Breaking the Cycle

by Tricia Andersen

  When the two men hobbled out of the shower area, they found themselves alone. Max breathed a sigh of relief. The very last thing he wanted to do was drive to the hospital soaked to the bone. However, if Phoebe had been still waiting for them, he would have done it without thinking twice.

  Max carefully wrapped an elastic wrap the best he could around Rico’s leg then helped him get out of his shorts and into a pair of athletic pants and a T-shirt. He held on as Rico lowered himself to the bench. Max exhaled slowly then turned and crossed the locker room to his bag. He stopped short as he stared at it, puzzled. It was unzipped. Did he leave it open? In the chaos around Rico’s leg, he couldn’t remember. He looked inside. Something didn’t seem right. Things weren’t in the right place.

  He ruffled through his things, silently taking an account of his belongings. Then, he heard Rico’s voice from behind him. “Max, the pain.”

  “I’m on it,” Max acknowledged. He scooped up his phone and sent a text to Mark. Then he grabbed some clothes from his duffle and peeled his wet clothes from his body. He dressed in his dry clothes, zipped his bag closed, and threw it over his shoulder before striding back to Rico and helping him up.

  Mark stepped into the room. “Ready now? You stubborn ass.”

  “No arguments there,” Rico muttered.

  Mark wrapped an arm around Rico’s waist to help Max support him. The three men shuffled from the locker room toward the dock door.

  »»•««

  Chloe paced the living room anxiously. She stopped to stare at the time on the DVR. Ten o’clock. No call. The fight should have been over by now. She started pacing again.

  She knew she shouldn’t worry. Max was in Las Vegas on Hard Drive business. He was there to help Rico get one step closer to winning a belt. She also knew that he had Mark, Dan, and Rico to hang around with.

  But Chloe just couldn’t shake the thought that the man she loved was in the City of Sin. He was there with countless, beautiful women willing to go to bed with him. That included Phoebe, who Chloe was positive had gone on the trip specifically to do just that. She couldn’t push the idea of Max with another woman out of her mind. And every moment he didn’t call made it worse.

  Finally, after another hour of wearing the carpet thin, she picked up her cell and dialed. She listened to it ring over and over. Right before it went to voicemail, it was answered.

  “Hello?” a soft, feminine voice spoke.

  Chloe couldn’t swallow past the lump in her throat. Her blood turned to ice. “Sorry, Phoebe,” she choked out. “I thought I called Max.”

  “You did.”

  “Why are you answering his phone?”

  Phoebe’s laughter was light. “It’s been quite a long night, Chloe. He was such a mess. All hot and sweaty. He’s in the shower now. Don’t worry. I’m taking such good care of him. Do you want me to have him call you?”

  Chloe felt the world fall out from under her. “No. Thanks.” She hung up the phone and set it on the coffee table. Max and Phoebe. Together. In bed. She had known he couldn’t be without intimacy. Why did he have to lie to her? Especially after she had fallen in love with him?

  She glanced around the room as her tears blinded her. Pieces of him were everywhere. There was a baseball hat sitting on the back of the chair. His favorite magazine rested on the coffee table. His sandals sat beside the door. The house even smelled like him. She couldn’t stay here anymore. She grabbed her keys, tugged on her shoes, and ran out the door, slamming it behind her.

  She wandered down the streets aimlessly as she sobbed. She had known from the beginning that she couldn’t be with the great Max Thomas. She should have just listened to herself. How could she have been so stupid?

  She didn’t know how long she walked. Her legs started to ache. Her body shook. Her mind wouldn’t stop. Home right now wasn’t an option. There was too many reminders of Max.

  Suddenly she stopped. A familiar sensation grew in her pit of her stomach. Her eyes flew open in alarm as she turned back toward home. She looked around confused. She didn’t pay attention to where she was walking and had no idea where she was. The pain in her belly grew. She dropped to her knees as she started to heave. She stopped for just a few moments before she started again.

  “Miss, are you all right?”

  Chloe felt her body collapse onto the grass, unable to answer. There was activity around her but she couldn’t comprehend it. The agony was too much. She couldn’t stop vomiting. The blare of sirens echoed around her. She felt hands tug at her and a needle pierce her skin. She couldn’t tell them what was wrong. They lifted her up and laid her limp body on the gurney. She didn’t know where she was going. Max was no longer important. Ending this blinding pain was.

  Chapter Eleven

  Max dumped the contents of his duffle bag on the hospital floor for the fifth time. He picked up each and every item carefully, shaking it, examining it. Once he was done, he set it back in the bag. The nurses gave him dirty looks as they passed his manic sorting.

  “Max, you’re scaring me,” Mark informed him. “What are you looking for?”

  Max sighed as he set the last item back in the duffle. “I bought Chloe an engagement ring. It was in my duffle when I left the hotel. Now, it’s gone.”

  “Are you certain you put it in there?”

  “Yes. Next to my phone. It’s stolen.” He ran his hands through his hair, exasperated. Then, he picked up his phone and dialed. He would figure out the ring later. Right now, he needed to hear Chloe’s voice.

  He waited as the line rang. It went to voicemail. Max hung up and re-dialed the house landline. It rang and rang with no response. He hung up again then dialed Liz.

  “Hey, Max,” she greeted.

  “Liz, are you home?” Max begged, his voice laced with worry.

  “No, I’m with Al. Why?”

  “Is Chloe home?”

  “Yes, Max. Why?”

  “I called her cell phone and the landline. There’s no answer.”

  There was a pause. “I’m on my way. I’ll call you, Max.”

  Max dropped his phone in his bag and buried his face in his hands. His life was starting to unravel. And he was too far away to stop it. He sat back and watched each minute tick away slowly on the clock.

  It took at least a half an hour to get from Al’s condo to home. Every minute felt like an hour. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears. He needed to know she was all right. He needed to hear her voice.

  Finally, his phone rang. He fumbled for it, answering before it got to his ear. “Liz?”

  “She’s not here, Max. Her car is here. Her purse and phone is here. But Chloe is gone.”

  Fear clenched Max’s heart. “Where could she be?”

  “Did she go with your family somewhere?”

  Max exhaled. Of course. His family. “I’ll call them. Call you right back.”

  Max hung up and dialed his parents’ house. It rang more times than usual. His dad picked up with a yawn and irritation in his voice. “Thomas residence.”

  “Hey, Dad. Is there any chance Chloe is with you?”

  “Max, it’s three in the morning. Why would Chloe be with us?”

  Panic took hold of him again. “Is everyone home? Is there a chance Tami or Jenny are out? That she could be with them?”

  “Everyone is here, Max. They’re sleeping. What’s going on?”

  Max swallowed hard. “Chloe is missing. I’m in Las Vegas. I don’t know where she went.”

  “I’ll head to Minneapolis and help her mom look for her.”

  “Wait until morning, Dad. But yeah, I would appreciate you helping us look.”

  “I’ll head out at sun up.”

  “Thanks. See you soon.” Max ended his call then stood up and grabbed his bag.

  Mark watched him before he spoke. “I’ll go home with you.”

  “No. Someone needs to stay with Rico. Lord knows Phoebe doesn’t care about him. I’ll catch up with you when you all get ba
ck.”

  “All right. Good luck, Max. Find her.”

  “Thanks,” Max muttered. He pulled out the cell again to call Liz as he rushed for the door.

  Max took the first cab he found to the airport as he called anyone he could think of. Someone had to know where Chloe was. Each time he hung up the phone, his heart clenched tighter. Without a car or her purse, she couldn’t have gone far. Did someone abduct her? Did she just go out for a walk? Had she been mugged or killed while she was walking? The love of his life was gone and he couldn’t be there to help her.

  Max bought a ticket for the next flight to Minneapolis. The plane didn’t leave for two hours. The torture brought him to the edge. Tears filled his eyes. He felt helpless, and he hated it. He didn’t care what Jack said. He would never, ever leave Chloe behind again. If he found her in one piece.

  He tried to sleep on the plane. It was no use. His mind whirled with worst-case scenarios. He wasn’t ready to let Chloe go. He’d give his own life to protect hers. He was never so happy to see the lights of Minneapolis out his window.

  Al was waiting for him as he crossed the concourse. Max cringed. He was supposed to be proposing to Chloe here later on that day. Instead, he was arriving at nearly noon, his ring stolen, and the woman he hoped would be his fiancée missing. The two men raced to the parking lot to get back to the house.

  Liz threw her arms around him when he walked through the door.

  “Anything?” he begged.

  “No, Max. We’ve looked everywhere. We’ve called all the hospitals. We scoured the neighborhood. We just can’t find her.”

  Max swallowed hard as his tears threatened to erupt again. “The police?”

  “They’re on their way to take a statement.”

  “She has her meds, right?”

  The silence before Liz spoke was a knife to his gut. “No, Max. They’re still in the cabinet in the kitchen.”

  He dropped his bags next to the couch then ran his hand through his hair. “I can’t sit here, knowing she’s out there alone. I’m going to go look.”

  “Where?”

  He shrugged. “Have we tried her favorite places? The coffee shop she loves? The gym? A friend’s house?”

  The pain Liz was feeling radiated on her face. Max understood. He felt the same pain. She nodded slowly. Her voice was barely over a whisper. “Go look. Please find her, Max.”

  He nodded back. Grabbing his keys, he ran out the door to his car.

  It took a half hour for Max to realize what an impossible search this would be. He drove up and down the streets of their neighborhood. There was no sign of her. He checked her favorite coffee shop, her favorite book store, her favorite restaurant. His stomach flipped as he turned the corner and drove toward the hospital. It was the first logical place to look.

  He stepped into the emergency room and stopped in front of the registration desk. He handed the nurse sitting there a picture of Chloe. “Was this girl admitted in the last day or two?”

  The nurse squinted at the photo. “Not while I was here. At least she didn’t come through the front door. I don’t see those brought by ambulance.”

  Max huffed. “Is there any way to find out if anyone has seen her?”

  “Hon, I have patients to check in.”

  “I can take it back. Just point me in the direction to go.”

  “I can’t let you go wander around in the ER. Just park it in a chair. When I get a second I’ll take it back there.”

  Max settled into the first chair closest to the desk with a scowl. He watched patients come and go. The hour hand wound around the clock more than once. Finally the nurse rose and wandered behind the set of double doors. Twenty minutes later she held the photo under Max’s nose.

  “Nope. No one has seen her.”

  Max took the photo from her and stood. He shuffled out the door to his car. He quickly looked up another hospital then pulled out of the spot.

  The sun was setting as he stepped into second hospital. He shook his head as he slipped his wallet out of his back pocket and retrieved the photo of Chloe. He was completely confused where she might be. She could be anywhere at this point. With a heavy sigh he walked inside.

  As he sat in the waiting room of the second hospital, he called Liz. She answered on one ring. “Did you find her?”

  “Not yet,” Max answered. “Have you found anything?”

  “I’ve called all our family and friends. Nothing. I’ve filed a police report. They’re looking for her too. Come home. I’ll make you something to eat. You can get a fresh start in the morning.”

  “I can’t stop. I’m sorry. I’ll grab a sandwich.”

  “Don’t apologize. You’re looking for my little girl. Thank you for doing it.”

  “Your little girl is the woman I love. I have to do this. I’ll call you if I find anything.”

  “All right. Talk to you soon. Bye.”

  Max hung up his phone and slumped in the seat. He hoped that he wouldn’t have to wait as long this time. Two hours later the nurse returned with the photo of Chloe. No one there had seen her either.

  He continued checking hospitals through the night. He dozed as he waited for the nurse behind the desk to question the other staff. A couple of security guards threatened to throw him out. Max snarled as he stood his ground. It was amazing how fast the guards backed down. He didn’t stop as the sun rose. Instead of the emergency room, he interviewed receptionists in the main hospital. He sighed. She hadn’t taken her medication for nearly two days. Her symptoms would be kicking in.

  Shortly after noon, he gave into his complaining stomach. Stepping into a bar, he wove his way around the tables and settled on a bar stool. A auburn haired bartender sashayed up to him, her long tresses brushing her shoulders. “What can I get you, handsome?”

  He flipped out the photo in his hand. It was an old habit now. “Have you seen this woman?”

  The bartender took the photo from his hand. “She’s cute. Your sister?”

  “My girlfriend. She went missing. I’m looking for her.”

  The redhead handed the photo back to him. “Maybe she doesn’t want to be found.”

  Max stared at her, dumbfounded. Could that be it? Did Chloe leave to get away from everyone? What hurt her so much that she needed to escape? He shook his head to dispel the thought. “Get me a burger and fries, please.”

  “How about a cold one?”

  “No thanks.”

  “You look like you need to relax.”

  “Just the food please. And water. Thanks.”

  He watched her walk off with his order before he slumped against the bar. Exhaustion was getting the best of him. But he couldn’t rest. Not now.

  “Hey handsome.”

  Max nearly jolted off the stool. The smell of beef filled his lungs. He met the amused smile of the bartender. She pointed at the hamburger and fries in a red plastic basket. “You dozed off. You looked so sweet I didn’t have the heart to wake you. But I didn’t want your food to get cold.”

  “Thanks.”

  She left his tab next to his glass. “Don’t mention it.”

  Max inhaled the burger and fries. As he ate he retraced his steps and decided where he would search next. Chloe, where are you?

  He left a few bills on top of the check, and then stepped back out into the Minneapolis afternoon. He redirected his steps toward the hospital down the street. It was time to start over. There had to be new staff on hand. Someone had to know where she was.

  For the second night he caught a snooze or two while he waited for Chloe’s photo to be circulated.

  Shortly after midnight, three teens tried to rough him up for his wallet when he stepped outside for a bottle of pop. When he left one writhing on the ground gasping in pain, the other two decided it wasn’t worth the trouble. After that it was difficult for Max to close his eyes.

  He settled into a chair and twisted the top off his pop as his mind raced. What if she’d already started an episode? Wo
uld he be able to find her? Would the doctors know how to treat her? Most likely not. He frowned as he thought of the bartender’s words again. Did she run away on purpose? Did she not want to be found? What had happened that had made her need to get away? Was it Leo? Was it him?

  He sighed. None of his questions would be answered until he found her. And the first thing he was going to do wasn’t ask questions. He was going to hold her. He was going to kiss her long and hard. He was going to tell her he loved her. And he was going to propose. Ring or no ring.

  Max startled as his cell phone rang. He glanced at the screen then answered it. “Mark, are you back?”

  “Yeah. I arrived last night.”

  “That’s great. I can’t talk right now.” Max fought the tears in his throat. “My world is upside down. I still can’t find Chloe.”

  “That’s why I called. I found her. She’s here in the hospital.”

  “I’ve been to all the hospitals in Minneapolis. Twice. They said they didn’t have anyone admitted with the name Chloe Davis. I even showed them her picture.”

  “She’s here under the name Jane Doe. I was visiting a friend of mine who works for Saint Joseph’s in Saint Paul. He told me about this crazy Jane Doe case. When he told me all of the symptoms I asked to see her. It’s Chloe.”

  “Saint Paul?”

  “They were headed to my hospital but the ER was taken over by a massive accident. They redirected her to Saint Paul.”

  Max stopped in his tracks. “She had no identification.”

  “I guess so.”

  “I’m on my way.”

  “Do you want me to stay?”

  “Have you talked to her?”

  “She’s out cold. My friend said they’ve had to keep her sedated.”

  “Go ahead home and rest. I’ll call Liz.”

  “All right. Keep me in the loop.”

  “Will do. Thank you. I owe you.”

  “You owe me nothing. Get to your girl. Bye.”