Meanwhile, he had agents scouring Seminole County for the place Kristin had been held captive. With any luck, TGT would still be there and they would put him away for a very long time.
Unable to concentrate and knowing he would not be able to get any work done if he stayed at his desk, Matt decided to join his team in Donalsonville. He jumped up from his desk but before he made it to the parking garage Derek had caught up to him.
"Hey. Where are you off to in such a hurry," Derek asked.
"I'm going to Donalsonville to help with the search. I'm hoping by the time I get there they will have found something," Matt replied.
"Hang on, I'll go with you," Derek said.
"Sure, that would be great."
Matt waited while Derek ran back to his office. A few minutes later the men were climbing into Matt's car.
"Alright, spill it," Derek said.
Matt did not even bother to pretend he didn't know what his brother was talking about. He and Derek knew each other so well. Derek could always tell when something was bothering him, just as he could tell when something was wrong with Derek.
"I can't just sit around and wait. If I do, I will go mad. I need to question Kristin, but I know Amber won't let me within a mile of her. If I go back to where I found her, I won't be tempted to shake your wife for standing in my way."
Derek chuckled. He knew Matt would never hurt his wife and even saying that just proved how frustrating this case was to him.
Matt just looked at him, and then grinned himself. "Did that just sound as bad as I think it did," he asked.
Derek laughed. "It sure did. If you're through with your pity party, I will tell you something."
"Okay. I'm good now. Just had to let off a little steam," Matt assured his brother.
"I know. Now listen. Amber said Kristin is catching glimpses off something every now and then as she talks to her about what we know. Kristin explained it like a curtain that moves for a second then comes back down. She is frustrated but it only hurts her head more to try to think about it.
Amber tells her to just not think and let it come as it will, but Kristin insists she knows something important but just can't put her finger on it. Amber will continue to talk to her, but she said she might let you talk to her tonight at dinner."
Matt let out a breath. Dinner. He could wait that long. It would take them a few hours to drive to Donalsonville and back anyway.
Matt drove in silence for awhile and Derek let him. He knew Matt was probably working something out in his head. He had not told Matt about Amber's suspicion that the FBI agent was falling for the young doctor. That would just put Matt on his guard around her and Derek wanted to see for himself what Amber was seeing. He could only hope Matt would find someone that made him as happy as Amber made him.
~
First thing Monday morning Amber was waiting at Kristin's office for her staff to get there so she could tell them what had happened. Kristin would be unable to work for a least a week so her patients would need to be rescheduled or referred out to whoever she normally used when she was out of town. Amber would leave it up to Kristin how much she wanted to tell her staff. Amber would just give the bare details.
Mary was surprised to see Amber waiting for her at the back door of the practice when she drove up. Climbing out of her car, she greeted Amber.
"Kristin probably won't be here for another thirty minutes, but you're welcome to wait. Is something wrong with the baby," she asked with concern in her voice.
"No, no. The baby and I are fine," Amber assured her. "I'm actually here to talk with you. Can we go inside," she asked.
Nodding her head, Mary turned and unlocked the door. Once inside, she turned off the alarm and walked to the front of the office. She offered Amber a chair and sat beside her after putting her purse away. Looking at Amber questioningly, she asked again if everything was alright.
"I'm afraid I have some bad news. Kristin, Doctor Young, was kidnapped on Friday," Amber began.
"What? Where is she? Is she alright? Do they know who took her?" Mary was visibly shaken while asking these questions.
Amber put her hand on Mary's to try to calm her and explained what she knew about the kidnapping. She assured her Kristin was fine and on the mend and would be back to work soon.
"She has amnesia though and that is going to make it difficult for her if she does not recover her memory before she is ready to work again. I have taken some time off work and Kristin is staying with me and my husband while my brother-in-law investigates. I will come with her to work and try to help as much as possible." Amber continued to hold Mary's hand.
"That shouldn't be necessary. We all love her and will help her as much as we can," Mary answered.
"I know, Mary. And believe me, the last thing I want is to step on anyone's toes," Amber assured the girl. "The problem is Kristin will not remember any of you at first and I have earned her trust. Mainly because I was the first person she saw when she woke up and it's her natural instinct to want to make sure I'm taking it easy with the baby. We have formed a bond because she thinks she is keeping a protective eye on me while I am doing the same for her."
Amber rubbed her swollen belly and Mary nodded.
"I understand. It will be hard to know she doesn't remember us. But I have seen these cases before and realize what we are dealing with. You are trying to be a buffer for her from us until she regains her memory and the patients so they do not realize what is going on with her."
"Yes. I want to make it as easy for all of you as possible and ensure her patients are comfortable. The last thing she needs now is to lose any patients at this point in her practice," Amber stated.
Mary nodded again and stood as she heard Kimber come in the back door. Knowing the others would be coming in soon as well she asked if Amber would be willing to explain the situation to everyone and they would decide what needed to be done. Amber agreed and Mary walked to her desk to call the first few morning patients and reschedule them until the staff could discuss the situation further and decide a course of action.
Kimber was surprised to see a patient already in the waiting room but said nothing as she walked into her office to settle in for the day. She knew Kristin would still want to begin the day as usual even if a patient was early unless it was a true emergency. So Kimber straightened her desk and waited for the others to join her.
Within ten minutes the staff had gathered in Kristin's office including the lady Kimber had thought was a patient. Mary began to explain.
"Amber is joining us this morning with some information about Kristin. Please listen and don't interrupt until she has finished," Mary asked.
All eyes turned to Amber. She could see the questions and knew each was concerned for the young doctor. She was so thankful Kristin had such a loving and caring staff. They would be supportive and helpful throughout this process.
"As I explained to Mary earlier this morning, Kristin was kidnapped this weekend." Mary held up her hand when the gasps and questions started. She nodded to Amber and she continued.
"She is alright. My brother-in-law found her after she escaped her abductor and she is recovering from the incident at my house. She will have to be off of work for a least a week. Right now she has amnesia, so she may not remember any of you or her patients when she returns to work so I will work alongside her for the first few weeks until she is fully recovered.
"My hope is that she will have regained her memory by the end of the week and we will avoid the awkward situation this will put her in with you and with her patients. If that is the case, I will not come in next week," Amber stated.
"I have already moved part of the morning patients off the schedule, but we need to decide what to do about the situation before we take any further course of action," Mary said addressing the staff.
"Was it that serial killer that's been taking girls in Georgia," Jennifer, blood drained from
her face, asked quietly.
"No, I'm sure it wasn't him," Mary responded quickly. "Why would you think that?"
"She's his type. Black hair, brown eyes." Jennifer fidgeted as she made this statement. Of all the ladies in the office, she was the one who stayed on top of the news. She would often fill the rest of the staff in on what was happening in the Atlanta area or the country. She had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach that began the moment Amber made her announcement.
Everyone looked at Amber and Mary noticed she was trying to avoid their eyes.
"Amber," Mary questioned.
"Yes, she was taken by the Georgia Terror. Her feet are cut up badly. That's why she will not be able to come in for awhile. But she fought, and she got away. That is the important thing," Amber stated.
"But now he will come after her. He didn't finish the job," Jennifer cried.
Amber was hoping they would not think about that but she should have known better. Kristin's staff was smart. That was the reason she had not listed her injuries earlier.
"Yes, Jennifer. We believe he will try to come after her again. We believe he thinks she can identify him. This is one of the reasons she is staying in my home. My husband and brother-in-law plan to protect her until she remembers the face of the man who took her and hurt her so badly."
As Jennifer sobbed silently in the corner of the room, the others sat with shocked expressions on their faces almost refusing to believe what they had just heard.
"How can we help," Mary asked.
"First, we need to decide how to handle this week's patients," Amber responded.
"Family emergency that took Kristin out of town," Kimber spoke up from her desk.
Amber nodded. "That's good, Kimber. We want as few questions as possible and we are trying to keep the media from getting a hold of this story."
"I'll start on that as soon as we finish," said Mary.
"No, we all will," Kimber replied. "We can each take a day and call the entire week pretty quickly. Then we need to change the message on the machine to reflect that the office will be closed. I'm sure Kristin will pay us for the time off since it is unplanned and we all know how generous she is with this kind of thing so after we finish with making all the arrangements, I want all of you to go home and hug your family and be thankful we are all still here and that Kristin is alive."
"You will also want to contact the doctor she usually asks to be on call for her," Amber stated.
"Doctor Davenport. I can make that call," Kimber said.
"Also, I will give all of you my address so that you can come by to visit if you want. It might make it easier for all of you next week, but please don't feel as though you have to. It will definitely be awkward but may help break the ice later," Amber said.
The girls talked a little longer than sat silently for a few minutes, each trying to process what was happening. Amber reminded them not to tell anyone what had happened. With that admonishment, Amber left the office to allow the staff to make the calls and close back up for the week. She needed to check on her patient.
~
Matt breathed a sigh as he and Derek finally pulled into Donalsonville. His team still had not found where Kristin had been held. He wanted to go back to where he had found her to see if there was a way to trace her footsteps back to where she had escaped her captor.
"I know you aren't going to rest until we find this place, but reckon we can stop for a minute to grab a burger," Derek asked dryly.
Matt rolled his eyes and pulled into the next fast food place.
"Thank you, "Derek said smugly.
"Just be glad I decided to humor you. When we get to the park, there is nothing for miles. I could leave you there," Matt replied.
Derek just laughed and told Matt what he wanted when the order taker asked.
The brothers ate their meal as they drove out to the site where Matt first spotted Kristin. When they arrived, Matt pointed out the spot to Derek and both walked over to examine the area. Derek was trained in tracking and spotted the trail Kristin had weaved as she had tried to walk down the street toward a town. Luckily for her, she had been headed in the right direction.
Waving Matt over, Derek showed him the signs of Kristin limping along the road. They began to follow the trail and soon came to a creek. Derek could see where Kristin had sat while trying to wrap her feet in her shirt. Because she had been in the stream, it took him a minute to pick up her trail that led from the place she had been held to the stream but eventually he found the bloody knee prints that told him she had crawled.
Matt radioed his team to let them know they had found Kristin's trail while Derek continued to follow the bloody prints. It took about an hour but soon the men walked up to what appeared to be an abandoned hospital. By the time they had arrived Matt's team had also found the site.
Guns drawn, several FBI agents silently filed inside and scoured the building. Finding it abandoned did nothing to improve Matt's frustration. What they did find sent a chill through him. Walking into one room, Matt saw a television monitor. On the screen were a couple of his agents looking at a pair of shackles. Shuddering, Matt turned away. Derek understood his frustration.
"Looks like we found his playground," Derek said quietly.
"Yeah," Matt replied. "But not the bastard himself."
"We'll find him. This place has to hold some sort of clue as to who he is or where he might be hiding," Derek assured his brother.
"Let's hope so."
Several hours later, Matt and Derek left the premises of the hospital. The team was still gathering evidence. Everything would be sent back to the lab in Atlanta to process. Matt was worried. The killer had cleaned up well. There might be traces of the girls, but he was unsure if there would be any trace of the killer. Not a single weapon had been left behind. But what was there had painted a gruesome tale.
Derek called Amber to let her know they were on their way back. Amber assured them she would have supper ready and waiting for them both. She reminded them to be careful and hung up the phone. She could tell by the sound of her husband's voice that what they had found had bothered him.
♥ Chapter 7 ♥
Kristin sat in her room concentrating. She thought if she tried hard enough something important would come back to her. But the more she tried to remember what had happened to her, the harder her head pounded. She was so irritated with herself. She knew in her heart there was something she needed to remember. Something very important. But she couldn't bring it to the surface. She was startled to look up and see Amber standing in the doorway.
"I didn't mean to scare you," Amber said. "I came to give you some information but you looked lost in thought and I didn't want to disturb you."
"It's okay," Kristin replied. "I was just trying to remember." Kristin sighed. "It just won't come back."
Amber could hear the frustration and anxiety in Kristin's voice. She walked over and sat down on Kristin's bed and put her arm around her shoulder.
"Don't push it, Kristin. It will come," she said softly.
"Easy for you to say," she said a little louder than she intended. Kristin noticed the hurt look on Amber's face and immediately apologized.
"I'm so sorry, Amber. I know you're just trying to help but there is no way you can understand the situation I'm in. I need to know who this guy is who held me captive. You cannot imagine the fear of running from someone you don't even know."
Kristin sat back against the pillow of her bed beside her only friend.
"Kristin, I do know how you feel," Amber said.
"How could you? There is no way you could possibly understand the frustration and the fear I am feeling right now."
"Oh, but I do understand, Kristin. More than you could ever imagine."
Amber turned her head slightly, and then stood up. She walked away from the bed as she gathered her thoughts. Kristin needed to know she was not alone.
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"Let me tell you how I met my husband," she said to Kristin. "I was on the run from a stalker."
"What," Kristin asked.
"I had been running for four years. Everywhere I went, my stalker found me. And each time he did, someone turned up dead. I was on the run again when I met Derek. He was actually tracking me thinking I was some kind of black widow or something." Amber rolled her eyes and made a face. Kristin giggled.
Amber went back to her story and told Kristin everything that happened to her. She started from the beginning with the accident her best friend Olivia had been involved in and finished with the fateful ending when her stalker found her.
She talked for over an hour as Kristin listened. "I almost lost my life because I was not willing to trust Derek and Matt to protect me. I believed all the lines my stalker was feeding me. He made me think I was totally alone."
Kristin sighed. "I'm sorry I snapped at you."
Amber laughed. "That's what you call snapping at someone? I can't wait to see you actually mad."
Kristin laughed also. It felt good to be able to laugh.
"I just want you to know that we are here for you. Matt and Derek are doing everything they can to track your kidnapper. You are not alone in this. Please don't make the same mistake I did. It could literally cost you your life."
Kristin nodded.
"Now, I talked to Derek and the boys are on their way home. Want to help me with dinner?"
"I would love to help you with dinner, but I will probably be more in the way than helping," Kristin laughed.
"Not a problem, I love to cook. I'm really asking for the company."
"Sounds great," Kristin said.
The girls hugged then Amber helped Kristin into the wheelchair. They continued to talk as Amber wheeled Kristin into the kitchen.
~
Matt was quiet as he and Derek drove back to Atlanta. He couldn't get the images of what had happened to those girls out of his head. This monster knew what he was doing which made it even less likely he would make a mistake soon. Matt knew this meant they would find more dead girls. It was a miracle that Kristin had escaped.