HER BODYGUARD

The shot was quieter than she would have thought. The sedative struck him in the upper left part of his chest, close to his shoulder. Her eyes flickered open then closed. She waited five seconds before shaking him.

“Asher” she yelled. “Can you hear me?”

He didn’t budge. She dropped the gun onto the floor and ran for the garage.

She was nearly halfway across the cement floor before the computerized voice warned her that she had violated her authorized perimeter. The shrill siren began as she started the car engine. She started to back out before the garage doors had fully opened, and there was an ugly scraping sound, barely audible over the pulsing alarm.

Kimberly turned on the lights of the car and drove down the street. Not long now, she told herself over and over again in a litany of prayer. I will be there, daddy. Just hang on for meContentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

Tears threatened, but she willed them away. She had to see to drive. There was no point in escaping only to get in an accident. She had to stay strong and in charge. Once she was with her father and he was getting better, she could figure other things out.

———————-

In the hours after midnight the freeways were empty of traffic. Kimberly made excellent time to the hospital. She parked in the back, then hurried toward the building. Her heart pounded in time with her steps as she wondered how long it would be until the effects of the sedative wore off. She figured she had at least a couple of hours but not much longer.

She might have taken Asher’s car and his phone, but once he woke up, he could still find a way to call in his team. If only she had thought to tie him up. That would have bought her more time.

Too late now, she told herself. Once he was awake, he could easily figure out where she had gone. After all, he had access to her email

But first, her father, she thought as she hurried inside and studied the directory.

The large sign told her that cardiac care was on the third floor. Kimberly took the elevator, then followed the arrows to the right department. A woman sat at the front nurses station.

“I’m Kimberly Blake,” she told the nurse. “I’m here to see my father -Hillary Blake. Is he all right? Is he still…..”

The nurse, a young woman in her twenties, smiled. “Don’t worry, Mrs Blake. Your father is doing all right. Actually, as soon as I told him you were coming, he perked right up”

“He did?” Kimberly asked.

“Absolutely,” the nurse replied.

The nurse took her by the arm and led her through the closed double doors into the department. There was a sign saying only family members were allowed for ten minutes every hour. Kimberly glanced at her watch only to realize she wasn’t wearing one.

“Can I stay longer?” she asked. “I haven’t seen him in so long”

“Of course. Take as much time as you need” the nurse stopped and pointed at a curtained area. “Just through here”

Kimberly ran forward and pushed the curtain aside. In that second before the cloth moved, something inside her head screamed out.

But it was too late.

The curtain parted to reveal Alex sitting in a chair. He had a gun, and when he saw her, he raised it until it pointed at her heart.

“Ah, hello Kimberly. We meet again… Finally” he said.

Her stomach clenched until she was afraid she was going to throw up.

A thousand thoughts filled her mind. Everything from wondering when he had turned Christopher Keane to how he had managed to get control of some of the hospital staff. There had to be a whole lot on the line for him to go through this much trouble.

The last thing she thought before she inhaled the sweet, sticky smell she remembered so well and everything went blank was that Alex was finally going to win.

————————-

Consciousness returned in the form of a blinding headache. At first, all Kimberly could focus on was the pulsing pain. She didn’t want to open her eyes or move in any way, but she forced herself turn onto her back and look at her surroundings.

Even with her head throbbing, she saw she was in a small room, on a bed. Muscles ached from the awkward position she had been in. As she tried to straighten her legs, pins and needles shot through them. She gritted her teeth and moved her feet then her legs.

The pain made her cry out. Her stomach flopped over, making her nauseous. All she wanted was to curl up and disappear into unconsciousness, but she refused to do that. She had gotten herself into this and she had to find a way out.

The ache in her legs faded first. Slow, steady breathing kept her stomach under control. If her previous experience with Alex knocking her out was anything to go by, the headache was there to stay for at least a few hours. She would simply have to work through it.

She sat up and looked around. The room was maybe ten by ten, with a bed, a sink and toilet and a small window. The quality of light was faint enough to make her think it was dawn. She had been out about four hours. There was no sound-not a car driving by, not a dog barking. Wherever she had been brought, it was in the middle of nowhere.

At least she was alone. Last time, she had awakened to find herself watched twenty four hours a day. The constant monitoring had been difficult to take. Better to be alone, she thought as she stood and explored the room.

There was only one door -metal and locked. No food, no change of clothes. In a way it was very much like the room Asher had put her when he had rescued her. Only a lot more terrifying.

Asher. She didn’t want to think about him, but she had to. How could she have been so stupid as to believe that this wasn’t a trap. She should have believed him.

It was Alex, she thought grimly. He had been smart. Somehow he had gotten to Christopher and had convinced or compelled her father’s friend to help him.

The question now was where was her father?