onto Eden's bare feet.

  "Do you know a safe place we can go?" Holly asked as she pulled onto the main highway. "We can't go back to either of our apartments, that's the first place they'll look."

  "Let's go to the police. We have the proof sitting right here," Jamie said, pulling Eden closer in an attempt to keep her warm.

  Holly's brown eyes met Jamie's in the rearview mirror. "Hear me out for a second. There are no real records to prove who has been giving Eden those drugs. They could very easily say it was us. We broke into Carmen's office, Jamie, not to mention how we escaped. We need to make sure we can prove our innocence."

  "Are you insane? Carmen had a gun! She wasn't going to let us leave there alive. We need to go to the police before they track us down."

  Eden sat straight up, her eyes wide with fear, as she looked down at Jamie's lap. Jamie's eyes followed her gaze, and she gasped to see Carmen's blood splattered across her uniform. "What have you done?" Eden asked in horror.

  Jamie reached, trying to calm the trembling woman who recoiled and pressed her body against the door to get away. "Don't touch me, you crazy bitch!" she screeched as Jamie fought to keep her from tugging the handle. "Are you going to kill me, too?" she wailed as she fought against the smaller woman in the backseat.

  Holly pulled off the road and climbed nearly into the back as Eden delivered a blow to Jamie's eye, knocking her into the floorboard of the car. Eden was hysterical, thinking she was about to be killed by her kidnappers and fought with all she was worth. Holly drew back and punched her as hard as she could in the jaw, knocking the screaming woman unconscious.

  Jamie clutched her eye that had already swollen shut, as she struggled to get up. With her good eye, she could see the blood pouring from Eden's mouth as it flowed freely across the tan leather seat of the car. Holly rubbed her aching hand as she tried her best to formulate a plan.

  "Pull the drawstring out of your scrub pants and give it to me," Holly commanded as she did the same to hers. Holly quickly tied Eden's hands behind her back, then carefully tied her ankles together. Jamie watched in bewilderment as she wiped the tears from her injured eye.

  Holly jumped back into the driver's seat and pulled the car onto the road. "This way, if she wakes up, she won't beat the shit out of us anymore. Now where c
an we go? Think of something quick!"

  Jamie swallowed hard around the lump in her throat. Her voice was barely a whisper. "I still think we should go to the police."

  "Jamie!" Holly shouted. "Look at her! She's tied up and bleeding all over my damn seat! She thinks we kidnapped her. Between her hysterical ass and whoever Carmen is working with, we don't stand a chance. Now start wracking your brain for somewhere we can hide while we sort this out!"

  "Donald's...let's go to Donald's house. He'll know what to do. Maybe he'll have something that we can use as proof of our innocence." Jamie winced as the throbbing pain intensified, fueled by the rapid beating of her heart. She never dreamed this would go so badly.

  The day was just dawning as they pulled into Donald's driveway. Jamie said a quick prayer of thanks that they had not been stopped by the police on the hour and a half drive to his place. She hated involving Donald, but she had nowhere else to turn. She wondered how he would react to seeing Eden Carlton hogtied in the backseat of Holly's car.

  "Pull around back and let me go in first. I want to explain to him what happened so he won't be shocked when he sees her." Jamie opened the door and climbed out of the car, squinting in the morning sun, her eye still throbbing and swollen shut. She hoped that Donald would not have a heart attack when he saw her.

  Holly watched as Jamie made her way to the back door of the doctor's home. At any other time, it would have been comical to watch her friend try and walk while holding her pants up. She hoped that they would find some other way to restrain their wild patient, so she could have the drawstring to her scrubs back. She looked into the backseat, relieved to see that Eden was still out cold.

  A short while later, Jamie emerged from the house with a bag of ice clutched to her face and Donald close behind her. Donald gave Holly a slight nod, then went straight to the rear of the car to check on Eden. Jamie grabbed Holly by the arm as she got out. "Donald says we're on the news already. They're accusing us of kidnapping. He's got a place where we can stay until he can take care of things for us."

  "Maybe you were right. We should've gone straight to the police." Holly rubbed her brow, fighting fatigue.

  "It's too late to second-guess ourselves now, sweetie." Jamie sighed as she patted Holly on the back.

  It took all three of them to get the tall woman into the house. Jamie cleaned and applied ice to Eden's bruised face as Donald tried to convince Holly to hide her car.

  "You can't leave the car here, and you have no time to hide it somewhere else, we have to think of a way to dispose of it."

  "So what do you want me to do? Torch it?" Holly answered hotly as she slumped in her seat and rubbed her temples.

  "I don't think burning it would be a good idea. That would bring too much attention, and they still might be able to trace it back to you," Jamie offered meekly.

  Holly growled. "I was being sarcastic. Can't I just hide it in the woods, you must have miles of land behind this house."

  "That's too much of a risk," Donald said firmly. "The incident at the clinic has already been on the news. The police are looking for your vehicle. I think we need to drive it off into the pond. No one would think to look for it there."

  "You want me to sink my car in the bottom of your pond?" she shouted, as she jumped up and paced around the kitchen. Donald did his best to convince her it was the wisest thing to do.

  "We have no place to safely hide it. The police will no doubt look here since Jamie and I are such good friends. How can I explain away your car?" Donald took a calming breath and softened his tone. "You don't seem to understand what you're up against. Not only do you have the police looking for you, but people who are willing to kill you to keep you silent." Donald paused for a minute, watching Holly absorb what he was trying to explain. "The three of you need to disappear for a little while until I can think of something to prove that you two didn't do what they're claiming."

  "And just what are they claiming?" Holly asked as she plopped down into a chair, losing her battle with fatigue and exhaustion.

  "Donald said Dr. Lappin was interviewed at the clinic. She claims that Carmen suspected us of drug abuse and asked her advice on how to deal with the matter. She also accused us of having inappropriate relations with Eden and drugging her to hide it, not to mention kidnapping her," Jamie said quietly. "You need to do what he says so we can get out of here."

  Holly looked at Jamie, then at Donald. "Where are we going?"

  "I have a cabin a few hours from here; you'll be safe there for a while. We have to get rid of your car, though," Donald said, as he pulled his car keys from his pocket.

  Holly watched as her car sank into the murky depths of the pond located on the far end of Donald's property. Her heart sank right along with her car as she stood on the bank holding up her pants with one hand and wiping her eyes with the other.

  The elderly doctor draped his arm over her shoulders and led her back to his car. "Holly, when this is all over, we'll get you a new car. Right now what's important is that you girls are safe. After this morning, you know what kind of people you're dealing with. The deck is stacked against us right now, so you'll have to lay low for a while."

  Eden's eyes fluttered open as she fumbled with the ice pack resting against her jaw. She whimpered as she opened her mouth, causing streaks of pain to shoot through her face. Confusion over unfamiliar surroundings temporarily took her mind off her agony. She jerked her head, causing her to wince when a familiar voice spoke.

  "I don't think it's broken, but your jaw is going to be sore for a while. You really should try and keep the ice on it to reduce the swelling."

  She blinked a few times as the nurse's face came into focus. Her eye was black and swollen shut. "What happened to your face?" Eden asked, barely recognizing her own voice.

  "You happened," the nurse replied tersely. "You freaked out in the car and punched me in the eye."

  Eden struggled with the vague recollection of being in the car as she looked around the den. "Where am I?"

  "We're at Donald Briggs's house. He's the surgeon who operated on you a few years ago," Jamie said as she gently replaced the ice pack on Eden's cheek.

  "Is she awake?" Donald asked as he walked briskly into the room. "We need to get y'all on the road and quickly. We don't have much time. Holly and I have loaded my wife's van up with everything you'll need. I'm going to give Eden something that will help her sleep on the trip and make her more comfortable," he said as her filled a syringe.

  Eden's eyes grew wide as she watched him approach.

  "I doubt that you remember me, but my name is Donald Briggs, I was your surgeon when your appendix ruptured. I know you're confused and afraid right now, but please believe that these women and I have your best interest at heart."

  A vague memory of the man who now stood before her flittered through Eden's mind. She wasn't sure why, but she wanted to believe what he was saying. Even though she had her doubts about the two nurses, she trusted him and surrendered to his care.

  Donald watched with tears in his eyes as his beloved wife's van made its way slowly down the driveway. He said a silent prayer that they would make it safely to the cabin before nightfall. He walked back inside his empty house and started a pot of coffee to brew. He would call his brother, whom he knew would be of help, but there would be a lot of explaining to do, and time was of the essence.

  "We are in deep shit!" Susan bellowed after she shut the door behind Laura. "How much money have you transferred so far?"

  "Not nearly enough, Susan! Don't panic, we just need to make sure that they're never found. You know people who can make this happen."

  Susan shoved Laura roughly against the wall. "Did you forget that these are the same people I owe money to? They would rather see me dead!"

  Laura wiggled free of Susan's grasp. "I need a little more time to transfer the rest of the money. If they're found, everything will go down the tubes. You've got to figure out a way to make sure they don't turn up before we
can get the hell out of here."

  Laura poured herself a drink and paced back and forth in deep thought. "Right now we have the upper hand. They can't prove that we were the ones who were drugging Eden. They look like the guilty party. We can still pull this off."

  Susan took the glass from Laura and gulped down the scotch, wincing as it burned her throat. "And what happens when we can't explain what Eden was doing there in the first place?"

  "You'll come up with something clever," Laura remarked as she grabbed her purse and headed for the door. Susan grabbed her by the arm to stop her before she could reach for the handle.

  "Where are you going?" she growled.

  "I'm going home. I've got work to do," Laura said as she tried to pull herself from Susan's tight grip.

  Susan pulled her close and dug her nails into Laura's upper arm. "You were there when I delivered the blow that silenced Carmen for good. That makes you an accessory to murder. Don't get any ideas about leaving me because I swear I'll do the same to you!"

  Laura wrenched her arm free of Susan's grasp. "Be ready to leave when I tell you," she said through clenched teeth as she walked out the door, leaving Susan in her wake.

  Susan slammed the door and paced like a wild animal. She picked up the glass that Laura had drank from and slammed it into the wall before going to her safe and pulling out the box that was her true master. Her hands shook as she pulled off her shoe and prepared to inject the one thing between her toes that would calm her.

  As the drug entered her blood stream, she relaxed and let the empty syringe fall to the floor. She laughed mirthlessly as the very thing that got her into this mess would bring her peace.

  "Am I going the right way?" Holly asked for the twelfth time. "All these roads look the same." She steered the van carefully down the dirt road, doing her best to dodge potholes as she went.

  "Just a little farther, according to the directions. Donald was right about this place being remote." She glanced into the backseat at Eden, who was curled into a tight ball and still sound asleep. "I'm amazed she hasn't fallen off the seat yet. She's really out of it."