Chapter Six
Jake's words reverberated in his head like an echo in a cavern. "She's dead...dead...dead...."
"Like hell," Donovan whispered harshly. He tilted Minya's head back and supported her neck with his right hand. He pried her mouth open and flattened her tongue to make sure she didn't swallow it. Pinching her nostrils shut with his left hand, he took a deep breath and clamped his mouth over hers, expelling air from his lungs into hers.
Taking Donovan's lead, Jake pressed the heel of his left palm to Minya's breastbone and laid his right over it, twining his fingers together for support. When Frank lifted his head, he firmly pressed down, pumping up and down on her heart. "One...two...three...four...five...breathe," Jake instructed.
He expelled another lung full of air and checked to see if Minya was breathing on her own or had a pulse. He shook his head and Jake repeated his previous steps. Donovan drew in another breath and blew into her mouth. Nothing. They repeated the attempt several more times.
"She's dead, Frank. Let her be," Jake said, softly, sitting back on his heels.
In answer, he shoved Jake out of the way and pumped Minya's chest, cursing to himself as the pain ripped through his injured hand. "One...come on...two...fight for it...three...you want to live...damn you!" he screamed in frustration and slapped her face. "Breathe!" He almost sobbed. She was too young to die; too young. Another Donovan failure resulted in an early death for a woman far too young to die.
He shook her forcibly by the shoulders, causing the back of her head to bang repeatedly against the floor and then he slapped her again. "Fight, dammit!" He bent down to her mouth, intent on delivering more air into her lungs when he felt the whisper of air from between her lips. "Minya? Minya! Come on, open your damn eyes!"
A sigh of relief escaped both Jake and Donovan when Minya's emerald green eyes fluttered open. "Minya, can you hear me?" Frank asked.
Her eyes rolled sideways to look at him, but she didn't speak. Donovan held her right hand with his and put his left to her brow. "Hang in there, Minya."
Cody clicked on the intercom. "EMT is on its way."
"Thanks, Cody."
"Daddy?" Sammie reached his side. She was clutching Dalton's hand firmly. "Is Miss Minya okay?"
"She will be, baby," he assured, pulling her to him in a fierce hug.
"Promise?" she asked, with wide fearful eyes.
He nodded, but didn't speak. Minya's eyes followed their conversation, but otherwise she lay still.
Cody, Monica, Alex and Sashka ran into the studio. Sashka carried a blanket, which she carefully spread over Minya to keep her warm. "What happened?" She asked, frightened.
Donovan ignored her question. "Cody, didn't we check this place out? Jesus, she was just electrocuted."
"Sure we checked it. This place was clean," he assured.
"How could this happen?" Jake wondered.
Cody checked the headphones, removing the small plate from the compartment that housed the wire that jacked into the sound system. He released a low whistle.
"What did you find?" Alex asked, looking over his shoulder.
"The smallest motion sensitive timer switch I've ever seen in my life," he said, pointing the tiny device out to her. "The wires were also tampered with."
"Jesus," Frank said, sighing. "If that had been in the headphone Sammie was wearing, she would be dead." He hadn't meant to say the words out loud, but realized too late that he did. He saw a silent tears fall from Minya's eyes and kicked himself mentally. She had begged him to leave the case for Sammie's sake, and her...not to mention his...worst fear almost came to light.
"I'll check all the equipment again," Cody stated.
"You're damn right you will," he replied, harshly. "Jake, go out front and wait for the EMTs."
"On my way."
"Just what does this switch do?" Dalton asked.
"Well, it has a circuit that can be set to release an electrical load at a predetermined time. With the wire exposed, as they were, well, picture shoving a knife into a toaster while it's plugged in," Cody explained. "Only worse."
Sirens could be heard in the distance. Donovan squeezed Minya's hand. "They're almost here, Minya."
She felt the reassuring pressure of his hand and, with concerted effort, squeezed his in return. It took all her effort just to do that one simple task. Her whole body felt numb and uncooperative. She wanted to speak, but her muscles wouldn't listen to her brain. She watched Sammie with troubled eyes; fearful of the trauma she was putting the child through.
"She'll be fine," Donovan said, as if sensing her thoughts. "You just concentrate on yourself."
"Frank, I'm going to go run the numbers on this switch and see what I can come up with," Cody stated.
"Monica, stick with Cody," he commanded. "Go over the damn surveillance tapes. I want to know how this could have happened!"
"We're on it," Monica said as she and Cody left, passing the arriving
EMTs at the door who were followed closely by Jake. Another siren could be heard as the ambulance arrived.
"Sir, please move aside," the first EMT insisted.
"We had to perform CPR," he said before standing. He picked up Sammie and moved away from Minya to watch from a distance.
"Electrical shock?" he said, looking Minya over. "She's lucky you were here to save her life."
"Pulse is thready; respiration shallow," the second EMT said, taking her vitals.
The first EMT placed an oxygen mask over her mouth. "Start the IV – Ringers Lactate," he instructed the second EMT.
Sashka sobbed uncontrollably and Dalton put his arm around her shoulders. "She'll be fine, Sashka." She nodded and buried her head against his chest.
"Get ready to move her," the second EMT said, grasping Minya under her shoulders. The first EMT grabbed her ankle and together they lifted Minya onto the immobilization board and strapped her down.
Two ambulance attendants wheeled a stretcher into the studio and helped the EMTs lift Minya onto it. Once she was secure, they wheeled her out of the studio, followed closely by all occupants.
"I'm riding with her," Donovan insisted.
"Sorry, sir," the attendant said, looking over his shoulder. "No one rides in the ambulance."
His face grew dark and his eyes intense as he turned to Jake and handed Sammie over to him. He advanced quickly on the ambulance attendant and shoved his badge in his face. "I am riding with her, do you understand?" he said, threateningly.
"But, sir..."
"I said... do...you...understand," he repeated through clenched teeth, grasping the attendant roughly by the shoulder.
"Yes, sir. You will be riding in the ambulance. But only you," he insisted.
Donovan nodded and turned to Jake. "Take care of Sammie. Bring her to the hospital." He touched his daughter's cheek tenderly. "See you soon, princess."
Jake hugged Sammie to him, moved that Donovan trusted the care of his daughter to him. He went in search of Monica to get the keys to her car since Sammie's car seat was already set up in there.
************
"How's she doing," he asked the attendant.
"She's doing great, considering," he replied.
Her eyes fixed on Donovan and she tried to remove the oxygen mask; raising her arms, she only managed to make a pathetic swipe at it. She was thankful when he realized what she was doing and pulled the mask down to lay at her neck. "Should have left," she said.
"You don't say," he said with a half smile. "But who would look after you?"
"Sashka and Dalton or whoever replaces you," she said breathlessly.
"Stop wasting your energy," he admonished. "There will be plenty of time to talk later."
Minya managed to lift her arm once more to hold her hand out to him. "Thank you, Frank."
"I don't deserve your thanks," he replied, squeezing her hand gently. "I almost got you killed."
"Bullshit," she managed to say before her eyes fluttered closed.
He looked up sharply and the attendant smiled. "It's okay, she's resting." Donovan breathed a sigh of relief.
To be continued...