Chapter 2:
The Doctor From Alaska
"Where am I? Hello? I know you are here!" the young man yelled from the cold room he was sitting in. He wasn't handcuffed or tied up, he was only stuck in that cold, damp room. He had checked the lock on the door up the stairs, locked and bolted. He knew he was in a basement somewhere or maybe a bunker of some kind.
He cradled his head in his hands. Rubbing his eyes, he sat down against the wall. They had sprayed something in his eyes, before dragging him out of the hospital parking garage. They still itched. The town he worked in wasn't very big. Depending on how long he'd been stuck in that room, there was a good chance his family and the hospital staff were already missing him. He hoped he wouldn't be there much longer.
"Hello?" he tried again. Nothing. "I'm a little thirsty! Maybe some water?"
The door at the top of the stairs opened and a bottle of water tumbled down the stairs. The man raced for the door and the water, but the door shut when he got to the bottom step.
"Hey!" He bent down and picked up the bottle. In the small amount of light he analyzed the water. It was clean, recently bought, and cold. "Maybe I should of asked for hot tea. I'm freezing, and this water will only make it worse. Maybe there is a blanket around here." He thought.
He went back to his spot on the wall and sat. He uncapped the water and took a drink. His eyes itched, so he rubbed them and took another swallow and looked over at the crushed remains of his cell phone. They had crushed it, moments after he called Mr. St. John. Two men had come rushing down the stairs.
"The signal was coming from down here! Maybe he has a phone." The men advanced on him and grabbed him. They were strong and hateful. They threw off his jacket and tore it, literally, apart looking for his cell phone. They finally found it in the breast pocket.
One of the men grabbed him by the throat, "Who have you been calling?"
"No one, I swear!"
"Look through his history" the man holding his throat ordered his accomplice.
"He called an un-contacted number about 10 minutes ago."
"Destroy the phone."
His phone was flung on the floor and shattered to millions of pieces.
Josef's Apartment
Mick sat in Josef's office trying to call the number, but only getting a voicemail message. He put his phone down on the desk and looked up to see Beth coming in.
"Hey, where's Sarah?" Mick asked.
"Simone is entertaining her."
"Ah, that's good."
"Did you reach him?"
"Would I be sitting here if I did? No, I didn't reach him."
"Can the call be traced?"
"Not without the technology, and I don't think the police are willing to help us after we got a police officer killed, and destroyed BioNalysis."
Beth sat down and sighed, "I could get the information on the doctor's at the hospital in Centreville and see who didn't show up to work this morning. He might be our mystery doctor."
"Good idea. Josef and I can go to Logan and have him see if he can trace the call."
"Team St. John is back in action!" Beth joked.
Mick smiled and tenderly kissed his wife before they left the office. In the living area Simone had 7 month old Sarah Beth in her lap. Josef had a caterpillar animal in his hands, waving it around for Sarah to see and imitating its voice.
"I'm Mr. Caterpillar and I'm here to say hi to little Sarah!" he voiced.
Mick and Beth stood back and watched as their baby giggled. Mick and Beth laughed hysterically at Josef's play-acting. Josef turned around and blushed. Simone giggled behind him.
"We have serious work to do and you're here playing Mr. Caterpillar with my daughter? Your loosing your touch". Mick joked.
"Ah, Mick, the poor child was bored. I was enlightening her with my acting abilities."
"What abilities?" Mick whispered under his breath.
"Heard that!" Josef said after kissing Simone good-bye.
"Were going to see Logan and Beth is going to look up the names of the doctors in Centreville. Simone do you mind watching Sarah?"
Simone nodded, "Not at all, go ahead."
Beth placed a delicate kiss on her daughters cheek before leaving with Mick and Josef.
"I guess this means Simone's turning will have to be put on hold…again". Josef was driving and Mick was setting beside him in the Ferrari.
"I don't know, maybe. When were you guys planning on leaving?"
"Friday".
"That's tomorrow. Maybe you two should get away and change her."
"In Alaska, where someone is stealing doctors? I don't think so!"
"Why not? While you're not frolicking between the sheets, you could be investigating and reporting back."
"So when I get asked, business or pleasure, I'm supposed to answer both?"
"Right."
"I want to change her and give her what she wants, but I don't want to endanger her by going."
"You and her both will be fine!"
"Okay, were going to Alaska to be your eyes and ears."
"You won't be endangered. Listen, if it makes you feel more comfortable, Beth and I will go with you."
"It doesn't. If I remember correctly, turning someone, especially when that someone is a person you are quite passionate about, it can get a little…loud. Plus, I doubt Beth would want to travel so far with the baby and the dangers."
"Okay. What about hiring a vamp body guard and having him stay in the town while you go to your little getaway?"
"That could be plausible. I'll get in contact with I guy I used to know who does some protection work."
"You will be fine!"
In Logan's basement he was intently working on building a computer when the men came in to talk to him. He turned around after the door clicked shut in place.
"Is this another one of those, vampire hunting jobs? Because if it is you can count me out."
"Its not. Actually, its just a normal average everyday kidnapping case."
"Its always natural at first. So what is it you need?"
"We were wondering if you could trace a phone call."
"Okay. That'll be $20. No refunds if I can't trace it", Logan said turning to his main computer screen, holding out his hand for the money.
Mick rolled his eyes and reached in his pocket for a bill and handed it to Logan.
"And your cell."
Mick handed him the money and his cell phone. Leaning against the desk Mick watched as Logan brought up the number and dialed it.
"I'm going to try to locate where the signal is coming from when I call the phone. If this person answers I should be able to triangulate the signal and tell you where his call came from. If he doesn't answer or a voice mail comes up I can only tell you who his service provider is and you can talk to them."
On the computer screen Logan had a map set up and a wire connecting the phone to the computer. The voicemail message began its usual discourse, "The number you have reached is out of…"
"Damn", Mick breathed.
"Sorry man! But, I can tell you his provider is Verizon".
"Thanks Logan. I'll see you later. Is their anything I can bring you?"
"A pizza guy would be nice".
"Bye Logan!"
Mick and Josef walked out.
Since Ben's death over a year ago work had been piling up in the office under the new boss. Beth tried to keep up, but it was nearly impossible. Today was just another day to put her work on hold as she searched the Centreville Hospital's records for no-shows. The records showed 3 nurses and a doctor out sick. Only one doctor hadn't been heard of all day. Mathew Gibson. Beth picked up her phone and dialed Mick's number. While Beth was waiting for Mick's answer she decided to write down the names of the nurses and doctors who hadn't shown and do additional re-search on them as well.
The line picked up, "Hello?"
"Yeah, Mick! Hey, I got some info on the missing doc's. There are 4 staff members out sick and one hasn't been heard from today. His name is Mathew Gibson. The other 4 staff each reported feeling ill within a few days of each other and had symptoms consisting of paleness, strange small sores, and nausea or headaches when in contact with sunlight or direct-lighting."
"Vampires. Meet me at Josef's office as soon as you can!"
A/N: What did you think of chapter 2? To much information, too little? A character you want to hear more from? Let me know and I'll begin writing Chapter 3!
