Take a Breath (Take #1) - Jaimie Roberts Page 0,129

with a couple of other agents. They want me to repeat my whole story over again, living through it again in the process. Jake tells them to take a hike, but I reason with him. If I have to do this, it is better that I do it now. Otherwise, I’ll just have to do it later. I try my best with the voice that I have, but it’s difficult. They seem satisfied that they have everything they need and wish me well. Agent Marcos certainly seems to have a spring in his step. I hope it finally brings an air of finality to this awful case. It seems to have been going on for years instead of months. Finally, the blonde ladies of Virginia are safe again, and life can return to normal.

As the evening comes, I order Jake to go back to a hotel so he can rest. Exhaustion’s taking over, and although I want nothing more than to feel him next to me while I lie in his arms, I’m acutely aware that he must be a zombie on his feet.

After my pleadings and the nurse’s assurances that I’m in the best of care, he reluctantly leaves the hospital with the strict instructions he’s to be called if he is needed during the night.

He kisses my forehead and lingers there a while. He visibly cringes before he speaks. “Ana, did he—” He pauses, and I close my eyes, knowing exactly what he’s trying to ask. The pain in his voice is quite clear.

I shake my head, and with a whisper, I say, “No.” He places a finger on my lips as if to silence me, and I feel his sudden relief. His forehead touches mine as he grabs my hand and kisses it tenderly before he leaves.

28

I’m in my hospital bed asleep when I hear a clinking sound. It seems determined to wake me up. I don’t want to wake up, but the incessant noise just keeps going on and on. I finally decide to open my eyes. I regret my decision immediately as my eyes land on the shadow of a man, who is sitting in the far corner of the room, holding a gun. He’s tapping it against the side of the radiator on the wall. I try to scream, but no sound comes out. I try to move, but my body remains still.

As I attempt a scream, the man stands up, but I still can’t see him. “Why did you do this to me, Ana? Why did you leave me?”

Oh, my God, Tony. I thought he was dead. Why is this happening? He’s going to finish off the job. He’s going to kill me.

Panic consumes me as the figure stalking towards me comes into the light. As I squint, I begin to make out the features of who’s in front of me. I gasp. It isn’t Tony.

It’s Alan.

I wake, clawing at my sheets. Alarms are going off, and two nurses are beside me, trying to hold me down. “Ana, please, honey, it’s okay. You’re in the hospital. You’re safe. It was just a bad dream.”

I hear another frantic voice shouting, “Give her ten milligrams of diazepam!”

I’m straining against the voices as I try to scream Jake’s name. Then I watch as a nurse inserts a syringe into my IV line. Soon after, I drift off into a very deep sleep.

I can’t remember much after that. I wake up to bright light beaming through the window and the high-octane bellowing of a very pissed off caveman.

“Why didn’t anyone call me? I knew I shouldn’t have left.”

Jake comes charging through the door with two terrified nurses behind him, unsure of what to say and do with him. He seems to have that effect on everyone. I have to smile inside. No matter how much I complain, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Are you okay? I’ve just been told you had a nightmare during the night, which caused your heart rate to shoot through the roof, and,” he looks back to the nurses, “they didn’t call me. I told them to call, and I’m pissed that they failed to do so.” He says that a little too loudly, and the timid nurses retreat from the room. I notice he’s taken the time to shave, but he still looks like he hasn’t slept much.

“Please calm down. It’s unfair to talk to the nurses like that. They have done nothing but take care of me, and then you