Just wanted to take some space to thank everyone again! You are so wonderful. In response to one review, please check out the Salemweb.com site for more information on the Salem Witch Trials. 24 people, including Sarah Good, were executed as a result of the witch trials. Some were hanged, one was pressed to death and others died while still in prison. For more information, check out this sight: http://www.salemweb.com/memorial/stonesintro.htm
Disclaimers: See Chapter One
Dark Visions – Chapter Seven
A moan from the bed next to him brought Donovan out of his light sleep. He had insisted the hospital bring a second bed into Sabrena's private room. Two agents would remain with her at all times. With the bed, one could sleep while the other kept watch. If something happened, two agents would fair better than one.
He shot from the bed after hearing the moan and was at Bre's side before anyone else in the room could get to her. She was sleeping. She moaned again, at the same time raising her arm in a defensive move. He sat on the edge of the bed, took her hand in his, and called gently to her to wake her from her nightmare.
Nona watched with a smile on her face. She nudged Cody, while pointing to Frank, as if to say "told you so".
"You still here?" Bre asked when her vision cleared after waking.
Frank shrugged. "We have work to do," he said and glanced at the stack of files on the small table between the beds to mask his true feelings. Although, he really had no idea what his true feelings were. No matter what Nona said, it was still a mystery to him.
"Huh?"
"You know...work," Cody said. "That thing you're doing when you're not goofing off."
"Oh, work," she said, laughing until she realized how much it hurt to do that. At least her sense of humor was still intact.
"We'll help," Alex grinned. "We'll be glad to hand the folders to you."
Sabrena glanced around the room. She hadn't noticed when she woke that there were so many people in the room. Frank, Nona, Cody, Alex, Monica and Jake. Alex and Jake were now stretched out on the bed.
"You know," Cody began. "I find it odd that none of you got a good look at this guy."
"Hey!" Jake took offense. "He was hidden by the shadows by the time we reached them."
Alex and Monica nodded. "We tried, we really tried," Alex confessed. "But when he cut Bre and she pleaded for us not to follow...Frank had us stop. He followed alone, but still didn't get there fast enough."
Frank remained silent. It was understandable if they blamed him for not catching up to the killer. It was his decision for the team to stop. He knew he could remain quiet enough not to alert the suspect, but as a group—they made too much noise.
"Can someone help me sit up, please? I'm tired of looking up at all of you."
Nona laughed. "Of course, dearie." She helped Bre sit up and then used the remote to raise the bed to a sitting position. "Better?"
Bre nodded, but everyone knew she was in pain. Sitting up pulled at the stitches and made the pain worse. She wouldn't admit it though; there was work to do. "Okay, Alex. Start handing me those files."
Alex leaned over Jake, elbowing him in the stomach, to reach the files.
"Hey!" he grunted.
"What? I'm as light as a feather, I couldn't have hurt big strong Jakey," she teased as she got up from the bed and took a small stack of files to Bre and sat them on the bed beside her.
Bre picked up the first file, read the name and opened the cover. A small photo was clipped on top of the employment records. She studied the photograph carefully. He could have changed his appearance in some way.
An hour later, the stack she had been through was larger than the one she needed to check. She sighed heavily and then groaned. She saw a hand from the corner of her eye push the call button. She looked up—Cody. He smiled gently and winked. His gesture told her he thought she'd suffered the pain long enough.
Becky entered the room within moments. "Miss Fairchild, is something wrong?"
Sabrena shook her head. "No, just the pain."
Becky nodded as she squeezed Bre's hand. She left the room and quickly returned with a small paper cup with two pills. She handed Bre a cup of water and the pills. "Percodan," she said when Bre's eyebrow shot up in a questioning manner.
Bre swallowed the pills with water. "Welcome back, goofy Sabrena," she said with a grin.
"I like goofy Sabrena," Cody joked. "She always wants to play. Serious Sabrena is soooo dull." He laughed when Monica bopped him on the head with a file.
"He only says that because I refused to go out to play until my homework was done." She wrinkled her nose at Cody. "All he ever wanted to do was play."
"All work and no play makes Cody a dull boy," he answered.
"Here are the last of the files," Jake said, placing the folders beside her.
Sabrena picked them up one by one, carefully viewing the photograph and reading over the records. Nothing. Not one employee resembled her attacker in any way. "I'm sorry," she said, shaking her head.
Cody picked up the yearbooks and placed them on the bed. "It won't hurt to look through these."
Bre nodded and started with the most recent year. She looked up when the door creaked open. It was Dr. Mirhm checking on his patient. He looked appalled at the large crowd gathered in the room.
"Haven't you been told Miss Fairchild needs her rest? There are far too many people in this room." His eyes shot daggers at Donovan and before Donovan could respond, he said, "And I don't want to hear this is an FBI investigation. Some of you will have to leave."
"Alex, Jake and Cody--head back to the campus for now. Monica and I will stay with Bre." He may not like being told what to do, but he couldn't argue with the doctor. Dr. Mirhm only had Bre's best interest in mind.
That satisfied the doctor. He read over Bre's chart before checking her vital signs. "How are you feeling, Miss Fairchild?"
She smiled at the young, handsome doctor. "As well as can be expected, I guess."
He ran a hand through his blonde hair. "Let me check those stitches." He opened her gown slightly. "After a couple days we'll be able to use an ointment on them to keep the itching at bay. It will also help with the scarring."
"Thank you, Doctor. You are very kind."
Donovan felt that stab of jealousy again, just as he did when Jake was comforting Sabrena. Man, he had to get a hold of himself. He heard a chuckle and turned to see Nona watching him. Damn, she was just a little too insightful.
After the doctor left, Bre turned her attention back to the yearbook. Monica hopped up onto the bed to take a nap. No sooner than she closed her eyes, the door bust open and a man and woman entered the room.
Nona shook her head. "Audrey, you always did have to make an entrance," she scolded her pretty, brunette daughter-in-law.
Sabrena's mother ignored her mother-in-law, and everyone else, and flung her arms around her daughter. Sabrena cried out as the pain wracked her body. How worse would it have been without the painkiller in her system?
Audrey pulled away quickly. "What is it, darling?" She asked as her husband stroked his daughter's hair.
"Her wounds are on her chest, Mrs. Fairchild," Frank told the petite woman.
"Who are you?" Cooper Fairchild inquired.
"Special Agent Frank Donovan," he answered. Now he knew where Bre got her red hair, although Bre's wasn't brassy like her father's.
"Are you in charge of this fiasco?" Audrey demanded.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Then you're to blame for my daughter's condition," she exclaimed.
"Yes, I accept full responsibility," he confirmed.
Bre watched as he accepted blame for her actions. His eyes never once wavered from her parents accusing glares. His proud stand tugged at her heart. She would not let him cover for her ineptness.
"That's not true, Frank." All eyes turned to gape at her. "If I had followed orders and stayed in the apartment, nothing would have ever happened to me." She saw Frank shake his head. Nona had a self-satisfied smile on her face that had Bre wondering what her grandmother was up to. Her parents were looking at her as if she was an alien. "It's true. Frank ordered me to stay and I disobeyed."
"Why," Cooper questioned his daughter.
"I can't explain it. The need to see him caught with my own eyes was overwhelming and I gave in to it. That and the fact that I was ordered to 'stay put'." Bre grinned mischievously. "You all know how I obey orders."
Audrey rolled her eyes. "It all depends on who's giving them. We spoiled you rotten, but you've always respected your superiors."
Bre nodded. "I was only joking, mom. It was a stupid thing to do. Not only did I get myself hurt, I endangered the team. They had no way of knowing where the suspect was because I left the monitors unattended." She looked at Frank. "I can never expect you to forgive me for that."
"Just don't let it happen again." He realized his tone sounded harsher than he intended, but he was, after all, in charge of this case and, as such, Sabrena needed to know her place.
"It won't," she assured, her gaze locked to his, thanking him in silence.
Becky walked in the room carrying a telephone, plugged it into the wall and sat it on the table beside Bre. She checked Bre's vitals once more before leaving.
Bre resumed her study of the yearbook. She turned the page and felt as if her hand had been scorched. Nothing looked familiar on the page, and yet she knew he was there somewhere. Through the din of her thoughts, she heard the phone ring and reached for it absentmindedly.
"Hello?"
"Sabrena Fairchild, please," said a pleasant voice.
"This is she."
"Hello, bitch...miss me?"
Bre blinked hard at the page she was staring at. His harsh, guttural voice sent her mind spinning. He found her! And...she found him! There he was...in the background of the picture at the top of the page. Working behind the Cheerleaders as they posed for the yearbook.
"No, but I bet you haven't stopped thinking about me," Sabrena countered.
"Mmmm...slicing into your pretty skin was just an appetizer for the main course."
"Won't you be tired after all of that gardening work you have to do?" she asked glibly.
Silence.
"Hello? Something wrong?" she teased, playing with fire.
"I know where you are. I found you easily enough."
"So you did. And I found you. The tables have turned."
Sabrena quietly cradled the phone. "That was him," she announced, pointing to the picture. "The Chancellor left out employment histories on outside vendors."
Donovan flipped open his phone and dialed. "Jake, Sabrena found him in the yearbook. No, he's not on staff...he maintains the landscaping." He nodded while listening to Jake then turned off the phone. "Jake's on his way to the Chancellor to find out who handles the lawn care. We're getting close," he said, sitting on the bed next to Bre.
Bre smiled at him and her insides melted when he took her hand in his. They stared into each other's eyes for a moment.
"Ahem..." Nona interrupted the brief moment of tenderness. "I think my dear son and daughter need to find us a place to stay while we're here. Let's go, kids."
Reluctantly, Audrey and Cooper rose from their chairs. "Very well," Cooper said. "We should let Bre get some rest." They kissed Bre gently before leaving.
"Finally, we're alone," Bre joked. A snore from the napping Monica reminded her that they weren't.
To be continued...