Don't Look Back: A Psychological Thriller, page 9
FOURTEEN
Ethan’s voice came back into the room.
“Mmm, the thought of the look on her face when she figures out that we are not a happy couple having sex for the first time. I can’t wait to see that betrayal and fear in her eyes as I torture her in a million different ways. Then I will call in with the news to the rest of them that I have their dear, sweet Krissy and am killing her. I will paralyze her so she can watch as we carry out the next steps of our plan, but she will be powerless to save them. Being the tragic heroes they all are, they will not be able to resist trying to save her. So, they will come, and I will paralyze them so they can feel everything but not move. Then make her watch as I kill them, overdosing them one at a time. Finally, I will finish overdosing her after she is utterly broken. I already have the pictures I want to use to make the heart on her body. This will be our best night yet.
“No, what is going on now is just amusing; her pain is exquisite to watch. I hope she can’t stop crying or sleeping so I can pin her down and force all kinds of drugs on her. I love to watch her squirm and see how helpless she feels. I will play back the recording of that night over and over again. What? Tonight? The old hospital on Johnson Farm Road, getting ready for tomorrow night. Right, you will have some special guests as well. That will be nice. Okay, I can be there. I will tell them I got an emergency call at the hospital and that my intern messed something up, not like that would be hard to believe. If I leave her, she will be in worse shape, and I will have to step in and save her. No, none of them is man enough to do what she needs. They are too concerned with her feelings.
“Yes, I just got everything for after we leave town that night. We have vehicles and a place to stay that is private enough for us to continue our work. It is even close to a free large animal vet clinic, with plenty of access to all the supplies we could ever need. I already have two girls lined up for each of us at that medical conference two months from now. I have been stringing them along with the fake online dating; they think we are respectable doctors, men of medicine who want to play doctor with them. I can’t wait. What a great way to end our time here together. All four of us together again and doing what we do best, carrying out the devil’s work. See you later. I have to go and phone in my excuse. See you then; bye.”
The call ended, and no one said a word.
“Well, it is good to know it was all a lie. That everything he ever said and did was a lie, and I was stupid enough to fall for it. I want to kill him and run. I am sorry, but I need to clear my head. I need to get out here,” I said, starting for the door. My breathing was very rapid, and my pulse was speeding up. I was in bad shape. Aaron and Matt were immediately there as I tried to stumble away from my brothers but could not. My legs buckled, and Matt caught me as Aaron placed a mask over my nose and instructed me to breathe. He got in my face and held my hand.
“Listen, I know you want to run since you feel used and stupid, but none of this is your fault. He is the one who has done the wrong here. I need you to focus and breathe for me, okay? Nice deep breaths. This is just oxygen. It will clear your head. Breathe nice and deep for me. I’m going to get another electrolyte drink. Do you think you can stomach some more toast?” I nodded weakly, and Aaron passed me over to Matt while he went into the kitchen.
Aaron helped me focus on my breathing. A few minutes later, I was sitting up, still with the mask on, but it was now on the lowest setting. I looked up at everyone, very embarrassed. “I am sorry. I can’t believe I thought I had such a sweet guy, and he turned out to be such a creep again.” I mumbled through the mask. “What is it with bad boys and me? I feel ashamed, humiliated, and angry. I can’t make a clear thought in my head. Reality and fantasy are starting to blur. I am losing control of my body. That call was beyond horrible. I still want to focus on the mission, though. What did we learn from that, besides how hated I am and that he only wants to bed me?” I asked, almost out of tears. No one uttered a word. It was Charlie who broke the silence.
“I know what you all heard was unbelievably hard. It seems like I say that every time I come here. We need to listen again and think specifically about what Ethan wants and what information we can glean from this call. Anyone who doesn’t wish to hear it again can step outside.” We all listened again and took notes on the things we picked up now that the shock and horror were over.
“What do you all hear?” Charlie asked.
“He is very focused on the sexual act of raping Kristen. She could use sex to distract him because up until some point tomorrow night, it is supposed to be a sweet date. As much as that thought makes me want to scream, I am going to throw this out. I know this is a great opportunity to catch them, but I don’t think Kristen should go, not because of her condition but because of how he talks about her. We need a new plan,” Elijah suggested.
“I know you can handle yourself, Krissy, but you are in bad shape right now. You honestly couldn’t fight him off right now,” Shawn added.
“Great, now you all are taking his side. You think I’m too stupid and weak, but still useful,” I said, feeling like salt was being poured into an open wound.
“Okay, before this gets any more out of hand, I have a few things to say. I think we have reached the point where you do need medical intervention. However, after listening to that call, I know that Ethan wants to be the one or at least involved in giving you help. I am sure you will let Aaron and Matt treat you without fighting them at this point, right?” Charlie said.
I looked at the floor and muttered, “Maybe. Yes, probably, but that is not what is best for the mission. What would be best is to let Ethan come in here, pick me up caveman style, pin me down, and start shoving syringes in me, right?” I asked Charlie flatly, who seemed surprised by my candor.
“Well, yes, if you are willing to do that. Letting him think he is in complete control would be best. Maybe even add some kicking and screaming if someone else tries to help you.”
I thought for a minute and said, “Yes, I am willing if Aaron and Matt will be there, two doctors I know I can trust. I am sorry I have given you both such a hard time.”
“It wouldn’t be you if you didn’t fight back at least some,” Matt said with a grin.
“We love you, little sis, and we will be there to be sure that he doesn’t do anything too crazy,” Aaron said, echoing Matt’s thoughts.
“We also learned from the call that there are four of them altogether. We must figure out how they relate or assemble them as a team. They all also indicated that they each have multiple guests tomorrow night. I guess they want to finish killing the people lined up here before moving on,” Matt said.
“Yes, and we have the address of where these kills are supposed to happen, so we can get surveillance there right away. That way, Kristen won’t be alone, and hopefully, we can save the other people. I have called in several extra Angels to help you. If you don’t recognize somebody, ask for a password challenge. They should say ‘Angels’ to which you will reply, ‘Always.’ I thought that was a nice touch and something easy to remember. I will bring in special meds to give can give Kristen if she agrees without Ethan’s knowledge. These meds will help to quickly repair her body to be able to fight him off quicker.” Charlie said.
“I think you should run this by Matt and Aaron. If they are okay with it, so am I. I am back to myself, and while I am still insanely hurt, I make my own choices after what he has done. I choose to use his sick obsession with me to help our team catch him and his partners so that no other family ever has to feel this way. As for tonight, Ethan will be busy, so he won’t be coming to check on me until tomorrow morning.” I spoke.
“Matt, and Aaron, here is the information on those medicines I was telling you about,” Charlie said. “Please read it over and let me know what you think. Keep an eye on her tonight and if intervention can’t wait, call Ethan in or worse, do it without him. I love that she has her fight back, but she looks horrid. Her body can’t take much more.”
“Tonight, we will watch you closely, Kristen. We’ve got you. We can use the oxygen on and off to help replenish your body. Now try some of this water,” Aaron said, handing me the glass. My hands were shaking, but I took a few sips. “I will be back in a few minutes. I have a light meal prepared if you think you can stomach it.” I nodded numbly.
After some mouthwash, I curled up with Shawn. Charlie left to get the meds and a few other surprises for my date tomorrow night. Sleep still eluded me; whenever I closed my eyes, the same images returned to haunt me, and I would end up screaming. By this point, my body was turning against me, and I was starting to hallucinate. You know, serial killers, giant pink bunnies, and monsters - not much fun. Several times, whoever was not sleeping would suggest ending this now, and I would say no, we need this for the mission. By morning, I was in such bad shape that they carried me to my room and put me in bed.
They all looked at me and asked, “Are you ready for this?” There was a knock at the door.
Weak, dizzy, and shaking, with rapid heart rate and shallow breathing, I said, “Yes, always.”
“We’ve got you, always. Just look at one of us if you get scared. We will be there,” Matt promised.
“Always,” everyone said in unison as they went downstairs.
Ethan came busting in, hands full of medical supplies. “Well, I guess none of you were real men last night and treated Kristen.”
“She looked better last night when we went to bed,” Matt lied.
They got to my door, and Shawn started, “Krissy, can I come in? You need help. Your body is going to give out.”
“No, go away, Shawn. I am fine.”
“I can tell by her voice that she is not okay. I am going in there. Krissy, it’s Ethan. Can I please come in and help you?”
It took everything I had to get the following words out, “Yes, you can, Ethan.” Ethan opened the door and uttered several swear words when he saw me. “Krissy, It’s okay. I have you. I am taking you downstairs so we can treat you, but first, enough is enough. As your doctor and future husband, I am done playing games. You need help now.”
Without another word or asking for help, Ethan grabbed a sedative syringe from his pocket and jabbed it into my thigh. I screamed, he grabbed me, and he ran me down to the trauma room. Matt and Aaron raced there to help.
Ethan grabbed another sedative and jabbed it into me, displeased that the first one hadn’t worked yet. Matt was working on some IV fluids. He looked at me, nodded, and squeezed my hand. I started to panic as I felt Ethan on top of me, beginning to jab more things into me. My breathing grew faster, and Aaron came over, turned on some nitrous oxide, like what they give you in the dentist’s office, stroked my hair, and asked me to focus on him until a minute later, mercifully, I calmed down and couldn’t focus on anything.
I had survived all the horrible side effects of my body at the realization that my fiancé was a serial killer. Had I waited too late to ask for help or would I be okay enough to go on the mission tomorrow? Time would tell.
FIFTEEN
That night was long and uneasy for everyone. I spent it pale, shaking, and still cold. Ethan refused to leave and ended up holding me. Matt and Aaron took turns watching over me, keeping their promise never to leave me alone with him. Shawn, Will, and Elijah rotated between sleeping and watching me. They put blankets on top of me, but I still shivered. They had heated them in the dryer, wrapped me up, and then switched to fresh, warm ones. My blood pressure rose and fell all night long.
In the morning, I still had not stirred. Ethan got a call the following day and said to tell him when I woke up that he was going to have to postpone our date for two days because of a work emergency. He assured them that he would make it up to me. Secretly, it worked better for us and our plans. I needed more time to recover. When Ethan left, Aaron tried to get me to wake up. I didn’t stir until midday.
Charlie came over to talk and bring gifts to help us with our mission. I was still unconscious at first. He spoke with everyone, “We have different teams at the hospital. They are surrounding it and setting up surveillance equipment inside. I am glad Ethan had to push this back a few days. It gives us a little more time to prepare. Oh, I see you are up,” Charlie addressed me as I started to stir.
Shawn and Will helped me sit up. I was doing better - eating and drinking more and more. “Great, now we can go over some things,” Charlie continued. “Ethan is working tomorrow night. That will be when you all try to eat well, drink as much water as possible, and prepare for the night to follow. Especially you, Kristen,” Charlie looked at me with concern on his face.
“There are some other gadgets for you to use. This is a compact blade you can hold that doesn’t attract attention. It pops out when you push this button and is pretty useful. These are peel-off transparent communication devices. We will be able to hear what is going on. I also have tracking beacons. Put it somewhere on what you wear so we know where you are, roughly. It is untraceable, except by us, so we shouldn’t lose you. You should be all set. Any questions?” Charlie asked before leaving. None of us replied. “Great, I will see you all tomorrow night. Get plenty of rest today.”
The remainder of the day was spent with Ethan dropping in and us playing along with the plan. We all had dinner together; again, Ethan stayed the night. Aaron was at the hospital, but Matt was there. Finally, it was the day before the mission. The day went well, but my nerves grew tense as time wore on. I was on the kitchen balcony drinking coffee when Shawn came out looking for me; Ethan had just left for the evening.
He came up behind me and touched my shoulder. “Are you sure you can and want to do this? I can’t imagine what you must be feeling right now. I don’t think I could do it. I mean, playing along with him. Every time he touches you, I want to kill him. I can stand the thought of him… playing doctor with you,” Shawn said.
As the time got closer, I grew more nervous. “Just keep anyone from touching me and bring me home. I am scared, I won’t lie. Walking into a place with four serial killers, one of whom I am supposed to be in love with, is daunting. I still feel so stupid. How could I fall for him?” I asked, shaking. “I thought he loved me. I am also a little concerned that if I get the chance to go after him, I will go crazy on him. I know I can’t, though; that is not the mission. I know we need this; it could be our chance to catch them all and save many lives. With those things in play, I can’t say no,” I continued, shaking my head. “I must be strong. I can cry over my broken heart later; we need the evil queen right now. I have to be just as deceptive and crafty as he is. I must put my fear aside, trust our team, and remember that catching them to save lives is more important than anything else,” I ended, letting Shawn hold me as I opened up and confessed my true feelings.
“Hey, sorry to interrupt, but Charlie is here. Do you mind if I have a minute with my sister before we get some sleep tonight?” Elijah asked.
“Sure,” Shawn said to Elijah before turning back to me. “You know I love you and will always come for you. Always,” Shawn said, kissing my cheek. I assumed he meant the “I love you” like a brother when he did not. I felt differently when he kissed my cheek, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. It was probably just nerves about the mission. Elijah distracted me, and my thoughts turned to what he was saying.
“You have been so brave these last few days. I can’t imagine what you are feeling. I want you to know how proud Will and I are of you. You don’t have to do this. We can find another way to catch them.”
“Thank you, sweet Elijah. You and I both know this is our best chance. There are too many lives at stake. I have to give it a go: it is our best option. I have some fear, but I know this is more important. You all will be there with me, and so will our team,” I said, putting on a brave face.
“You are our strong girl. I know you are brokenhearted, and there will be time to grieve. I want to tell you that regardless of what anyone says if you need to break cover to save yourself, do it. You are more important than the mission. We all love you so much and are ready for this to be over. I honestly hate the thought of you being anywhere near this creep and him putting his hands on you in any way,” Elijah emphasized.
“I know it is not my favorite thing either, but it is what is needed and being asked of me. I will do it. I see Charlie saying it is time for us to come in. Walk with me?” I asked my oldest brother. Elijah put his arm around me, and we walked into the living room together.
“Kristen, may I offer you one last chance to say ‘no’ to this? I always ask my Angels before we send them into the field. I want to be sure they know what they are getting into and are willing to do it. We can find another way to catch them. I can see that you are brave but scared. It is never my desire to put an Angel in a situation like the one you are facing. Would you like to stop?” Charlie asked sincerely.
“No, I have to do this and face him, or I will never be able to go back into the field or on a date again. As scary as it may be, the only way to improve is to go through it. He will not get the best of me. He doesn’t get to win and scare me into the shadows. I appreciate all your support and encouragement. I am ready, as ready as I’ll ever be. Let’s do this,” I said, laying aside my reservations.
“I can hold you and help keep you warm. Make you feel safe, and honestly, let me do something to help you. I can’t heal your broken heart, but I can help you do this. Is that okay with you?” Shawn asked me.
I nodded yes, and he gently took me in his arms.
Matt, Aaron, Elijah, and Will all slept downstairs with Shawn and me, who were cuddled together on one of the large couches. I was still oblivious to the fact that he loved me, even though it was right in front of my face.
The next day, I got dressed, and they tried to find someplace to put the tracking beacon that wasn’t noticeable, even though they knew Ethan would find it. We decided to stick it in my jacket pocket, so they would know what room I was in, at least. They also pressed the invisible patch on my neck, hidden by my hair. We all knew Ethan was smart enough to find it, but it was worth a shot. We tested them out. They worked well inside the room, so they took turns taking me all over the house, even outside. The chip and device worked very well everywhere they tried it. I returned to Shawn’s arms. Charlie didn’t leave. He stayed the night as well, then helped us prepare for the next day. I was meeting Ethan tomorrow night for our special date.
