Page 66 of Dauntless

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

The nurse came in and over to my heart monitor, which was beeping. She spoke to Trish, “You’re upsetting our patient. You need to leave.”

“No, please,” I begged. “Trish can’t go. I need to know what’s going on. If I can help, I will.”

Trish stood her ground. “This is an ongoing FBI investigation. Every minute is important. I have permission to ask her questions.” She produced a paper from a folder that was in the briefcase she had on the floor. “Her doctor and the hospital administrator approved my request.”

“As long as the questions you ask don’t further harm the patient, you can ask them,” the nurse said strictly. “I know that’s written on the consent form you signed. If I have to come back in here, you’ll have to go back and get more papers to regain access to Ms. Ruiz.”

“I’m sure it won’t be long,” I said to the nurse and thanked her when she left. I then asked Trish, “Can you tell me what happened? I’ll tell you what I know.”

“We found you unconscious in the glass house with Mr. and Mrs. Olson,” she replied. “I can assure you that both are in jail now, being held without bail for your kidnapping, abuse, and drugging. Mrs. Olson was hitting you on the head with a rock. She would be charged with attempted murder.”

I frowned. “No. That can’t be… she wouldn’t do that. She was helping me.”

“You are mistaken, Gia. I saw her hit you,” Trish said sympathetically. “I pulled her off you.”

“I… I didn’t know,” I stammered absently. It had to be because she saw Thomas and was frighten of what he might do to her. There I was, trying to see good where there wasn’t any. I was still underestimating the cruelty some were capable of. Dimitri had warned me about that. Even if she started out helping me, she chose differently in the end. I shook my head.

“What do you mean Elliott’s missing?” I asked. No. He couldn’t be missing. Not Elliott. My eyes darted around. “I saw Elliott at Loren’s house.”

“Elliott wasn’t at Loren’s house,” she said. “He… he disappeared at the Los Angeles house raid. When we were searching your house, we found a weird message with Tove’s name. Tove told us he took you to Loren’s and relayed how she behaved when you were at her house. We had also found some information in Walter’s home that pointed toward a money transfer via a company set up by Thomas and Loren Olson. I got a search warrant, and that’s how the FBI found you.”

My brows lifted. They found my note. “Is Kevin okay? He was guarding me before I was taken.”

She shook his head and sighed. “Kevin's dead. His neck was slashed. A flower delivery man discovered his body in your driveway and called the police. It was too late to save him when the police got there.”

I swallowed hard. “He had been protecting me. I won’t forgive myself for that.”

“You should,” she said. ‘That wouldn’t honor Kevin. He was dedicated to his duty to protect you.”

“How long have I been here?” I asked. There had to be time to find Elliott. “A day?”

“Five,” she told me and cleared her throat. “Five days.”

My heart shattered at the meaning. Five days?? Could Elliott survive five days? Was he alive?

“I’m sorry,” she added. “But I must start asking you questions. Time is of the essence. I need to know everything Dimitri said to you, and if he mentioned Elliott.”

“Dimitri didn’t tell me much,” I choked. “He threatened me. He said he’d hurt those I care for if I left… He said Patrick hired him to get my inheritance and company. Liz is also involved. She admitted to sending the video. Loren showed up at my home. She was helping them. Thomas said he wanted to get rid of me, kill me,” I rambled, but Trish took everything I said down on her recording device.

“It’s good we found you in time,” she said and paused. “But there has to be more. Anything.”

I frowned hard trying to get my mind to cooperate and concentrate on what I remembered Dimitri telling me. “He said we were going somewhere warm,” I sucked in air. “I’m useless.”

“You’re not,” she said hearteningly. “Just tell me anything Dimitri said. Did he mention any contacts?”

“Yes,” I replied, my voice lifting. “He said he had a cleaner at my father’s home, a nurse with Dane. Are they safe?”

“Yes, they are,” she said. “We have police there. Any more contacts?”

I furrowed my brows as I tried to think. “Dimitri said one of his contacts had infiltrated the squad that accompanied your FBI team on the house raid in Los Angeles. He claimed it is a Swat member, and the person would kill Elliott. He also said he had to call them every hour. Oh, God. Please, what happened to Elliott when he went to the house?” I choked.

Her eyes widened. “That can’t…be.” She stood up.

“Wait,” I said. “Who is it?”

“I’ve got to do something right now,” she said taking out her phone. “Do not tell anyone else what you told me.”

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