Chapter Fourteen

Peter

We were lucky because we had a good drive, no Police, no Road Blocks, in fact I didn't even hear anything on the local News Stations about an abduction from a hospital and that was odd. By the following lunchtime I would have expected to hear something, they'd had chance to check the hospital just in case she was hiding somewhere. It should be all over the News, look out for girl escapee from Psych Ward but there was nothing. I looked in the mirror quickly and The Major was sitting exactly as he had been for the last few hours, Bella's head on his lap.

"We're going to have to stop soon Major, she needs her med's"

"She's out of it now"

"Yeah but I read up on the stuff and you can't just stop it like that. She has to be weaned off slowly."

He didn't look happy but he could hear the truth in my words so a few miles further on we stopped in a deserted Picnic Area so I could give her a shot.

"I get extra for this you know"

He just looked at me grimly and I knew to shut up. She never even opened here eyes as the needle went in. As I was checking the truck before going back on the road I saw a group of young guys enter the Parking Area in a beat up truck and park to block our exit. There were five of them and they were obviously looking for trouble. I groaned and called to The Major.

"We got ass holes at six o'clock"

He got back out shutting the door loudly making the group look up as they got out of their vehicle. They smiled at us and two at the back got rifles from the flat bed, they made their way over to us slowly and what they thought was menacingly.

"Fuck!"

I walked forward to meet them, hands out

"Look boys we don't want any trouble so just move the truck and we'll go. If you don't you're going to be sorry"

"Oh yeah, why?"

The spokesman was about twenty with bad acne, scrubby stubble, and a missing front tooth and I sighed, we really didn't need this now and I knew The Major was on a short fuse.

"Really, you don't want to take us on. Someone's going to get hurt"

"Yeah, you"

I was pretty close to losing my temper too as The Major walked forward to stand at my side

"Hey looks like we got two tough guys" spotty face said with a laugh.

"You have no idea what you're dealing with" The Major said in his calmest, 'the shits about to hit the fan', voice.

The guys looked at each other and laughed so I glanced at The Major,

"I'll take the two on the left, you can have the others"

He nodded and looked back as the two at the back cocked their rifles.

"You think that should intimidate us? I asked with a grin."I'm going to enjoy this"

I rubbed my hands together as the front guys moved forward fast or so they thought. I had two by the throat before they'd taken three paces and The Major had the two with the rifles similarly held. The one still at liberty took one look and ran but was brought down by one of his friends who I threw at him.

"Now, I told you it was a bad fucking idea but you just wouldn't listen so here's a lesson for you."

I snapped the arms of the one I still held before closing on the two still trying to get up. They got similar treatment and I turned to see The Major ram the rifle in one of his guys mouth breaking his teeth and making him choke. He threw that one down and picked up the other one whose neck he'd been standing on and was subsequently choking.

"My friend warned you. You should have listened."

He threw the guy backwards and he hit a tree fast and heavy enough to send branches flying into the air. The guy hung by one arm which had been speared by a broken branch, screaming for help as we got back in the truck and drove off.

"They just don't fucking listen"

I shook my head pushing their truck aside with our bull bars before getting back on the highway.

The rest of the journey was uneventful although Bella had started to get restless. How she could move with the amount of drugs she had in her I couldn't even begin to imagine. The house looked like just the kind of place we needed, off the beaten track and an added bonus close by the ocean. I saw smoke rising from the chimney and Charlotte, who'd heard our engine, standing by the door waiting for us. God she looked good, I'd missed her.

"Hey, mind on business Captain"

I hated it when he read my emotions!

Charlotte

I waited till they stopped then ran down to kiss Peter, I'd missed him. As I pulled away I saw blood stains on his sleeve,

"You have trouble or been hunting?"

He looked down,

"Some ass holes tried to take us on"

"Oh any still alive?"

"Yeah, but with a few bits not working too well for now"

I smiled at his reply then opened the back door to see the girl we'd taken all this trouble over. She lay twitching on the back seat, head in Jaspers lap.

"She been like this long?"

He nodded

"Too long. She's worrying me"

I picked her up as he slid her out gently and took her in and up to the room I'd prepared for her. Before putting her to bed I bathed her, leaving the guys to hunt, they needed to after so long. After clearing her up I dressed her in new pyjamas and put her to bed. Then I went and got the medication Peter had stolen from the hospital dispensary. It was as I feared, much too strong for her, Garrett had downloaded and printed out as much information on the drug as he could find and I knew we were going to have a hard time getting her off them without any lasting side effects.

Her eyes started to flicker and then opened although I doubted she saw me. I got a beaker of juice and put it to her lips and she drank robotically. When it was empty I tried her on some yogurt and she managed that which relieved me. I was hoping she'd be able to eat or we were going to have to set up a drip and none of us were really qualified or able to do that although we'd have managed somehow. She struggled to sit up so I helped her into a chair and she rested her hands on the arms of the chair and stared at the wall. I thought stimulation might help so I turned the chair to face the window. She could see trees, and the sky, with birds flying across to the sea. I sat beside her and chatted, telling her my name and where she was but got no response. I wasn't expecting one yet, it was early days, but I wanted her to get used to the sound of my voice.