Hi, chapter three is all done. I still hope you'll reward me with some reviews. It's been a hectic couple of days for me, so I'm sorry if it isn't that good. Had to study for an important history test, and I absolutely hare history. I'm a complete disaster. Well, on to the story.
Chapter 3 – Don't Go Away
As soon as the elevator stops, I break down as well. The events of the last couple of months finally catching up and the relieve that it's all over now allowing my tears to run free. My sudden outburst also causes four shocked sets of eyes to look in my direction.
'Stell …' I hear Mac say, 'what's going on Stella? We'll get out of here in no time. This isn't the first time this has happened to us, right? It's not such a big deal.'
He gently wraps his arms around me and tries to calm me down. This action, however, only makes me shed more tears. Slowly, Mac positions us on the floor of the elevator car, and moves me so I'm half on his lap, half leaning against his chest. I burry my face against his shoulder as I begin to sob uncontrollably.
X
I cast a glance around the elevator. Catching the eyes of the other men. They look like they have no idea of what's going on with the woman in my arm as well.
'Stell,' I try again, only to have her press her face more against my body.
Don and Sheldon sit down next to me and are also trying to get Stella to talk. Adam, a little unsure of what to do, just sits against the wall opposite us.
I finally feel Stella calming down. Her breath is starting to even out again.
'Sorry,' I hear her mumble when she lifts her head and looks at everybody.
'You don't have to be sorry for anything Stella,' Sheldon assures her as he gently rubs her back.
She sniffs a little and finally locks eyes with me.
'You want to explain what's been going on for the past three months now?' I softly ask.
She nods.
X
Finally I can let people know what my life has been like for the last couple for months. I don't have to hide anything anymore.
After taking another deep breath I start my story. Starting with how I met a guy, Wayne, three months ago at a bar with Jessica. Don's sits up straight immediately, but I quickly assure him that she's fine. That I think she's fine. Mac also sits up straighter, but I'm guessing that's because of something else. I explain that Jess wanted me to find my prince charming, but that Wayne and I agreed we were not gonna start dating. He wasn't looking for a girlfriend and I wasn't ready for a boyfriend. He wasn't my type either. Then I tell them that I met up with Wayne again a couple of days later, because he called and said he wanted to talk with me about some problems he had.
'Why did he call you? I'm sure he has other friends and he barely even knew you' Don immediately interrupts.
'Because he knew I was a detective. He told me he had some problems with the police. He was being accused of something his friend had done. He didn't want to turn in this friend, but he also didn't want to take the blame' I quickly explain. 'He sounded genuine when he called me, so I didn't think he was lying'
Then I go on with my story. I tell them that later that night, when I came home, I found Wayne in my living room threatening me with a knife. Tell them about the insulin shots I've been given these past months to keep me under control. About what he wanted me to do for him, about the elevator that we're now trapped in. When I finally finish it's silent for a couple of minutes. Then everybody starts talking at once.
'Why did he do that?'
'Are you okay?'
'How come you didn't tell us?'
'What was his goal?'
I lock eyes with Mac again, seeking comfort in them, before continuing.
'He told me, the first night I found him in my apartment, that he had to help his friend. David Seymour. Turns out that this guy knocked up his ex girlfriend when she was only sixteen and he was twenty. She decided that she was too young and that it would be irresponsible to take care of a child, so she had an abortion. She told him when it had already happened and that pissed him off. Beat her into a hospital for killing his child. He got arrested for doing this. Years later, when he got out, he was still seeking revenge. He finally tracked her down to New York and started to form a plan. He would keep an eye on her and her new boyfriend and then kill them both. But when he was about to put this plan into motion, he found out that she was pregnant again. And this time she planned on keeping the baby. This infuriated him even more. He lost his child, while this new guy got to keep his. So he made a new plan. After the girl had given birth, he would visit her at the hospital and kill the baby instead. That would destroy her and her boyfriend and that way they had to experience the same thing he had.' I cry.
'Do you know the girls name?'
'Kendall,' I whisper.
'What?' Adam screams, 'he can't do that. Why would you help him do that, Stella. We've got to save her.'
'Hey!'
That didn't catch his attention.
'You helped him. He's gonna kill my daughter, and you helped him with that.'
'Adam!' Mac yelled again, this time with more authority in his voice. 'Stella didn't mean to help them. She must have been forced or something right?' he now looks at me and I nod, 'See, she would never do this to Kendall or to you.'
'Stella?' Don asks, 'what did he tell you to make you do this. To get you so scared that you wouldn't tell anybody?'
'He told me he had some snipers around the lab, some people shadowing me outside and an accomplice inside the lab. I saw the snipers. They freaked me out … and he said he would kill Mac too.'
'Kill me?' Mac asks, 'why me?'
'Because he knew you mean the most to me,' I whisper.
'But why did he want you to trap us in the elevator?'
'I don't know. Maybe he's gonna call or something.'
'…'
At that moment my cell phone comes alive.
'Bonasera,' I answer weakly and put the phone on speaker.
'Hey darling. You did great,' I see Mac's hands turning into fists when he hears Wayne calling me darling, 'I know I said it would all be over after you did this for me, so I assume you told your team members all about me?' I stay silent, 'very well, you don't have to answer that, but I didn't exactly tell you the whole truth. I need you to do one more thing.'
'And what's that?' Mac asks him.
'Ah, detective Taylor, I had a feeling you were listening. I just want her to give me the combination to her locker.'
'What do you have in your locker?' Don whispers to me.
'Ehm, clothes, my purse … my gun.'
'What do you need from her locker?' Mac brutally asks.
'Oh, I don't need anything from her locker. I got my own guns don't you worry about that. No, I need to put something inside her locker'
'And what's that' Don's interrogation voice takes over.
'Well, let's see. I've got detective Taylor's mother and son sitting in the locker room, and I want to place a bomb in my darling's locker. You see, if you try to open that elevator before seven p.m. that bomb will go off. If you just stay in there, nothing will happen, well maybe to Stella, but I have no intention to kill two innocent people'
'My daughter is also innocent' Adam screams into the phone.
'Ah, Mr. Ross' I'm really sorry. Then he hangs up.
'Reed …' I hear Mac mumble.
'I'm so sorry I got you all into this mess' I start to apologize.
'It's not your fault Stella,' Sheldon buts in. Then the doctor in him arises, 'now, how long did you say he held you captive?'
'Three months'
'And how many insulin shots did he give you a day and how long between them?'
'If I had a day tour every morning and early in the evening and if I had the night tour every night before I got to work and then again around noon when I came back'
'And what about food, he gave you enough to eat?'
'He didn't let me eat when I was at home'
'Why did he use insulin?' Don interrupts Sheldon's questioning, 'I mean, that's not very common to use with a hostage situation'
'Because Stella is a diabetic' Mac answers for me, 'he probably knew that'
'Dammit Stella. That's why he just said that you might get hurt if we sit in this elevator long enough. We need to get you to a hospital'
'No!' I respond.
'What? Stell, someone needs to check you out'
'Not before seven, I've been fine the last three months, I'll be fine another three hours'
'Will you then allow me to …'
I cut Sheldon off, 'do what you need to do' I don't need to hear him say it.
'Alright, Stella will you lay down for me and tell me where he inserted the insulin' Sheldon begins his examination.
As I move myself from Mac's arms and turn to lay down he gently guides my head in his lap. A tear escapes my eye as he strokes some curls from my face.
'He mostly poked into my belly,' I softly tell Sheldon, 'but when he was angry or in a hurry he would insert the insulin in my thigh. That only happened a couple of times at night when I was wearing a nightgown. He would have to stay up all night to wait for me, but he was not an evening person so sometimes he got frustrated then'
'Can I lift your shirt up a bit?'
'Sure'
Gently, Sheldon grabs the hem of the sweater I'm wearing and lifts it up till right under my breasts. I can hear the gasps that escape my coworkers mouths. I can even see Mac's eyes watering as he looks down on my body.
I know it's bad, but I've seen it every day. This is new for them to see me like this, so I'm not surprised by their reaction to the sight of my body.
'Stell, this is not healthy' Don speaks up.
'Do you think I don't know that Don' I snap but quickly apologize.
'No, I'm sorry Stell, it's not your fault. I'll make myself useful, try calling Danny. Get him to the hospital to stop Wayne or Seymour. Hey Stell, do you know the names of the snipers or accomplice in the lab?'
'Well, I tried to do some research, but I was afraid they were gonna find out, so I don't have much. But the names of the snipers are Sven Oleg and Rob Fischer. Now Rob was married to Jennifer who was Kendall's replacement, so I'm thinking she's the insider, could also be just a coincidence. They got divorced two years ago, so maybe she has nothing to do with all of this. Now as for the three followers, I believe their names are Charlie McManon, Marwan Amir and Morris DeVries. I don't know anything about them or why they're helping Wayne and Seymour. Hell, I don't even know how these two know each other'
'It's okay. That you know their names is a lot Stell' Mac tried to calm me down.
I nod and put my head back in his lap. In the mean time Sheldon is still examining my body. He's carefully looking at all the needle marks that mark my body. Some of them old, but still visible, and some of them fresh. I close my eyes and try to get my breathing under control. It's been an hour since we got trapped in the elevator and normally Wayne would have given me my shot somewhere in the next half hour. I know my body is counting on that and I also know that I may not survive the next two hours inside the elevator.
'Hey Danny, it's Don. Do me a favor and go to the hospital right away. Someone is going to hurt or kill Kendall her baby. They're possibly gonna hurt her too, so take someone with you. I'll send some uniforms to the hospital as well, but I also want you there. We don't know for sure if we can trust everybody' Don quickly explains as soon as Danny picks up his phone.
It's silent for a couple of minutes, before Don makes another call.
'Hey Angell. Can you come to the crime lab right now? We've got a possible hostage situation in the locker room. Two people inside and a bomb in one of the lockers. Try to get the people out or dismantle the bomb will ya?' Don slightly begs, 'and be careful'
X
'Thanks Don' I whisper.
Thank god Don is able to remain sort of calm in this situation. We sit in silence for the next ten minutes. Sheldon finished his examination a couple of minutes ago, but can't do anything to treat Stella right now. We have nothing sort of food with us. Assuming Stella would drive us to the crime scene. We just have to wait 'till we can get out of here. Yeah, easier said than done. If we get out of here before seven, my son and mother die. And if we don't get to the hospital in time, Adam's family dies. Suddenly something dawns on me.
'Stell?' I ask, 'when I came to your apartment last night, Wayne was there as well right?'
She nods.
'Was that the reason you wouldn't let me in last night?'
Again she just nods.
'Did you get into trouble because of me that night?'
This time she shakes her head and I'm instantly relieved. Suddenly I was afraid he would rape Stella or something. But he could have done that before yesterday evening…
'Did he do something else to you, than the insulin shots I mean, in the last three months?' I softly ask. So soft in fact, that only Stella heard my question.
And this time when she nods I can feel my heart break into tiny pieces. I don't have to ask her what that other thing was. I close my eyes and pull her further against my body. We sit like that for the remaining hour, but when clock hits six I can feel Stella starting to shake. As I look down on the woman in my arms I notice her eyes are closed and her hands are clenched into fists.
'Hawkes' I immediately yell, 'what's happening with her.
'Her body need the insulin. Normally Wayne would have given her a shot by now, so her body is depending on them'
Hawkes crouches down next to Stella to take her pulse.
'Anything we can do?'
'Unless you've got something sweet in your pocket, no'
After five minutes of shaking, Stella calms down a bit again and opens her eyes.
'What's gonna happen if she doesn't get the shot in time Sheldon?' Don asks, panic written over his face.
'She can slip into a coma …' Sheldon starts.
'… then I die' Stella finishes for him.
I let out a shaky breath and pull Stella back into my arms. 'You're not gonna die today Stell' I whisper in her ear, 'you're gonna live a long and happy life, you hear me. You can't leave me alone'
'How long 'till we can get out of here?' Adam asks.
'45 minutes' Don answers after he checks his watch.
'You hear that Stell? 45 minutes. You just have to hang in there 45 minutes longer' Sheldon gently tells her.
She nods and closes her eyes again.
'No! don't close your eyes Stell. I need you to keep looking at me' I panic.
I can see she's fighting to keep her eyes open, but can't help but smile when I see those beautiful green orbs looking at me again.
'That's it Stell. You're doing great'
I try to keep talking to Stella keeping her awake ten minutes longer by doing so, but then she can no longer keep her eyes locked with mine.
'EMT's standing outside for when we get out of here. Adam can ride with them' Sheldon suddenly announces, apparently he contacted the hospital while I was busy trying keeping Stella awake.
'Thanks Hawkes,' Adam starts, 'I appreciate it and … guys? Stella! Why is she bleeding? This is not happening. Please?'
I look down at Stella again and indeed, I see a pool of blood forming between her legs.
'Dammit' I can hear Hawkes mutter, but I'm not picking up much else. This is not suppose to happen. Not to Stella, the woman I love. I lost the love of my life once, I will not let that happen again.
X
'Stella'
'Stell?'
'Open your eyes, okay'
Slowly I blink a couple of times and see two frantic faces hovering above me. I notice Adam crying in one corner and Don trying to calm him. What happened. Did someone call with bad news? Oh God, please don't let that be true. Let Kendall and her baby be okay, please?
Then I feel this pain rippling through my body and can't help but scream out. Wrapping my arms around my midsection. I can feel some wetness between my legs and a shock goes through my body this time. No…
'Sheldon, why is she bleeding?' I hear Don ask, 'please, doc'
'I don't know Don,' Sheldon responds, almost panicking himself, 'this is just not good. Combined with her low blood sugar, internal bleedings can be fatal. We have to get her out. Now!'
'No. Sheldon, please. Don't' I beg him.
I look at Mac and beg him with my eyes to tell them the truth, 'cause I know I'll just fall apart if I have to get the words over my lips right now. He must have guessed what else Wayne had done to me when he asked earlier and now is the time to figure out what led from that one night.
'She eh … she,' Mac is having difficulties telling the team, 'she was pregnant?'
It comes out as a rather embarrassed question, and he looks at me for confirmation. I just nod.
'He … Wayne raped her one night. I don't know when, but she's having a miscarriage' Mac is sobbing now and pulls me in his lap again. I rest my head against his shoulder and let my tears fall as well.
Then I black out completely …
X
I can feel Stella's body going limb in my arms. And at the same time I feel the elevator car moving a bit. Please, this would be the perfect timing to start moving again. I look at my watch and see it's not seven p.m. yet. Did they get my mother and Reed out of the building safely? Is that why we can move already? Then Don's phone rings again.
'Flack' Don answers, 'Great. Yes. Paramedics ready? Okay, see you in a few'
He then turns to me, 'They got Reed and your mother out safely. They're already on their way to Queen of Mercy to be checked out, don't worry too much about it, 'cause Jess just told me your mom is just as stubborn as you are. She refused to go without seeing if you were okay. Because of Reed, she went with the paramedics. There's also a second bus ready to take Stell, Adam and yourself there. Hawkes and I will take my car and meet you all there'
'Did she tell you something about Kendall?' Adam asks.
'She hadn't contacted Danny yet. But if he hadn't called by now, I'm sure everything is fine' Don places a hand on his shoulder.
Suddenly the elevator continues his way down to the main floor. I pick Stella up in my arms and stand up. So does the rest. When the doors open I rush out. I spot the bus on the street and race towards them. They meet me halfway with a stretcher and I gently put Stella down on it. The paramedics then roll her into the ambulance and I jump in next to her. Adam gets in as well and then we're off to the hospital.
Stella is immediately given a shot of whatever and one of the medics starts an IV. I don't know what it's all for, so I just hold her hand and pray we're in time to save her life. As I look to my right, I see Adam fiddling with his cell phone. Waiting for a call from Danny, to tell him everything is going to be fine.
TO BE CONTINUED…
Dum Dum Dum Dum… Oooh… Cliffy. Sorry to end here, but I want still don't know what will happen to that baby. I don't know if I can update soon, I have a lot of important test the next couple of weeks. Have to study.
Bye Bye
