Ben drops his head. “I stayed on the mainland with Bridget,” he murmurs.
“What!” I yell.
He shakes his head as he looks at the ground.
“You knew Max wasn’t on that boat of guards and you left anyway?” I growl.
“Natasha told me to go. She said you two were just going to go to bed,” he pushes out through tears as he holds his head in anguish.
“Why would you listen to her? You are the head of my security. Why would you go and leave us open to this?”
He screws up his face as the tears fill his eyes and he shakes his head. “I don’t know. I don’t know.”
“I will tell you why,” Cameron snaps. “You’re incompetent, that’s why.”
Ben drops to the chair in the corner and holds his head in his hands as he weeps tears of guilt. “What did the guards hear?” I ask him.
He shakes his head. “Nothing,” he replies, muffled through his hands.
“What, they heard nothing?” I snap.
He shakes his head. “From where they were they heard nothing. No screams, no boat, nothing. Not a fucking thing. I rang them three times through the night and they were unaware of anything until we heard your screams for help in the morning.”
I frown and my eyes flick to Cameron. “What’s the drug they were talking about I had in my system?”
“Rohypnol,” he replies. “It showed up in the toxicology report.”
“What’s that?” I ask.
“It’s a date rape drug. It knocks you out with no memory.”
I frown. “Do you think Natasha was given it too?”
Cameron nods. “I think so, otherwise she would have screamed.”
Ben stands. “You were asleep before I even left the boat.”
I frown. “I don’t remember going to bed,” I murmur as I try to remember through the hazy fog.
Ben shakes his head. “You lost your shit at the wedding and then when you were getting into the boat you appeared drunk.” He pauses while he thinks of something. “Natasha and I thought you were drunk.”
“Where is Max? Did he do this?” I snap.
“No!” Ben snaps. “The photos weren’t even real-you were set up.”
I put my hand on my forehead in shame. The doctor walks in with three of his registrars.
“Hello Mr Stanton.” He smiles sympathetically.
I nod.
“We understand you are under a lot of stress, sir. How are you feeling today?” he asks.
“A lot better, thanks.”
He takes out his stethoscope and listens to my chest. “How are you emotionally?”
I drop my head. “I’m ok.”
“We will be discharging you today but we are putting you into the care of your brother and if any time he feels you are becoming unstable we would like to see you again.”
I nod again. Just shut the fuck up and let me out of here.
The doctor’s eyes meet Cameron’s. “I think that perhaps Mr Stanton may need to go on some anti-anxiety medication for a while.”
Cameron’s eyes flick to me and he nods. “Ok,” he replies as he opens the door. He then follows the doctor out of the room, obviously so they can talk about me without me hearing them.
Ben stands. “I will find her Stan. If it’s the last fucking thing I do. I will find her.”
I nod as my eyesight becomes blurry through the tears.
“Who do you think did this?” he asks.
“The sick fuck from Australia,” I whisper as my eyes close in pain. If he has her she’s probably being tortured right now.
Ben shakes his head. “It’s not him. He doesn’t have her.”
I frown. “What makes you so sure?”
“Serial killers have a pattern and I have studied his. This is too elaborate, too easy to get caught. They drugged you both. Got out to a boat. We don’t even know if that blood is Natasha’s. It wouldn’t surprise me if we don’t get a ransom note sometime over the next week. This isn’t the pattern of a sex offender.”
I stare straight ahead.
“Stan, I take full responsibility for this and as soon as we find her I will be handing in my resignation,” Ben replies quietly.
I nod again, unable to speak.
“Just find her, Ben,” I murmur as I stare straight ahead. He nods and exits the room. Cameron walks back into the room with an overnight bag of clothes. “Get dressed. We are going,” he murmurs.
My eyes glance at the bag on the bed. “Where are the clothes I was brought in here in?” I ask.
He bites his bottom lip. “You don’t remember anything about that?”
I frown and shake my head.
“The ambulance crew cut them off you because you were so freezing from being in the water so long that your body had gone into shock.”
I swallow the lump in my throat and drop my head as I remember diving deep into the dark cold water in search of my love. I have never been so frightened.
Cameron puts his arm around my shoulders and pulls me into an embrace. “We’ll get through this, mate. You are not alone. We are going to find her,” he Whispers. I drop my head to his shoulder and he holds me for a moment. “I… Cameron, I don’t know how to deal with this. Who has her?” My heart rate picks up at the thought of her suffering. “I can’t fucking handle this,” I murmur as he holds me tighter. “What if they are hurting her?” I scream. “She needs medical treatment-she’s cut.” I pull out of his embrace and Ben comes back into the room.
“You need to quieten down or they will not let you leave. We need you at home to help us figure this mess out,” he snaps.
I nod. Yes, he’s right. I can’t help her from here. I need to get out of here. I slowly pick up my clothes and put them on in silence.
I walk from the hospital forever a different man. My life will never be the same. Scarred. They have succeeded in doing what they have always wanted to do. The ultimate prize has always been to bring me to my knees and they haven’t done just that, they have cut off half of me. I’m a shell without Natasha by my side and they knew the only way to hurt me was to hurt her.
Where are you, Tash?
Are you safe, baby?
Flanked by security I walk out the front doors of the hospital to hear my name screamed by photographers and the blinding flashes start. I drop my head and walk toward my waiting car.