Forgetting Jane (9 page)

With her lids closed, Jane focused on the chief’s face, hoping that would lighten the pain. Instead his image smeared into black. Another picture replaced it.

Like a slow moving movie projector playing in her head, she tried to turn it off. Nothing helped. They played out anyway.

A young girl stood in the middle of a golden field. In the distance were others, but she couldn’t see their faces clearly. A small marshy lake was to her right. She was a pretty little thing. Her long chestnut colored hair was carried by the playful wind. Her bright yellow sundress rippled with every spin she took. The warm and innocent smile on her face made Jane smile.

Jane asked for the girl’s name.

“You know my name, silly. It’s Jane.”

The spinning stopped and the girl’s smile faded into something ugly. Her body contorted and hair melted into a hideous green slimly mess. The yellow dress changed to dark faded green and black hues.

The warm sun disappeared—replaced by shadows and cold. The smell of spoiled earth suffocated Jane.

Jane kept repeating.
It’s only a dream. Open your eyes,
dammit
. She tried to open up her eyes but they stayed glued shut. Her heart raced so fast that she hyperventilated. Strangled breaths caught at her sore throat. A scream lodged in Jane’s throat but wouldn’t come out.

As the grotesque figure moved forward—arms out, calling out for help. Jane stared down into her sunken eyes and saw death.             

With all the strength Jane had, she forced open her eyes and bolted up from the bed.

Tears trailed down her face. She sucked in large ragged breaths to calm her pounding heart. Both her arms shook as she held onto the rail in a death grip, while she attempted to erase the haunting image from her thoughts.

She laid back down and yelled out, “Why me? Why are you doing this to me?”

Jane covered her head with the sheet. She didn’t want to see the colors of morning anymore. She thought she had woken up to a new and brighter day. She was horribly wrong.

D
ressed in his regular clothes, he slipped into Jane’s room. If he got caught (which he wouldn’t) he would use the excuse that he was checking up on her. He waited all day to see her. Anxious.

He jammed the chair under the door handle and sauntered over to her bed. Jane’s chest rose and fell in an even flow—the opposite of his adrenaline-swamped body.

Coming into the hospital in the middle of the night wasn’t a big risk, but still a risk. The price of playing this game was worth it. He took pleasure to a whole new level. And with Jane, euphoria was his to gain. Besides the pleasure for himself, the satisfaction of revenge encouraged him to steal her away sooner than later.

Aww
. When he buried her body, he’d make sure she posed like how she was found the first time. That would fuel the carnage in the chief’s ass. He wanted to enjoy the aftermath her death caused.

The thrill to see his victims, but Jane doubled his pleasure.

The image of Jane naked and spread-eagled gave him an endorphin rush. Like a flu virus, it spread through his system. He became dizzy. He wanted to bite her, but that would leave defined marks. He clamped his teeth shut and waited for the shivers to end.

He loomed over Jane and studied the gentle play of her long lashes against her smooth cheeks. Her lips were full and bitable. He wanted to lick the scar from a scabbed tear at the corner of her mouth.

If he had taken his time before, he would have enjoyed her to the fullest and then discarded her properly.
Fool.
But he realized he had a second chance to finish what he started.

The way she screamed and clawed back had brought him to a new level of euphoria. He hoped to capture that rush again. The only obstacle that stood in his way was the damn chief. Eli wasn’t much of cop. Fooling him was easy. Taking Jane from under his nose would be like stealing candy from a baby.

Jane whimpered—her hands balled into fists to her chest. Even in her dreams, she fought. He loved that about her. Was she dreaming of him? He hoped she thought of him often.

The wrist and ankle restraints had been left loose on the bed. His smile grew wide as he touched the sprigs of hair that popped out of her bandage. “Oh, there is a God.”

He pulled clear rubber gloves out of his pocket and put them on. Leaving fingerprints would only lead to his identity and that would be bad.

Carefully, he took a capped syringe out of his other pocket. He’d stolen it off of a tray in the dispensing room.

After taking off the cap, he poked the needle into the IV outlet in her arm.
A little morphine will do the trick
.

Jane’s breathing slowed and her body turned limp. Her hands fell loose to her sides. He’d given her enough to slow her reaction down if she woke, but not enough to kill her.             

As the drug coursed through her system, he took each of her limbs and strapped them into the tightest loophole of the restraints. Her hands and feet turned red from the constriction.

Next, he yanked out the IV and placed it between her legs. The liquid and blood from her arm saturated the thin blanket and sheets. He stripped them away and proceeded to tear her blue gown down the middle, exposing her bruised flesh. The small sharp knife he used tore through the garment easily. His mother had given it to him when he was a boy. It was the first tool he learned to use.

With each exhaled breath, his nipples perked tight. To touch her without gloves would have driven him over the edge. To feel her pale skin on his and taste the fear on her sweet lips would have made him cum right there—but he was there to play, tease, not kill or get caught.

Jane’s small breasts drew tight into peaks. He couldn’t resist and pulled at her nipples. They turned red from his abuse. “Oh, what fun I want to have with you,” he said in a sweet whisper.

Just for me
. He licked at the corner of his mouth. Rapture gripped his cock like a fisted hand. With every caress of her skin, the tighter the pull on his ball sack. He felt the compulsion to jack off all over her. Leaving his DNA was a big no-no. He had no worries about his pubic hair either. He shaved clean every single hair on his body.

He pulled a wrapped condom out of his back pocket and placed it on Jane’s leg. The rigidness in his pants made him hurry.

It wasn’t his intention to pleasure himself, but he couldn’t resist. He pulled the front of his pants down and freed his dick. He yanked at his shaft from his scarred head to the tight balls—the gloves gave him more friction. He shivered from the single jerk.
It has been too long.

As his right hand hammered, he trailed his index finger down to Jane’s triangle of hair. He stopped at the folds of her opening. He wished she felt the power of him entering her. Stretching out her dry hole like the whore she was made his cock harder.

If the chief walked in and saw how he had Jane… the shock and outrage on Eli’s face was worth the risk of being caught.

He gave himself another jack of his cock before he slid his fingers hard into her. Dry, tight, the way he liked his women. Jane turned her head and let out a slight moan. He yanked his fingers out immediately. He wasn’t there to pleasure her.

He picked up the condom and ripped it open with his teeth. After shoving the purple foil back into his pocket, he covered his dick with even pressure placed on every inch of his flesh.

The zipper of his pants rode up against his sack, cutting into his thin skin.

Looking down at his dick, he yanked the rubber off and placed it on her stomach. It was dangerous without protection, he’d been told of this many times. Like a repeating parrot, but he took care of that problem months ago. The risk of exposure definitely added to his excitement. He’d been trapped in a rut for a while. He needed this. Needed Jane.

As he squeezed his scarred shaft, a drop of essence pearled on top. He wiped it off with his finger and licked it. The rapture of the moment quickly rose high. He gripped his dick tighter and jerked until he nearly came. With each hard yank, he felt less and less in control.

He wrenched his hand away right before he ejaculated. He threw his head back, closed his eyes and took deep breaths. He hated losing control. He would punish himself later for it.

As he tried to regain his composure, his dick pulsed for relief. He took in another breath when he noticed Eli’s card in Jane’s hand. Why didn’t he see it before? Jane clutched the card as though it was her lifeline.
I don’t think so.
             

Rage coursed through him. He wanted to plunge his knife into her chest. The need to punish her clawed his senses. Instead, he bit hard on the inside of his cheek to stop himself from using his knife.

He sucked in a breath through his clenched teeth. He pulled his pants up, took out a clear snack bag from his back pocket. He grabbed the condom off her stomach and dropped it in the bag. He shoved it back into his pants.

Still seething about the card, he wrenched it out of her hand. He looked at it for a quick second—then ripped it into small pieces and scattered them over her.
I wonder what that bastard’s going to think about this?

Jane’s eyes fluttered open. He paused and watched. Her movements were slow and lethargic. The haze of the morphine still coursed through her system. He knew he didn’t have much time left.

Right after he zipped his fly, he grabbed Jane’s jaw firmly and whispered, “You belong to me. Remember that.” Her eyes fluttered opened. He let go of her face and took a small old knife out of his pocket.

With precision, he sliced at her limbs in thin lines. Twice on the left arm and once on the right and a couple on each leg. He did it the way he’d been taught—not too deep. His mother had made him repeat it over and over until he got it right. She would be proud.

Like a gentle lover, he kissed Jane’s lips. He reclaimed her, just as before.

After placing the chair back against the wall, he was satisfied how his message would be conveyed. He chuckled. His edict was clear and easily read. If he timed it right, the nurse should arrive at any moment.

After stepping into the empty room next to Jane’s, he stood behind the curtain and waited.

The clop of shoes signaled him to still. The night nurse walked past.
Right on time
.

He wouldn’t have minded a bit of that cherry pie.

The redheaded nurse went into Jane’s room. A loud cry of horror echoed off the walls. The nurse raced out of the room yelling for help. He leaned his head and smiled with gratification.

Immediately after, the sound of Jane’s screams filtered out to the hall. Laughter filled him as he imagined her struggle with the straps.

As the medical personnel charged into Jane’s room, it was his cue to leave. He slipped out unnoticed and down the hall toward the back stairwell and out of sight.

W
hen Eli got the call from Jane’s nurse, he scrambled out of bed so fast he almost fell on his face.

He called Tom right away. “I don’t give a shit what time it is, Deputy!” Eli yelled into the cell phone. “Get your ass to the hospital now.” He slapped the phone closed, shoved his clothes on, slapped his ball cap on his head and barreled out of the house.

Eli charged down the road with lights and siren blaring. While he passed the station, he saw one of his officer’s squad cars. Eli radioed Ryan to meet him on the main entryway of the hospital.

Once arrived, he met with two security guards by the main doors. He instructed the men to guard the front and emergency entrance. “I don’t want anyone leaving without my permission.”

Ryan showed soon after. Eli had the officer secure the first floor while he went to the second.

Eli ignored the elevator and took the back stairwell two at a time to the second floor. As he opened the metal door, he ripped off his baseball cap and wiped the sweat off his forehead with his forearm. The heat in the stairwell was suffocating, even in the middle of winter.

To his surprise, Magda was at the end of the hallway. She stood outside of Jane’s room, worry etched on her face as plain as day.

“What are you doing here?” He hurried past her, into the room and rushed back out. “Where’s Jane?”

“We had to move her. This way,” Magda said as she led him down the hall. “I told Mary to call me if something happened. They moved her to room 211. She’s placid now. The doctor had to give her a sedative to calm her down. No one touched her without gloves. They also swabbed for DNA too.”

“Okay, that’s good.” He shook his head. “Why don’t you head back home. There’s no sense in you being here.”

He took another step before he heard the crackle in Magda’s voice. “Elias, I promised Jane that if she needs me, I’ll be here. I’m here for her and I’m staying until I know she’s all right.”

“I can’t tell you what to do—I never could,” Eli said looking back at the woman. “But
I
will
not
allow
you
to risk your life. This guy might still be around here and I won’t take that chance,” he implored. He had to turn away from her before he grabbed her arm and dragged her out of that hospital.

He’d never shown any aggression toward Magda. But he needed her to understand; her life could be in danger too. He’d shout at her to the rooftops of the hospital if it made her realize how dangerous the situation really was.

She stood her ground and said nothing to him.

Eli caved. “Okay, stay with her. I’m doing a complete sweep of the hospital and talk to the third floor personnel. Don’t let anyone else come into the room.”

“All right. But do you really think this person is still here?” Magda’s brows knit in worry. She rubbed at her upper arms. “What about the staff?”

“I don’t want anyone in here, unless they have to be. Everyone is a suspect.” Eli walked away, Magda trailing him.

“Elias.” She pulled him to a stop. “Be careful.” Her voice cracked.

“Don’t worry,” he said, then strode down the hall.

It took Eli a while to scour each floor with the help of a few orderlies. He even checked the morgue, down in the basement. He wanted to know where all the exits and cameras were located.

Eli radioed Ryan. “Gather what information you have and meet me in Jane’s old room.”

“10-4,” Ryan chirped.

The bloody sheets on the bed stood out in the white room. Aside from the bed and the privacy curtain, the room was sparse. All the machinery was pulled out; nothing was visible on the floor or in the garbage can.

The room felt strange. The walls, curtains and vertical blinds were so sterile white. Even the air in the room smelled off. It made his adrenaline rise, and his stomach ached as though it was churning barbed wire.

Eli circled the room slowly. Nothing was out of place but Jane’s blood. The color pushed his urgency almost over the edge. He’d contemplated on calling in the State police but he reined in his compulsion. He had to handle this.

He blamed himself for not protecting Jane. Assuming Jane was safe there was a shallow belief, even naive. She could have been killed. What bothered Eli the most as he stared down at the blood was that the son-of-a-bitch had had the opportunity to kill her. Why didn’t he?

Eli had to walk away. He entered Jane’s new room. His heart pounded hard against his ribcage as he watched the stuttered breath from her. Magda and another nurse stood on the other side of Jane’s bed.

Magda stepped forward. “Is it safe?” Her face showed her fear, creased in every wrinkle.

“I believe so.”

“Okay then. I need to use the lady’s room. I’ll be right back.” Magda walked out, which left him with the

redheaded nurse.

Stress and anxiety brimmed to the top as he stepped closer to her. He hadn’t been able to take a normal breath from the time his cell phone went off.

Eli saw Jane’s face and exhaled with relief. Everything seemed the same, but it wasn’t. That bastard snuck into her room and pretty much violated her.

After the redheaded nurse adjusted Jane’s IV, she turned around and walked over to him. She was about to say something, but Eli pointed toward the hall and the nurse agreed and followed him out.

“I’m Bridget,” she said, introducing herself with an arc of a brow. “I’m the one who found her.” She handed him a small bag with ripped-up paper inside.

“What’s this?” he asked while he examined the contents of the bag.

“I found the pieces scattered across her body,” Bridget replied, then totally changed the topic. “Are you and Caroline really dating? She’s telling—”

Eli cut her off. “Did you see anything before or after you found Jane?” he asked, ignoring the loaded question. He took out his notepad from his front pocket of his coat and replaced it with the baggy.

Bridget hesitated for a second before answering. “Nothing strange beforehand. I went about my usual rounds. Jane’s my last patient I looked into. I came into the room and found her strapped in with cut marks on her arms and legs,” the nurse said. “I called the staff and then called you.”

“Anything else?”

“No.”

“Please don’t leave. I might have further questions for you.”

The nurse nodded, “I have an hour before my shift ends if you need to talk to me.” Bridget half smiled at him, then left the room.

Of all the crap that was going on—maybe he should wear a sign that read “NOT AVAILABLE,” then maybe... But Magda always said,
it never mattered to these nurses
, and he believed his efforts would be for nothing.

Now, where in the hell is Tom?
Let him wrangle in all the nurses.

Eli pulled out the baggy and took a better look at the bits of paper. He knew immediately that it was his card.
Son of a bitch.
Hands down, this bastard was playing some sick game and Jane was his pawn. Plain and simple, it was a message—but to whom, Jane or him?

The wrenching pain in his gut hadn’t subsided. His temples ached in hard rhythm; Eli rubbed one side in a circle pattern to ease the tension. Once Eli crammed the bag back into his coat pocket, he walked back into the room.

Watching the subtle twitch of Jane’s eyelids, Eli couldn’t help the unease coursing through his blood. She was safe, but for how long?

Jane’s tranquil state turned fitful, more restless. The way her hands balled into fists, it was as though she was fighting demons. He wished he could help her ease away her nightmares. All he did was sit down next to her and touch her gripped hand.

With his head forward, like in a prayer, “I won’t let that bastard get near you again. I promise,” he choked out.

Magda surprised him by touching his shoulder. In a flash, he grabbed her by the arm and cocked back his right hand.

She let out a yelp and he instantly released her. “Magda, don’t surprise me like that,” he said. “Sorry.”

She rubbed her arm and stood back from him. “It’s all right. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Did I hurt you?” He got up.

“I’m good.” She walked around to the other side of the bed. “Jane’s strong. She’ll be fine.”

“I know. It’s just—I’m angry at myself for not having someone here watching her.” He sat back down and touched the bandages on her arm. “How are the cuts—were they deep?”

“Her arms are deeper than her legs,” Magda explained.

“I want to see them.”

“Are you sure?”

He nodded.

Magda undressed the IV arm and lifted the patch of gauze that covered the wounds.

Eli’s jaw hurt from him clenching his teeth. “That son of a bitch—This is for me.”

“Are you sure, Elias?” Magda’s brow furrowed deep.

“I’m positive.” Eli’s gut twisted even tighter at that acknowledgement. “He’s telling me that he can get to Jane anytime. That is why he didn’t kill her. He wants to make this a game.”

“Who is this crazed person?”

“I don’t know, but it has to be somebody local—someone who could slip in and out without notice and would know all the exits. And, someone who would least likely be a killer—that would be the only way come inside this hospital unnoticed.” Drunk or sober, Eli’s instincts were never wrong.

The hospital was no longer safe. Eli’s only solution was to move Jane. And there was only one place he could take her, where no one would ever know to look.

“What do you want me to do?” Magda asked.

“Stay with her. I’m going back to the old room and wait for Tom. If she wakes and remembers anything, get me.”

Magda nodded without saying a word.

Eli walked into the room with a fresh perspective. Nothing jumped out at him, except for the blood. He stared out the window for a second and noticed the dawn lining the horizon. In the reflection of the glass, Tom stumbled in. The deputy’s pajama shirt was partially tucked into his unzipped jeans. His short cropped blondish grey hair flattened to one side and porcupined out on the other.

The smell of beer and something slightly harder filled Eli’s nostrils. He wrinkled his nose and gave Tom a severe frowned. “It’s about damn time you showed up. What the hell took you so long?”

“It’s supposed to be my night off, remember? I had to sober up a bit before I drove here. Do you want me to get a ticket?” Tom said with a grin.

“You’re not funny.” Eli shook his head. “Got your gear?”

Tom lifted the black case and looked around the room. “There’s nothing here.” He placed the case down on the tray table and scratched the back of his neck. “Where do you want me to start?”

“The bed,” Eli said.

“I’ll cut out some blood samples from Jane’s sheets.” Tom bent over and popped open the case. He grabbed a couple of gloves and snapped them on. “Then I’ll go over the room for fingerprints. How’s she doing?”

“They have her secured.” He rubbed at his jaw in agitation. “Dammit.”

“Relax. You aren’t helping anyone by losing it,” Tom conveyed with conviction.

“I’ve already lost it, Tom. To know the bastard was so close. He could have killed her. Instead, he slashed her up—just to prove a point,” Eli spat out. He pulled out the small bag and handed it to his deputy.

“What’s this?” Tom took the bag and examined the contents.

“My card. One of the nurses found it scattered over Jane’s body,” Eli said and then pointed to the baggy. “This was a message to me, I know it.”

“This guy is playing some sick, twisted mind game,” Tom said, handing the bag back to Eli.

“Twisted or not, I know the next time, Jane’s dead.”

Tom shook his head. “Don’t think that. It might be a fluke he slipped in.” He took out a plastic bag and scissors. He pulled at the bloodied sheets and began cutting pieces out.

Eli paced the room, stopping every few seconds and staring at the deputy. “I don’t think so.”

“Eli, will you stop. You’re getting me dizzy,” Tom said, wiping his forehead.

“We’ve got to move her.”

Tom stop in mid-cut. “Where? We don’t have a safe house around here. Unless you want to bring in State cops. They take over this case and Jane will definitely be moved. And you’ll be out of it. Is that what you want? I know we can catch this S.O.B. without those yahoos interfering,” Tom expelled a breath. He scratched at his head and shrugged. “But, it’s your call.”

“We have to finish it. It’s our case,” Eli said with surety. Moving Jane was his first priority. There was no other choice. But how to do it without anyone’s knowledge—that was his challenge.

Tom returned his focus to collecting evidence and finished cutting pieces of the bloodied sheet. He placed the cut material in the bag and marked it. “I’m done with the blood samples. I’ll do a sweep for fingerprints and anything else that might be viable as a clue.”

“After you’re done here, check the security feeds. You have a better eye than Ryan. Maybe the cameras caught him coming in or out of the hospital.”