Lorana Hoopes

Chapter 1 - Garrett

His eyes were open. He could swear they were, but nothing made sense. It was too dark for one thing. They say black is the absence of color and that’s what this room was - absent of color, of light, of everything.

This certainly wasn’t his room. In his bedroom, there was a large window. One he’d had to cover with dark curtains because it not only faced east and the sun would wake him up too early but also due to his crazy work hours. Most days he worked a day shift - eight to four or nine to five, but occasionally he had to cover the night shift which meant recouping sleep during the day, and that required a darkish room. Stil, even with the dark curtains his room was never this dark which meant either there was no window in this room or if there was one it was blacked out or walled up or something. Neither of those options elicited a warm fuzzy feeling.

It was also cold in here - too cold. The kind of cold that chilled all the way to his bones. He liked it cold at night so he could burrow down under his downy comforter. But his kind of cold was sixty-eight, sixty-five at the lowest, and this place felt much colder than that. Plus, he didn’t have his comforter nor did he have his bed. His hands patted the space around him, but it was hard and cold and definitely not his bed. His bed was a pillow top mattress. It was soft and comfortable, the kind you could sink into. It was the only kind he could sleep on anymore.Years of playing sports when he was younger had thrown his back out of shape and now he couldn’t sleep on hard things - floors, mattresses, cots. Yet this was hard and solid. Concrete?

But why would he be on concrete? There was probably concrete under the carpet at home, but the only bare floor was in the kitchen which was covered in hardwood and the bathroom which sported a linoleum floor. He supposed the garage had cement? But why would he be in the garage? He sniffed the air. There was a musty scent, but it didn’t smell like the lingering scent of gasoline that perpetually hung in the garage. But he had been home, hadn’t he?

Although now that he thought about it, he didn’t think he had been at home. At least, that wasn’t the last place he had been. The last place he remembered was the hospital parking lot. He had climbed out of the truck and locked his door. There was plenty of concrete at the hospital, but not in the on-call rooms where doctors could sleep. And he hadn’t been tired. He’d just been starting the shift, right?

He strained to remember. Why was it so fuzzy? There’d been the car, the sound of it locking, the feel of the pavement under his feet, and then there’d been…. The rest was hazy and he fought to push the mist away so that he could remember what happened. There had been a noise and then a sharp stinging sensation. Oh my gosh, had he been drugged?

The need to bolt upright, to race out of there coursed through his body, but with no idea what was around him, he knew that was a bad idea. What if there was a low ceiling above him and he shot up, banging his head and knocking himself out? Somehow, he doubted anyone would be arriving with medical help, and if he wanted a chance to escape this place, wherever it was, he needed to be in peak performance. So, he lifted his hands cautiously, feeling around. Nothing appeared to be directly above his head, so he pushed himself into a seated position. His feet landed on a floor of some kind, but he couldn’t quite tell exactly what it was, so he shuffled them back and forth, hoping for some kind of clue. There was no need to close his eyes due to the utter darkness of the room, but he did it anyway, hoping to focus on the sounds and the feel. A soft swish reached his ears, but it didn’t sound like feet on dirt. Nor did a scent accompany it. So there was a floor. Wood? More concrete?

Holding his hands out to the sides in all directions, he tried to ignore the feeling of vertigo in the inky blackness. He could feel a wall behind him. It was also solid and cool so most likely concrete. Shifting his hands to lift over his head, he slowly stood. Nothing. So the ceiling was at least seven feet. He bounced his knees a little to try and determine the construction of the floor. There wasn’t much give which made him think it was also concrete, but it could have been a hard wood. It didn’t really matter. What mattered was figuring out how to get out of this room.

With his hands in front of him, he shuffled forward until he touched the wall again. He decided to start to the left. His fingers brushed lightly over the scratchy surface of the concrete wall, but they didn't encounter anything and neither did his feet.

After a few more steps, his left foot hit something solid. His hand did a moment later. Another wall. Shifting slightly, he followed this one as well. He tried counting the steps but it was hard to focus. Then the feeling beneath his fingers changed. A door perhaps? He moved his hands up and down this new surface and almost cried with relief when he felt the familiar shapes of hinges. Thank goodness. If there was a door, then there was a way out.

He continued to feel the door, and the relief built when he reached the metal handle, but it was short-lived. Though he tried both directions, the door would not budge. It must be locked from the other side.

With a sigh, he finished the exploration of the room. There was nothing else. At least not along the walls. He supposed there could be something along the floor, but he was reluctant to get down on all fours and crawl across it. If only he could see more. Suddenly a memory from childhood popped into his mind. He and his brother Clay had been playing hide and seek, but he’d been afraid to hide in the dark closet where he couldn’t see anything. Clay had told him that if he closed his eyes for ten seconds and then opened them, he would be able to see. Though he couldn’t remember if it worked then, he figured it was worth a shot now.

Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes counting slowly to ten. When he opened them again, he glanced around. There wasn’t much to see but for a few seconds, things were clearer. The “bed” he woke up on was nothing more than a concrete shelf. There was some contraption near the middle of the room that might be a bucket, but there was nothing else.

Where was he? And who had done this? He was not the type to blow his own horn, at least not anymore, but he was generally a well-liked man. Especially by women. He was not blind to the fact that women found him attractive. And okay, in his past, he had dated a lot of women, but he had only dated one since arriving in Fire Beach, and even that was pretty recent. Plus, he’d made sure she didn’t have a boyfriend or husband. Doing that once had been enough. The man had slugged him, which he’d deserved, though to be fair the woman had never told him she wasn’t single. Still, he’d considered the man’s anger justified - that had been the day he’d decided to turn his life around - turn back to God and put Him back in control. He’d left town to make a fresh start, and while the man could still be angry enough to want to punish him more, kidnapping seemed a little extreme.

So… maybe a jilted woman? He had never classified himself as a player - more like a man in search of the right woman. But… he had kissed a lot of women in his past - He’d thought that was the best way to find out if they were the one for him until Carrie… and while he realized now that probably hadn’t been the smartest move, he had never slept with any of the women and he’d always been upfront that he wasn’t interested in anything serious unless he felt it. So, an angry woman seemed unlikely. Plus, to be a jilted woman it would have to be someone from his past who would have had to follow him to Fire Beach. Besides, while he was not what you’d call a gym rat (though only because he didn’t always have time), he was not exactly small, so a woman would have a hard time overpowering him. No, it had to be something different.

Maybe he was overthinking this. Maybe it was something as simple as someone who knew he was a doctor and thought he would have the ability to pay. Of course that would limit the pool as he’d only been in Fire Beach a few weeks, but he didn’t have much money anyway. Yes, he was a doctor, but he was just starting his career and he had about a million dollars in medical school loans that had to be paid off. Plus, he sent money back to his sister in England regularly to help with their aging parents, so there wasn’t much money just lying around.

Garrett made his way back to the concrete slab and sat down. It was time to pray. Before he came to Fire Beach, he had thought the idea of a relationship with God was weird. A relationship involved give and take, but praying to God was one-sided or at least it had seemed that way to him. However, he’d felt a peace when he prayed then and he hoped for a similar feeling now. He definitely needed God to take the wheel now.

His eyes closed though there was certainly no need in this darkness. “Lord, I need help. I don’t why I’m here or who brought me here, but please don’t let this be the end for me. Give me wisdom to know what to do and give wisdom to those outside looking for me so they can find me.” He paused for a minute waiting for more words to come to mind, but there was nothing else to say, and he figured if God was all knowing then He would hear even his silence.

Garrett had no idea how long he’d been gone, but he did know Yolanda would be going nuts when he didn’t show up for shift. There was no doubt in his mind she would call his cell, then his home, and when she couldn’t reach him, she would send someone to his house. That was one thing he loved about her Southern spitfire spirit. Though he hadn’t worked there long, he hoped she knew him well enough to know he wouldn’t just skip work because if she thought that, it might be hours before anyone reported him gone. But there was always Renee. She would know he wasn’t flaking, but would Yolanda listen to her. He didn’t know what Yolanda’s issue with Renee was but there was something off between the two. Still, Renee would go to Clay if Yolanda didn’t listen. He knew she would. He just hoped the authorities didn’t take too long to start looking for him because he had no idea if his captive planned to feed him. But what if there were no clues to his disappearance? What if Clay knew he was gone but had no way to look for him? If Garrett didn’t know who’d done this, wouldn’t that make it even harder for Clay or any other cop?

“Lord, please help them. Let there be some clues or a sign or something.” Though he had no idea what else to pray for, he kept his eyes closed, hoping to hear something back from God or to feel the peace he’d felt when he’d prayed about taking the job in Fire Beach.

Suddenly a grating sound of metal filled the air and Garrett’s eyes shot open. He hoped it was the door opening and he moved softly toward it. He didn’t know what was on the other side, but he’d take his chance and rush the person if he could.

A tiny sliver of light crept into the room, but it was not from the door. At least not from the door in its entirety. Instead, it came from a small square opening at the bottom that he hadn’t noticed in his examination in the dark.

A tray appeared and was pushed through. It held a plate with what looked like a sandwich and a cup in the dim light. Then the door of the square began to close.

“Wait,” he called desperately as he crouched down by the square. “Who are you? What do you want with me?”

But there was no answer beyond the squeaking of the metal as the small door closed again. With a sigh of frustration, Garrett leaned against the door and sank to the floor. The tray was somewhere to his right, but he didn’t bother to reach for it at the moment. It was there and that was enough. He could eat when he was hungry. At least this meant the person planned to keep him alive for a while. It wasn’t much hope, but it would do. For now.

Chapter 2 - Renee

Renee smiled as she woke to the sun peeking in her window. The memories of last night reignited in her mind causing a satisfied sigh to slip past her lips. She’d spent the evening with Garrett just watching movies and talking, and even though he said he still wasn’t ready for something serious, she could feel their relationship changing, and she didn’t think it would be long before he was.

She reached for her phone to see if had texted, but there was nothing. That stung a little, but he didn’t have the day off today like she did, so perhaps he just hadn’t had time yet. Maybe he’d been running late this morning or he’d gotten called into a consult right away. She could understand that, so she sent off a quick text just thanking him for the previous night and wishing him a good day. Then she returned her phone to her nightstand and stretched her arms over her head. She’d take a shower and fix herself some breakfast. Surely Garrett would have a chance to see her message and reply by then.

When she was showered and dressed, she grabbed her phone, checking it one more time before heading into the kitchen. She got the coffee going and then made herself an omelet and some toast. Then she opened her Bible to do her morning devotion as she ate. She didn’t often get this quiet time in the mornings and her devotion had to wait until she got off, but she definitely liked it better in the morning. It made her feel more connected and recharged for the day.

She checked her phone again and saw there was still no response from Garrett. Though she knew it could be nothing - he might just be really busy today - a sick sensation erupted in her stomach. Though she knew it risked coming across as creepy, she dialed the hospital.

“Fire Beach Hospital, how can I direct your call?”

“Hi, this is Renee Mackey. I’m a nurse in Pediatrics. Can you tell me if Dr. Young is in today?”

“Just a second please.” Renee chewed on her bottom lip as the sound of clacking computer keys filled the silence. “I’m sorry. It looks like Dr. Young never made it in today. Dr. Collins is on shift. Did you need him?”

“No, thank you. Do you know if Dr. Young call in sick?” Renee didn’t know if the receptionist was allowed to tell her that, but it could’t hurt to ask.

“I’m sorry. I’m not allowed to give out that information.”

“That’s okay, thank you.”

So Garrett wasn’t at work, and while she supposed he could be home sick she rather doubted it. First, he’d seemed healthy enough last night when he’d been at her house. They’d even shared their first kiss - a toe-tingling, mind-numbing, firework-worthy kiss. One that Renee could not wait to repeat, one that they’d planned to repeat tonight after work, so she highly doubted he wouldn’t have called to tell her he was sick. Second, unless he was just dead to the world, he would have heard her text message and would have replied. Maybe he wasn’t sick but injured. Maybe he’d fallen and hit his head and was bleeding out on his floor right now. She’d only been to his place once before but she was certain she could find it and someone had to check on him.

She grabbed her purse and keys and locked the door behind her. As soon as she stepped out of the apartment door, she could feel it. The uneasy feeling that she was being watched. It was probably Chris again. He’d made it known the last few weeks that he knew most of her comings and goings which was creepy. Emma swore he was harmless and he’d always seemed harmless, but Renee couldn’t help but wonder if he had something to do with this. She knew he had exchanged words with Garrett last night as he left, and while she didn’t think Chris could physically harm Garrett, he would definitely be her top suspect if something had happened to Garrett.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she reached her car without incident, but as she neared Garrett’s house, the unease grew. What if he really was sick and she came across looking like a stalker? Or worse, what if the kiss had been terrible for him and now he’d decided he didn’t want to continue dating her but just didn’t know how to tell her? Neither rang true for her, so she continued on and when she reached his house and saw his truck was gone, she was filled with both a sense of relief and fear. If he wasn’t at home and he wasn’t at work, where was he?

Maybe something was wrong with his truck and he was at a shop somewhere waiting for it to be fixed. But that wouldn’t explain him not returning her text. Maybe he’d gotten in an accident on the way to work and he was lying in a ditch somewhere. She shuddered at the thought. Or what if he’d been lying about wanting to be exclusive and he was at some other woman’s place? She’d certainly seen him with other women the first week or so he’d been in town. Both of those could certainly explain why he wasn’t answering his phone, and while neither scenario made her feel good, either one of them would be better than the last scenario - the one she didn’t want to think about.

She scanned the streets as she stepped out of her car and locked the door. His neighborhood was safe and quiet and today there were few cars on the street. She walked up to the front door and tried the knob, but it was locked. The curtains were also closed, so there was nothing to see, at least from this side. She made her way around the house, hoping perhaps he’d left the sliding glass door open or the curtain pulled back at least, but it too was locked and covered. Should she try to break in to check on him? No, that didn’t seem like the smartest idea, especially with his brother being a cop. There was no way she could check every auto shop or woman’s house, but she could at least check the route he would have taken to the hospital and see if she could see an accident. If that gave her nothing, then she’d have to find Clay. She didn’t know him well, but she knew he would help her.

As she climbed back in her car, she wasn’t sure which would be worse - finding Garrett in a bad enough accident that he couldn’t call for help or not finding him at all. The route to the hospital wasn’t long or especially dangerous but she kept her eyes peeled. Nothing. She supposed he could have taken a different route, but she doubted it. He was still learning the city.

She pulled into the hospital parking lot to turn around, but before she did, something caught her eye and the feeling of dread in her stomach grew. Garrett’s truck was parked in his normal spot, but if he’d made it to work, where was he now? He obviously hadn’t gotten far enough inside to clock in, so something must have happened to him in the parking lot. It was time to get the police involved.

When she reached the police station, she took a deep breath before going inside. The station was a small square building that looked like it hadn’t been renovated in ages, and when she opened the door, she felt like she’d been transported back in time. The interior was all brown and beige and the computers she could see were still huge desktops rather than the sleek laptops they had at the hospital.

“Can I help you?”

Renee stepped up to the desk. “Can I speak with Clay Young please?”

“I believe Officer Young is out on patrol. Is there something I can help you with?”

“I think his brother is missing.”

Chapter 3 - Garrett - Two weeks prior

Dr. Garrett Young climbed out of his Ford F-150 truck and stared up at the hospital building. It wasn’t his first choice of assignment, but this was where he’d felt God telling him to go, and he wasn’t about to pull a Jonah. Besides, the place looked decent. The building appeared to be newer and there were no signs of dilapidation or obvious needs of repair. It had to be better than the last hospital he’d trained in where the heater rarely worked, the air conditioner never worked, and the generator kicked on at least once a month due to power loss.

As he entered the main floor, he could tell this hospital was busy. Maybe not as busy as some of the bigger places he’d applied for, but waiting lobbies were half-filled, nurses and orderlies scurried across the room, and the receptionist looked like she never took a break from answering the phone. He had planned to ask her for directions to HR, but as she seemed busy, he figured he could find it himself. Most hospitals had some sort of placard on the wall that said where departments were located. Sure enough, he found one that directed him to the far end of the main floor. He’d completed as much of the paperwork online as he could, but he still needed to sign some things in person and get his badge.

“Can I help you?” a woman asked when he stepped into the small HR room. Though her voice was friendly, he could see the tired lines around her eyes and the stress she carried in her shoulder. The name plate on her desk read Diane Chambers.

He smiled at her, trying to commit her name to memory so he could pray for her later. It was something he’d started a few months ago, and his first book was nearly full. “I’m Dr. Garrett Young, your new Pediatric doctor.”

“Oh yes. I was expecting you.” She smiled and rifled through a few papers on her desk, until she found what she was looking for. Then she stood and made her way over to him. “I just need a few signatures from you and then we’ll take a picture and get your badge printed. You didn’t have any trouble finding us, did you?”

Garrett shook his head. “No troubles at all.” Not only did his brother live in town, but he had Maps on his phone. It rarely led him astray, although once it had taken him smack dab to a residential area instead of the hamburger place he’d been looking for. He scanned the papers she handed him and signed on the required lines. Then he stepped over to the little camera and let Diane take his picture. A few minutes later, his badge popped out. Though this process was much shorter, it rather reminded him of getting his license at the DMV.

“Okay, you’re all set. Pediatrics is on the 3rd floor, so just take the elevator up and Yolanda will get you situated upstairs.”

“Thank you.”

He headed back through the lobby to the elevators and punched the button to go up. Though there were only two elevators, the wait was minimal, and when the doors opened, he stepped inside and punched the button for the third floor. Before the door could close fully, a feminine voice called out, “Hold the elevator please.”

Garrett stuck his shoe in front of the door to keep it from closing, but he was unprepared for the woman who entered. Her dark hair was pulled up, but tendrils snaked down the side of her face and his eyes were instantly drawn to her slender neck. Her skin was pale and creamy like butter, and her eyes were bright blue like the ocean.

“Thank you,” she said as the door closed behind her. Her soft, feminine voice sent a shiver down his back. He’d had physical, visceral reactions to women before, but not like this. There was something mesmerizing about this woman.

“You’re welcome.” Why did his voice sound more like a croak than his usual tone?

Her eyes grew wide as she really looked at him for the first time. “Are you British?”

Garrett recognized the look on her face. It was one he had seen often - the pure look of adoration based solely on the sound of his accent. Normally, he shrugged this off, but this woman was enchanting, so he decided to use it to his advantage. “I am. I’m from a tiny village near London originally, but I’ve been in America for over a decade. I’m surprised my accent is still as strong as it is.” Thankfully, he could turn it up when he wanted and dial it back when he needed to make sure kids could understand him.

“Well, I’m glad it is. I love the sound of the British accent.” Her eyes didn’t exactly bat at him, but he could tell they were close. “Are you visiting someone? I haven’t seen you around and I certainly would remember your voice.”

“Not visiting, no. I’m the new Pediatric doctor, Garrett Young.” He held out his hand to shake hers, hoping she would take it so he could see if her skin was as soft as it looked. He hadn’t been on a date in a while, but he could definitely see himself asking this woman out.

“You’re kidding.” Her lips pulled into an even wider smile as she took his hand. “I’m Renee Mackey, one of your nurses. We’ll get to work together every day.”

And just like that, his elation rushed from him like a heavy sigh. He didn’t date coworkers and certainly not nurses he’d have to work with every day. At least not anymore. Carrie hadn’t been the reason he’d left Chicago, but she’d certainly played a part, and besides that, he’d seen too many tense moments and almost mistakes from people who dated coworkers and then couldn’t handle working with the person when the relationship ended. In an office job, that might not matter, but in a hospital it did. Especially when his patients were kids. “Oh, that’s good news,” he said, softening the accent. No reason to lead her on.

If she noticed the change, she didn’t say anything. “I’m so glad they hired another doctor. Dr. Collins is great, but it was getting too busy for him to handle alone.”

“It stays busy then?” he asked.

“Most days.” The elevator dinged, and they both stepped out, a welcome reprieve since she was still looking at him like he’d hung the moon and he didn’t have the heart to tell her it would never work.

“I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot of each other,” she said when they reached the nurse’s station. She flashed another wide smile and then scurried off, but he couldn’t help but notice the swaying of her hips ever so slightly as she left. Perhaps it was the way she always walked, but he had the feeling it was done for his benefit.

The nurse at the station looked up at him and lifted a brow. “I’m guessing you’re the new doctor?” She was short - probably no more than five foot three - and stout, but everything about this woman screamed that she did not take nonsense.

“I am. Dr. Garrett Young.”

“Uh huh.” She looked him over and then glanced to where Renee had gone before looking back back to him. “Well, I’m glad you’re here. It seems like you’ve got a fan already. No surprise there.”

He didn’t know if her words meant she wasn’t surprised Renee liked him or if Renee had shown an interest in previous doctors. What he did know was that she was fishing and he wasn’t going to give her any ammunition. “Renee seems very nice and I’m sure she’s a good nurse.”