Kristin was fading fast under Amber's ministrations. She could feel her eyes closing as the conversation continued around her. Matt watched. He waited until Amber was done and had left the room with Derek then he walked over to the bed. He bent down and kissed Kristin's forehead thinking she was already asleep.
"Wait," Kristin said. "Will you stay with me?"
Matt heard the pleading in her voice, laced with fear and exhaustion. "Sure, Honey. Let me go get my overnight bag and let Derek know I'm crashing here. I'll be right back."
Kristin nodded her head. Matt walked out of her room. He looked around but found no sign of his brother or his sister-in-law. The lights were turned down low so he assumed they had also gone to bed. It had been a long day for everyone. He ran out to the car, grabbed his overnight bag he always kept in the trunk, and then locked up the house. He was back in Kristin's room in less than five minutes.
Changing out of his clothes and into some pajama bottoms, he crawled into the bed next to Kristin. She was already asleep but she snuggled into him as he moved closer. He wrapped his arm around her stomach carefully so he wouldn't touch any place she might be hurting and pulled her even closer. Her sigh was the last sound he heard as he drifted off to sleep.
♥ Chapter 8 ♥
Kristin woke the next morning to the smell of coffee and the feel of a warm body at her back. She smiled. She barely remembered asking Matt to stay with her, but she decided she could get used to this feeling. She slid away a little so she could stretch only to find Matt's eyes on hers.
"Good morning," he murmured.
"Good morning," she responded.
"Want some breakfast," he asked softly.
"I would love some."
Matt, acting as if he wakes up in a woman's bed every day, stretched and crawled out from under the covers. She got a good glimpse of his torso before he turned to throw on a t-shirt. Swallowing hard, Kristin continued to watch as Matt then turned and walked to her side of the bed, pulled back the covers and scooped her up. Depositing her in the wheelchair, Matt walked into the kitchen. As they entered, Derek and Amber looked up from their coffee.
"I figured you both would be joining us soon," Amber said as she jumped up and got two more coffee cups from the cabinet. "How do you like your eggs, Kristin," she asked as she poured coffee.
"Scrambled," Kristin stated. It surprised her that Amber and Derek acted as if she had not just spent the night in bed with Matt. Of course they were just sleeping but the thought alone had her blushing as if they had done more.
Derek was reading the morning paper and Amber started whipping up eggs and bacon as if she had just been waiting for them to appear to start breakfast. It put Kristin's mind at ease to know they understood. Somehow she knew she had never spent the night in a man's bed before. Matt was the first. She didn't know how she knew this. She just knew it was so.
"Dale called and said they've finished gathering all the evidence at the old hospital. The team is on their way back now. Should be there by the time we arrive at the office," Derek said.
"Good," Matt responded. "Hopefully we'll get somewhere when the lab is finished with the evidence."
"Did you sleep well, Kristin," Amber asked.
"I did. Thank you, "Kristin responded with a blush still warming her cheeks. Derek and Amber both pretended not to notice.
Amber laid eggs, bacon, and toast on the table then went back to the cabinet for juice glasses. After laying butter and orange juice on the table she sat down beside her husband. They all continued to talk about the case and where the evidence might lead. Matt was hoping the killer had left some part of himself behind at the scene of his vicious torture chamber.
After breakfast the men left for the office. Matt assured Kristin he would bring home his files and let her look at some of the autopsy photos. He believed she might be able to add some insight since she had extensive medical training.
As the men were leaving, Amber wheeled Kristin back to the bedroom and helped her back under the covers.
"I hate being confined like this," Kristin complained.
"I know, but you have to let your feet heal before you can walk on them. Your face is looking better though. The bruises are starting to fade a little. You will be back to your old self before you know it," Amber assured her.
"If only I knew who my old self was," whispered Kristin.
"Don't get discouraged. It will all come back soon. And when it does we will catch the maniac who did this to you." Amber fluffed Kristin's pillows and partially made the bed. "Do you want a book or something," she asked.
"No, I'll just watch a little television."
Amber watched as Kristin yawned. She still had a lot of recovering to do. Amber smiled and walked back to the kitchen to clean up. Finishing her task, she also laid back down. The baby had been active the night before and she had not gotten much sleep. Both girls slept for a couple of hours.
"Alright, let's hear it, Dale," Matt said as he walked into his office and closed the door behind Derek who had followed him in.
Dale McGee, a thirty-two year old former Marine, looked back at the two agents settling into their chairs. He had great respect for both men and was honored to be working with Matt's unit. Flipping open the notebook he carried everywhere, Dale sighed heavily.
"It's bad boss. I have never seen anything like this. We found over 10,000 drops of blood and collected samples for all. Most of them were around the area where we found the chains, some leading out of the facility, and some where we think he might have done the final actual killing of the victim," Dale stated.
"First impression says he starts on the feet of the girls while they are still in the chains and that is where he does most of the cutting. Then it looks like he carries them to another room and lays them on a metal table, kind of like one you would see in a morgue. This is where he finishes them off. There was a lot of blood going down a drain. Looks like he hoses the room down after each one he kills. I believe most of the samples we collected are going to have multiple donors just because he does the same thing to each girl in the same spot."
Dale sat back and looked at Matt. He waited for a response and when none came, he continued.
"We did find what appeared to be a struggle between two people. Possibly one of the victims fought back. There was a blood spatter higher up the wall where the chains were that indicated one of the girls heads was shoved into the wall," Dale stopped when he heard Matt curse quietly.
"Kristin had a head wound and we know she escaped so she's the one who fought back," Matt explained.
"Our latest victim," Dale asked.
"Yes," Matt replied. "She has a cut on the side of her face close to her eye and a wound at the back of her skull. The doctor said it was a miracle the skull was not damaged. The force was enough to have done permanent damage."
"Well, she fought back," Dale said. "There was another blood spatter on the wall across from the chains. It looked as if someone had been shoved into the concrete. We collected that sample as well and I am hoping it belongs to our killer. It is much fresher than the other samples we collected."
"Tell the lab to run it first. We need a DNA profile as soon as possible," Matt stated.
"Already on it, Boss. I labeled the samples into the lab in a priority matter and that one was first followed by the most recent to the oldest as we could tell. The lab has already started and put all their other cases on hold. They know the importance of this one."
"Good work, Dale," Matt said standing up. "Let's go to the conference room and look at the photographs of the crime scene."
"I also had Henry film the entire process of collection to help document the scene," Dale stated. "Something I learned in the Marines."
"Good, we'll watch the video and see if there's anything that can help us solve this case," Derek said and the men walked down the hall to the conference room.
Holding
a table big enough to seat twenty men comfortably, the conference room was a good place to spread out the hundreds of pictures taken from each crime scene and the abandoned hospital. Matt already had a board with each of the victim's photos on it in the room. He had been through each case several times. Now he would go through them again with the new information and evidence.
"Mr. Stevenson," asked a voice from the doorway. Matt turned to find Kathryn Waters, his secretary looking for him.
"Yes, Kathryn," he asked.
"There is a man on the phone from Alabama. His name is Paul Young. He says is daughter lives here in Atlanta, and he hasn't heard from her in several days. They believe she is missing. Her name is Kristin. I thought you would want to talk with him."
Matt nodded and looked at Derek. He didn't know about Kristin's family and had not thought about the possibility of someone missing her. He headed to his office and took the call.
"This is Matt Stevenson. How can I help you," he asked.
"Mr. Stevenson. My name is Paul Young. I have a daughter that lives in Atlanta. We talk to her at least four times a week. Her mother and I have not heard from her since last Thursday. It has been almost a week. The police say they can't help us," Kristin's father said.
Matt could hear the concern in the man's voice. He listened as Paul continued.
"She's a doctor and we tried calling her practice but there's a message that she has had a family emergency and will not be back in the office for at least a week. I am her family and I know if no such emergency. We can't get a hold of anyone who knows her to tell us what is going on."
Matt responded, "Mr. Young, your daughter is fine. I need you and your wife to come to Atlanta and we will talk as soon as you get to my office."
"You know where she is," Paul asked. "Is she alright? Can we see her?"
"I don't want to give too many details over the phone. Your daughter was in an accident and she has some memory loss. We didn't know about family or we would have reached out to you already. She is staying at the home of my sister-in-law who knew who Kristin was when she came into the hospital. I will give you more information when you get into town," Matt said to the distraught father.
"We will be there as soon as we can," Paul answered. Matt gave him the information he would need to get to his office then hung up the phone. He had about four to five hours to get some more answers then prepare Kristin to meet the parents she doesn't remember.
Matt returned to the conference room and filled Derek in on the phone conversation. Derek said he would fill Amber in at lunch and she could talk with Kristin.
The men began looking at the crime scene photos again and piecing together the evidence. They worked for several hours trying to find something that would lead them to the man committing these vicious crimes.
Amber had lunch ready when Derek came home. She and Kristin were sitting at the table talking when he walked in.
"Hey ladies," he said as he walked over and kissed his wife. "Did you get some sleep after I left," he asked with concern in his voice. Amber was due in five weeks and she wasn't sleeping well. He could see the fatigue in her eyes at breakfast this morning.
"I did," Amber replied. "I cleaned up the kitchen then laid down for a couple of hours. The baby was calm and I slept."
"Has the baby given you any trouble," Kristin asked with concern in her own voice.
"Oh, no. She is just really active at night when I am trying to sleep, so I don't sleep well," Amber replied.
Kristin smiled. "Babies tend to be rocked to sleep by the movement of the mother, so they sleep during the day while you are active. When you get still, they wake and want to move around. Let's hope she doesn't have her nights and days mixed up when she enters the world," she said.
"Well that explains a lot," Amber stated.
Derek grinned and sat down at the table with the ladies. Amber had fixed ham and cheese sandwiches. Derek grabbed a sandwich, some chips and started eating as Amber poured sweet tea into a glass.
"Kristin," Derek said. "I have some news."
Kristin looked up from her sandwich with a question in her eyes.
"A man called the office today. His name is Paul Young." Derek watched for any sign of recognition but seeing none continued on. "He is worried because his wife and he have not heard from their daughter who lives here in Atlanta. He told Matt she is a doctor and they speak several times a week."
Kristin just looked confused.
"He said his daughter's name is Kristin. He and his wife are driving here from Alabama to speak with Matt."
"Is this man my father," Kristin asked.
"We think so," Derek replied. "Matt says he is very worried and concerned about what might have happened to his daughter. Matt did not tell them much. He said you were in an accident and had slight amnesia. He would not tell them anymore over the phone but if he is sure they are your parents he will tell them the full story."
"They will want to see me. I don't remember them," Kristin stated.
"We won't ask you to do anything you don't want to do, but if they are your parents they may not leave Atlanta until you are well both physically and mentally. And maybe they will trigger a memory or something," Derek said.
"They may be really hurt if I don't recognize them," Kristin responded.
"Yes, but they will understand if they love you," Derek assured her.
"They can stay here with us if you want them too, Kristin or we can put them up in a hotel nearby so you don't feel uncomfortable," Amber said.
"Maybe we can make the reservations then decide after I have seen them," she replied.
"That's a good idea. I'll make the call after lunch. What time will they be here," Amber asked her husband.
"Paul called Matt's office about nine this morning so Matt is expecting them about two," Derek answered.
Amber looked at Kristin. "That doesn't give us much time to prepare," she stated.
"You know Matt will keep them at the office for a couple of hours verifying before he lets them anywhere near Kristin, and if they are her parents there will be more time spent explaining the whole situation. I would not expect Matt to bring them here until about four at the earliest. Maybe we can have them for dinner," Derek suggested.
Amber nodded and Kristin just sat quietly listening. She was not really sure she was ready to talk to people she was supposed to love and be close to but could not remember. But it would not be fair to her parents to alienate them at this time.
Finishing her sandwich, she quietly excused herself and wheeled her chair back to her room. It had been four days since that monster had kidnapped her and three since he had cut her up so badly. She tried to put some pressure on her feet to see if she could stand yet but the pain that shot through both legs told her it was still too soon.
Kristin unwrapped her feet carefully and examined her abductor's handiwork. He was certainly skilled at what he had done. Each cut was made to maximize the pain and minimize the bleeding. He would have done this to her for days before he had finally killed her. She was so thankful to be alive.
As she continued to examine her right foot she came to the heart that had cruelly been carved into her ankle. She would carry these scars for the rest of her life and one had to been in the shape of a heart. How sick was this man that a heart was the symbol of his cruelty and terror.
Kristin could feel the tears streaming down her face now as she continued to trace the cuts made in her delicate skin. Next she looked at her knees. She couldn't remember the pain she had inflicted on herself as she crawled out of that hospital, but she could see the damage. Derek had told her what they had found. She had crawled for hours trying to escape and the proof was all over her knees, shins, and hands. These areas were healing a lot faster than her feet and ankle, but the damage had been done and like her feet, would be scarred for life.
Amber walked into Kristin's room and saw the misery and
sadness on her face. She wished she could somehow wipe all of that sadness away but she knew that only time could heal what Kristin had been through. Only time and love, she thought sadly.
"Want to take a long, hot, bubble bath," Amber asked.
"I would love to, but there is no way you and I can get me into and out of a tub," Kristin answered looking at Amber's belly pointedly.
Amber laughed. "You forget I'm a nurse Kristin. Of course we can get you in and out. I have training for this and you will be able to help with your upper body. Besides, the bath will be good for your body and your soul."
"I would love to soak in a hot bath," Kristin agreed.
"I'll start the water and we'll see if we can find you something other than pajamas to wear," Amber said as she entered the bathroom.
Amber turned the water on, added the bubbles, and then pulled a washcloth and towel out of the cabinet. She made sure there was soap and shampoo for Kristin. While the water was running she ran up to her room and brought back down several shirts and pants for Kristin to go through. She also found some house shoes that would slip on her feet if Amber didn't bandage them too much.
After the girls chose a light yellow button up blouse and a pair of jeans for Kristin to wear, Amber wheeled her into the bathroom. She helped Kristin undress and after much pushing and pulling, the girls managed to get Kristin into the tub without hurting themselves in the process.
Amber left the bathroom letting Kristin enjoy her bath in silence. She lay down on her bed and rested after the effort of helping Kristin into the tub. Getting her in was one thing, but she would have to have some help getting her out. Amber called Kristin's receptionist Mary. She had the feeling the two of them were friends. She hoped she was right.
Kristin soaked in the tub for an hour. The hot water felt good to her battered and bruised body. Her feet had stung a little as she first got into the tub, but were feeling much better now. This was the first bath she had been able to have since her shower Friday morning before work. It felt so good to be clean again.
Grabbing the wash cloth, Kristin soaped it up and began washing carefully but thoroughly. She even managed to clean her feet and ankle. She knew Amber would apply more medicine and bandage them when she got out but her doctor training kicked in and she made sure each cut was cleaned well.