“911, what is your emergency?” a female operator answered.
I leaned into the speaker. “My name is Abigail Rollands. I was kidnapped and I need help. Please hurry.”
“Is there anyone else with you, Abigail?”
Looking at my friends, I realized in all the time we’d spent together and throughout the suffering we’d endured, we’d never exchanged last names.
“Yeah, two other girls. Hang on—” Rosa and Erin scribbled their names down on a Post-it note “—Erin Kemp and Rosalia Bianchi. They were kidnapped too.”
“I have your address. I’m sending police now. I want you to stay on the line until they arrive, okay?”
“Okay. Hurry.” Putting the phone on speaker, I set down the receiver. Maybe my mind was playing tricks but I swear I heard sirens wailing in the distance, growing closer. It had to be my imagination. The waiting room was four floors up without windows. I turned to Rosa. “Go out into the stairwell and see if you can spot them coming.”
“Okay.” Rosa disappeared through the doorway leading to the hallway and came back moments later. “I see them outside.”
“They’re here. I’m going to hang up now.” Ending the call, I rounded the reception desk and pushed through the doorway into the hallway. Even though the rational thing was to stay put, my brain reminded me that Liam was in danger and I needed to make sure he was safe. I made it to the third floor landing when a group of uniformed officers appeared below me, guns drawn. I froze in place until the lead officer was a few steps away.
He lowered his gun a little. “Are you Abigail?”
"Yes. The other girls are upstairs. This way." Turning back the way I’d come, I led them up one flight. They kept their weapons at the ready until we entered the waiting area where Rosa and Erin sat side by side in a corner. Erin still favored her wrist. The lead officer put himself between us and the hallway leading to our prison. “Is the person who took you still here?”
“She’s in the back room with the bookshelves. Straight down the hallway.” Erin pointed over the man’s shoulder.
“You have to push on the side of the bookshelf on the far right. It conceals a hidden room where she kept us.” Rosa pulled her legs up to her chest.
He nodded and, at his quick hand motion, two officers started down the hallway and out of sight. A female officer stood by the front door. The lead officer waited until his radio crackled and he heard, “All clear. One woman in custody,” before bending down in front of us and pointing at Erin’s arm. “We’re going to call for an ambulance now to check you out.”
"What about our families?" Erin pressed her injured arm closer to her body.
"We will notify them when we call for the ambulance. More than likely they will meet you at the hospital."
The female officer motioned for us to follow her out of the office. They probably didn’t want us around when they actually escorted Persephone out of the building in handcuffs. As happy as I was to be free, I couldn’t shake the worry that things were not resolved. Minutes later, we emerged into the early evening air. The sun was still setting over the buildings nearby. Looking around the parking lot, I only counted two marked police cars. “Where is the ambulance?”
The officer placed a hand on my shoulder. “It’s on its way.”
"What will happen to Dr. Phillips?" Rosa huddled closer to me.
The officer smiled. "She's been arrested. She can’t hurt you anymore."
Erin folded up Dr. Phillips’s notes as best she could one-handed and shoved them in her pocket just as two ambulances pulled in, sirens blaring. The officer led us over and I let one of the paramedics sit me on the back edge of the vehicle. I kept the book close as the paramedic stuck a pulse monitor on my right forefinger. “Can you tell me your name?”
“Abigail Rollands.”
“And how old are you, Abigail?” He wrapped a blood pressure cuff around my arm.
“Fifteen.”
The medic made some notes on a clipboard before reaching for a needle and some tubing. Instinctively, I pulled away from the man. “What’s that for?”
“You’re dehydrated. I’m just going to hook up an IV with some fluids. It will make you feel better.”
I still flinched away. “Don’t you have to wait for my parents to give permission?”
He lowered his hands and set the tubing down. “We can wait if it would make you feel better.”
Looking at the second ambulance, I saw that Erin and Rosa already had IVs in their arms, bags of fluid dangling on hooks over their shoulders. A medic tended to Erin’s wrist. I exhaled slowly. “No, you can do it. It’s fine.”
I only cringed a little when he inserted the needle into a vein near my left elbow. The first few drips of fluid made me shiver. The medic secured the line with tape before he draped a blanket around me and busied himself with taking my temperature. He spread some antiseptic over the scratches on my neck as he tweaked the IV. More police cars arrived by the minute. It looked as though every officer in the city had come to see we were safe. The front doors to the building opened and an escort—far more than necessary for one person—traipsed out with Dr. Phillips in handcuffs. She looked furious and it was obvious her arm was swollen from my first attack. She swayed with each step. A flash of warmth coursed through my chest at the sight of our captor being herded into the back seat of a police cruiser. The vehicle’s engine came alive and the car sped off as a single car pulled into the parking lot. The car pulled to a stop across two parking spaces and Mom and Dad climbed out. Relief washed over me and I threw off the blanket. “Mom! Dad!”
Before I could get up, the medic grabbed my shoulder. “Easy. You need to stay calm, all right?”
Letting out a whine, I sat back down. I needed my parents after the hell I’d just gone through. The paramedic handed me a package of saltines and I ripped it open while Mom and Dad fought their way past the wall of cops. Finally, once Dad showed one of the officers his wallet, they were allowed to approach the ambulance. Dad wrapped his arms around me and held tight. It felt good. Mom stepped up and took my hand. Tear tracks marred her cheeks. "Oh, Abbie! We were so worried."
Dad let go but stayed close. “And we’re so sorry. If we hadn’t been so focused on our own issues, we would have realized something was wrong with that doctor.”
Mom didn’t snipe at him or roll her eyes; the fact that they were of the same opinion left me speechless. Swallowing the crackers, I coughed. “I didn’t think I’d ever see you guys again.” Tears fell down my cheeks.
Having my family around temporarily put Liam on the back burner mentally. Mom moved the mythology book aside and climbed into the ambulance, gripping my hand like she was never going to let go. The paramedic adjusted the IV. “Ma’am, Sir, we need to transport her to the hospital for an evaluation. She’s severely dehydrated.”
“Of course.” Mom stayed put. “But we’re going with her.”
“Only one of you can come, I’m afraid.”
Looking between my parents, I pressed my arm against Mom’s ribs. “I want Mom to come with me.”
She kissed my cheek and fresh tears glistened in her eyes. “I’m not going anywhere. We never stopped looking for you. The police checked the office but they didn't find anything."
“Of course they didn’t find us; she had us locked in a room behind a hidden panel in one of the rooms.”
This seemed to be more than Mom could handle because she broke down crying again with heaving gasps. Dad leaned in to plant a kiss on my forehead and pat Mom on the hand before stepping back so we could get going to the hospital. The second ambulance had already left with Erin and Rosa inside. Just before the paramedic closed the doors, Dad pointed to the mythology book. “Sweetie, what is that?”
I grabbed it as the paramedic settled me onto a gurney for the ride. “Just something I grabbed to help us get away. It was heavy enough to knock her off balance and give us time to get out.”
The interior of the ambulance was quiet except for the occasional whine of the siren as we pulled out of the parking lot and into traffic. Keeping an eye on the book, I hoped I wouldn’t need to explain it. I didn’t need everyone thinking I was even crazier than before. After what felt like forever, the ambulance pulled up to a hospital. The paramedic pushed open the back doors of the ambulance with a squeal. He eased the gurney onto its wheels and steered me into the ER. My eyes widened in shock at the sheer number of people taking up space. Nurses and doctors moved between partially shielded beds, tending to the more critical patients. Still more people in various states of wakefulness sat in hard plastic chairs. The paramedic who’d been checking me out at the scene wheeled the gurney into a private area where two women in scrubs appeared. He handed over his clipboard and paperwork and flashed me a smile. “These ladies will take care of you.”
“How are you feeling sweetheart?” One of the nurses strapped on a blood pressure cuff and stuck a thermometer under my tongue.
I shrugged in response and absently rubbed the spot where the IV line entered my arm. “I just want to go home.” It was difficult to speak around the thermometer. I didn’t want to be poked and prodded. I wanted to be asleep in my own bed and know that I was somewhere safe when I woke up. Erin and Rosa each rolled by on gurneys and into adjoining waiting areas. The second nurse pulled the curtain closed and disappeared from view. Dad pushed through just as the first nurse jotted down my vitals.
“I need to talk to them.” I pointed in the direction my fellow hostages had gone. We hadn’t made any plans beyond escape and Erin still had Persephone’s notes for the play.
Dad squeezed my right hand. “You need to rest, Abbie.”
“Dad, it’s important.” Trying to sit up proved impossible with all the medical equipment keeping me in place.
“They’re going to keep you overnight. You can see them in the morning.” Mom ran a hand through my hair, doing her best to detangle the mess. “Right now you need to let the doctors check you out. We’ll be right here.”
Acquiescing to the request, I settled back against the pillow when two new faces appeared and asked questions about where I’d been and in what condition. I did my best to answer the questions but the IV fluid and excitement of the escape sapped my energy. By the time a police officer came by to take my statement, I couldn’t keep my eyes open. Before succumbing to unconsciousness, I heard Dad tell them to come back after I’d slept for a while.
I woke up in a private room to see both of my parents slumped over in chairs. Blearily reading the clock clued me in that I’d slept through all of Friday night and into Saturday morning. I vaguely recalled a nurse coming in to check vitals throughout the night. Despite being in a hospital bed and in the clothes I’d been wearing for the last week, I felt rested. Mom and Dad woke as soon as I started shifting in the bed.
“How do you feel?” Mom wiped sleep from her eyes.
“Better.” I tugged on the IV line. “When can I get out of here? I just want to go home.”
“We’ll see what the doctors say.” Dad leaned forward and brushed some hair out of my face. “I don’t see why they won’t let you go home as long as your vitals are stable. There’s going to be a police officer coming to talk to you about what happened,” he explained.
My stomach rumbled. “Okay. Can I eat something first?”
He nodded and helped me out of bed. The IV had been hooked up to a pole and so we wound our way down to the cafeteria. The nurses didn’t seem to mind me being mobile. Rosa and Erin sat at a table with their families and I led Mom and Dad over. This would be the perfect time to talk to my fellow Muses. Sending Mom and Dad on a mission to get me a little of everything on the breakfast menu, I sat down and waited while Erin and Rosa shooed their family members back to the food line for seconds.
“We made it out.” I sighed.
Both girls nodded and Rosa took a sip of tea. “Where is the book?”
“It’s safe.” Glancing over my shoulder to make sure no one was listening, I leaned in close. “I’ve got it in my room. I told my parents I held on to it because I was in shock after we got out.”
Erin swept her hair out of her face. “For a while I didn’t think we’d make it out.”
“What should we do with her notes?” Rosa pushed her empty tray away.
“I think we need to destroy them. Burn them or something.” Erin’s eyes lit up.
I shrugged. “We could just put them through a shredder.”
Erin shook her head. “Burning them is better. You can’t put it back together again.”
“Okay. Can you hold on to them?”
The adults appeared at the cash register and Erin downed the rest of her orange juice. “Yeah.”
I accepted the plate from Dad laden with eggs and pancakes. The eggs were powdery and the pancakes were a little burned but it was heaven. I downed three cups of orange juice and another two cups of water before my stomach was sated. After exchanging phone numbers with Erin and Rosa, I followed Mom and Dad back to my room so I could get cleaned up. Mom handed over clean clothes—when she’d gotten them I had no clue—and ushered me into the bathroom. The harsh lighting in the bathroom highlighted just how pale I’d become. Fifteen minutes later I felt like a human being again in clean jeans and a sweatshirt. Dunking my head in the sink to try to comb out the knots in my hair proved useless. If I got discharged today I would take a shower as soon as I got home.
By late morning, the police had been to take my statement. I’d given as much detail as I could without revealing the true motive of our captivity. Still, the details I did share were enough to paint an unpleasant picture and hopefully keep Persephone locked up for a very long time.
“So what happens now?” I sat cross-legged on the bed a little after lunch time while Mom and Dad waited for my discharge paperwork. Dad smiled at me. “We’re going home.”
I shook my head. “I meant with Dr. Phillips. Is there going to be a court case? Am I going to have to testify or something?”
“I don’t know, honey, that’s for the police to figure out.” Mom sat on the edge of the bed and draped an arm over my shoulders. “We’ll take it one step at a time.” She gave my arm a squeeze.
“And what about you guys?” I looked from one to the other. “You’re … getting along.”
“We know things have been difficult on you lately.” Mom studied her fingernails and couldn’t look me in the face. “Losing you made us realize we need to try to get along. Maybe if we’d been better at keeping it civil around you this might not have happened.”
Smiling, I leaned in and gave Mom a hug. “I’m glad you’re at least talking again. I love you guys.”
“We love you too, Abbie.” Dad took the paperwork we’d been waiting on from the nurse and I got to my feet. As we walked down to the lobby hand in hand, I stowed the mythology book in the plastic bag with my old clothes. Just as we stepped through the automatic doors to the exit I swear a man dressed in a gray business suit stood watching me with a sneer plastered on his lips. It was a quick glimpse but he looked familiar. Our gazes met as the outer doors to the hospital opened and the little voice in the back of my head warned that, whoever he was, he was trouble. I squeezed Dad’s hand tight and he looked down at me. “What’s wrong, honey?”
Swallowing, I turned away from the man. “Nothing… I just thought I saw something.”