"Where?" demanded Collig.
"It was parked in a thicket near the Oak Tree Lodge," Con informed his superior. "Loewan was spotted going to the office and back to one of the cabins."
"Any sign of Joe or the doctor?" inquired Collig.
"Negative," Con replied. "But it's a good bet they are in the cabin."
"Agreed," Collig said. "I'll call Fenton," he continued. "Set up a perimeter. No one gets in and if Loewan or Deerborne leave, follow. Until we find Joe and the doctor they are not to be apprehended"
Joe sat up slowly and closed his eyes as a wave of nausea washed over him. "I feel sick," he mumbled, grateful they had been moved into the bedroom and away from their captors' watchful eyes.
Dr. Lane held a small waste can up to Joe's face as he began hurling. "Ohh," moaned Joe, once he had finished. He had been awake for hours now and hadn't expected the anesthesia to make him sick just because he could sit up. He started to lay back down but stopped as he began coughing.
Dr. Lane took Joe's pulse and wished his captors had not confiscated his stethoscope. The mucus Joe had thrown up was mixed with blood and even his coughing was emitting a dark substance. He needed to get Joe back to the hospital as soon as possible.
"We have to get out of here," Joe wheezed, finally lying back down. "They haven't found us yet and that means they probably won't."
"You aren't well enough," Dr Lane began objecting again.
"We don't have a choice," Joe stated with as much force as he could muster. "After Loewan gets his shipment they are going to kill us. I, for one, would rather go out fighting."
"What did you have in mind?" asked a resigned Dr. Lane looking at Joe with a hint of admiration for the tenacious youth.
"They should be in here soon," Joe said. "Just wait for me to make my move and then take off." He held up a hand to ward off any more objections. "Your escaping and going for help is the only chance either of us have."
They didn't have too long to wait. Less than thirty minutes later the door opened and Deerborne walked in. "He's on his way to the docks," Deerborne said, looking at Joe. "Time for us to head out."
"You won't get away with this," declared Joe, getting shakily to his feet. "My dad and brother will stop you."
Deerborne laughed delightedly. "Your daddy is probably consoling your mother," he told Joe.
"What do you mean?" demanded Joe, holding onto the edge of the stretcher he had been transported on for support.
"I killed your brother," Deerborne bragged. He held up a cane and pointed it at Joe then flicked a switch to reveal the blade. "Ran him through and left him on the floor of the elevator stuck between floors."
"Nooo..." moaned Joe, his face whitening before contorting in pain as he moved his free hand to clutch at his chest. Before the doctor could get close to Joe, he had fallen with a crash to the floor.