Lead the Way (14 page)

              “Eva, I think that we should get out of this apartment and go stay in a hotel or something.”

              “Gabriel, I think that’s probably a good idea, but I can’t leave the apartment.  I’m too scared.  What if Ryan is outside waiting for us?”

              “Eva, if Ryan is outside, I’ll take him out.”

              “Gabriel, I just can’t.  I feel safer here.  I can’t leave right now.”

              “Okay, it was just a suggestion.  Hold on, I think that the hospital is calling.”

              “The hospital?” Eva asks.

              “Hello.  This is he.  Okay, I’ll be right there.”

              “What’s going on?” Eva asks, concern clearly evident in her voice.

              “There’s been a change in Rosa’s condition.  They can’t give me any information over the telephone.  I have to go in.  Come with me.”

              “Gabriel, I want to, but I can’t.  I’ll be fine here.  Don’t worry about me.  Go be with Rosa.”

              “Eva, I would really feel better if you came with me.”

              “I can’t.  Everything will be fine here.  Call me when you find out anything.”

              “Okay, I will back as soon as I can.  Keep the door locked and don’t open it for anyone, but me.”

              “Don’t worry, I won’t.”

              Gabriel grabs his keys and rushes out the door.  He hates to leave Eva, but he is all that Rosa has.  He needs to know what is happening with her health.  He hates being in the position where he has to choose between Eva and Rosa.  He hates that he can’t be in both places at once.  He vows that he will get whatever has to be done at the hospital done quickly, and be back beside Eva as soon as he can.  He breathes out a sigh of frustration, as he makes his way to the parking garage.

* * * * *

              Eva sits very still on the couch.  She hates being alone in the apartment, but she has no choice.  Rosa needs Gabriel more than she does.  She fidgets and begins to pace.  Her pacing is interrupted by the telephone ringing.  Thinking it’s Gabriel she runs and answers it.

              “Hello,” Eva says, expecting to hear Gabriel on the other end.

              “Eva?” the person on the other end says. 

She doesn’t recognize the voice.  “Who’s this?”

“It’s Ryan.”

“Why are you calling me?  How did you get this number?  Leave me alone.”

“Eva, I’m coming for you, but in the meantime, I have a little surprise waiting in the parking garage for your boyfriend.”

“Leave him alone!” she screams into the phone.

“It’s too late, Eva.”

Ryan hangs up on her.                She tries dialing Gabriel’s cell phone number, but he doesn’t answer.  She keeps trying, but he’s not picking up.  She doesn’t know what to do.  She runs to the door and opens it.  She needs to get to the parking garage.  She takes steps into the hallway, but she immediately knows that she can’t make it.   She runs back into the apartment, slams the door, and runs to the telephone.

She calls the security guard downstairs, “Gary, It’s Eva, I need you to go to the parking garage.  I think that something might have happened to Gabriel.”

“What do you mean by ‘something happened’?” Gary replies, sounding confused.

“I think that he might get attacked.”

Gary checks the security monitors.  “I don’t see anything on the monitors, but I’ll check.”

“Thank you so much.  Please call me back.”

“I will.”

Eva hangs up the phone.  She is scared.  She begins to pace because that is all she can do.  “Please let Gabriel be okay,” she says out loud, gripping the telephone.  She tries calling Gabriel’s cell phone again, but there is still no answer.  She stares at the phone, wishing it to ring and Gabriel to be safe on the other end.  All she can do is wait.

* * * * *

              Gary pushes the elevator button and waits.  He’s pretty confident that he’s not going to find anything wrong in the parking garage.  If something was amiss, he’s sure that he would have caught it on the security cameras.  He’s diligent in keeping an eye on those cameras.  Even so, it’s his job his check whenever there is a complaint, so that is what he’ll do.  He whistles while he waits.

He’s grown to like Eva’s friend Gabriel.  In the short time that Gabriel has been working for Eva, Gary has grown a fondness for him.  Gabriel seems like a good guy and he hopes that Eva is wrong about him getting attacked in the apartment garage. 

Gabriel always stops and talks to him on his way up to Eva’s apartment.  He always has a smile on his face and he always makes sure to ask Gary about his family.  Gabriel remembers all of Gary’s kid’s names and always mentions his wife.  He can always depend on Gabriel bringing him a coffee every morning just the way he likes it.

When he steps off the elevator into the parking garage, he doesn’t see anything.  He decides to take the long way the get to Eva’s parking spots, which are just around the corner.  The parking garage appears to be empty.  He checks in between the cars and he doesn’t see anything as he makes his way around.

As he gets closer to Eva’s designated parking spots, he can see that there is a car parked in her guest spot.  Unless someone has parked in her spot from another apartment, he has to assume that the car he’s seeing belongs to Gabriel.  As he gets closer, he thinks that he hears someone moan.  When  he gets right up on the car, he finds Gabriel lying next to the driver’s door of the car. 

“Holy Shit, Gabriel!” he says, leaning down.  “Can you hear me?”

Gabriel tries to talk, but only a moan comes out.

“I’m calling for help,” Gary says, pulling out his cell phone and calling 9-11.

The ambulance arrives quicker than Gary thought it would, and he’s glad.  The amount of blood coming from Gabriel’s head is alarming.  He couldn’t see exactly how bad the damage was because he didn’t want to move Gabriel, but he could tell that some major damage had been done.  Gabriel sustained significant trauma to the back of his head.  Whoever attacked Gabriel hit him with something heavy and with a lot of force.  There is blood on Gabriel’s shirt, just below his right shoulder.  He thinks that Gabriel might have been shot. 

When the ambulance has left the parking garage, Gary gets on the elevator to the main floor.  He quickly walks through the lobby to the other set of elevators.  He has to get up to Eva’s apartment and tell her what’s happened.  He decides that it is something he needs to tell her in person and not over the telephone.

When he gets to Eva’s apartment, he pounds on the door.  “Eva, it’s Gary.  Open the door.”

The door swings up.  The horrified look on Eva’s face lets him know that she is prepared for the worst. 

“Something’s happened, hasn’t it?” she asks, motioning for him to come into the apartment.

“I found Gabriel next to his car.  You were right, someone attacked him.”

“Is he okay?”

“I’m not sure.  He had a pretty bad cut on his head for sure and maybe some other injuries.  The paramedics didn’t really say much.  They just left.  They said they were taking him to University hospital.”

“Oh my God, I have to get to the hospital.  Thank you Gary for checking on him and letting me know what happened.”

“Just doing my job.  Listen, Gabriel is tough.  All Navy guys are, right?  He’s going to be fine.”

“I hope so.  I’m going to try and go to the hospital.”

“I would go with you, but I can’t leave my post.”

“I totally understand.  Thank you for everything.”

“Let me know what happens, okay.”

“Definitely.  Thanks again, Gary,” Eva says, closing the door behind him.

He’s lost in his thoughts, as he makes his way back to the desk in the lobby.  When the elevator doors open, he is surprised to see a man he doesn’t recognize standing at the desk. 

“Hey, how did you get in here?” he asks.  Gary is surprised when the man turns around and is pointing a gun at him. 

“Give me your keys and the code to the elevator right now,” the man snarls.

Gary is frozen with fear.  Pictures of his wife and kids flash before his eyes.  He kicks himself for not being more careful.  He should have checked the garage more carefully and called the police.  The garage is the only way he can think of that this guy got in.  He reluctantly gives the man the code to the elevator.  His last thought is of Eva and how he needs to warn her, before he feels a burning in his chest and everything goes black.

* * * * *

              Eva has her purse clutched tightly in her hand, as she stands in front of her apartment door.  She has decided that whatever happens, she is going to push forward.  She has to get to the hospital and make sure that Gabriel is okay.  His attack is her fault.  If it wasn’t for his involvement with her, he would be perfectly fine.  The least she can do is be by his side at the hospital.

His condition trumps her illness.  She vows not to let her agoraphobia stop her.

She takes a deep breath, before she opens the door.  When she opens the door, she

doesn’t have much time to react to what she sees.  Ryan Collins stands on the other side. 

She tries to shut the door, but he pushes it open, knocking her to the floor.  She

gets up and tries to run, but he grabs her.  She watches him lift his hand that holds a pistol.  She feels a pain in the side of her head.  She reaches up and touches the area where she feels pain and brings back fingers covered in blood. 

She hears herself say Ryan’s name.  She watches him lift his hand and she feels him hit her again.  She feels her body go limp, as she collapses to the floor.  Everything feels like it is moving in slow motion.  Her vision starts to go blurry. 

“Please don’t,” she says, as Ryan brings his hand down again.  She feels a very sharp pain, before she loses consciousness.

* * * * *

              Ryan stands over Eva, staring down at her.  A smile forms.  He is finally going to get his revenge.  Absolutely nothing stands in his way now.  He got rid of pesky Gabriel, his only obstacle.  Now is his moment.  It has finally arrived. 

              He takes off Eva’s coat and sits her in a kitchen chair.  He zip-ties her hands behind her back and her legs to the chair.  Now it’s just a waiting game.  When Eva wakes up, she’s in for a huge surprise.  He can’t wait to see the look on her face when she is completely blindsided by his news.  He knows that she is completely in the dark.  She has no idea who he is.  It will be a delight to fill her in.

              They’ll have a nice little catch-up before he ends her pathetic life.  As far as he’s concerned, he’ll probably be doing her a favor.  What kind of life does someone have, spending every single waking moment inside an apartment?  A pretty shitty one in his eyes.  He will be putting her out of her misery.  She’s just wasting space, as far as he’s concerned. 

              He sits down on the couch and props his feet up on the coffee table.  He crosses his arms and closes his eyes.  He thinks about all the fun that he’s about to have.  So far, everything has went according to plan.  It’s been a good day thus far.  Now, he just has to wait for Eva to come to and his day will get even better.

* * * * *

              Gabriel opens his eyes.  A woman he doesn’t recognize stands over him.  “What happened?  Where am I?” he asks her, trying to remember.

              “You’re at University Hospital.  You were attacked in a parking garage.”

              “Eva?  Where is Eva?” he says, trying to sit up.

              “Sir, I’m not sure who Eva is.  I need you to calm down,” she says, placing her hand on his shoulder and guiding him to back onto the bed.

              “I can’t stay here.  I have to check on Eva.”

              “The police are on their way.  They’ll be able to help you.  I need you to relax.”

              “Where are you taking me?”

              “We’re taking you to have a CT Scan, to see how much damage you’ve sustained to your head and your shoulder.”

              “I have to get to Eva.”

              “I’m sorry, sir, but you’re very ill.  I’m afraid you’re in no condition to go anywhere.”

Gabriel gives up protesting.  He knows it’s a fight he’s not going to win.  He knows that if he puts up too much resistance, they will restrain him, and he will be stuck.  For now, he will be on his best behavior.  All the while thinking about how he’s going to get out of the hospital in the quickest amount of time.