Page 76 of Dark Things

“Excuse me, I’m looking for Reb Vischer. She was in room 333. There’s no one in there,” I say, to the woman sitting behind a giant computer screen. She looks up and eyes me as if I’m lacking.

“And you are?” she asks.

“Colter Shultz, I’m Reb’s fiance.”

I start to tap the wooden top between us, and shuffle from side to side. I will jump over this goddamn counter and look in the computer myself if she doesn’t hurry up and tell me what I want to know.

She clicks a few buttons and then tilts her head. “We don’t have anyone in our system with that name.”

I’m so stunned that I don’t reply right away. Once my brain comes back online I say, “That’s a mistake. She was brought into the ED with a bullet wound to her chest. She just got out of surgery. The doctor downstairs told me to come up to the ICU to see her.”

Calling over another nurse she relays what I just said. This nurse looks at me and then picks up the phone and dials a number. I wait for her to get off, but I can’t sit still. I start pacing. There’s nothing that I can do before she stops talking to whomever is on the other end.

The door to the floor opens up and Staff and Brooks come walking down the hallway. I’m surprisedto see that they were allowed access to the floor, but I’m glad they’re here regardless.

“Where is she? Why are you in the hall?” Brooks asks. The rest of the nurses turn to say something to him, but he pulls himself up and scowls. They back down, not wanting to mess with the giant.

“Sir, it seems she’s being transferred to another facility. They’re medevacing her to another hospital, although I have no idea why. She wasn’t stable enough for transport,” the nurse says as she hangs up the phone.

“What? You’re saying they’re taking her in a helicopter to another hospital? Which one?” Staff asks.

I bite my tongue so hard preventing myself from screaming at this lady, that blood coats my mouth. This can’t be happening, again. I move before Staff can get an answer from the nurse. I press the elevator button more times than necessary, bouncing on my feet.

“They don’t know what hospital. They don’t know anything, Colt,” Staff says.

The elevators swing open, and all three of us rush in. I press the ‘R’ button for the roof and the door swings closed. We ride up in silence, my mind moving to who the fuck could have authorized this. She doesn’t have any family left except for Magnus, but from what I gathered at Haven, she doesn’t know where he is.

There’s only one person I can think that would do this besides Mario, and since Mario’s dead, that only leaves him—Stan Graves.

We reach the floor, and all three of us rush out, just in time to see a gurney being strapped down to the interior of a helicopter. There’s no one on the helipad; everyone is already inside the chopper.

“BELLE!” I scream, running toward her.

A man turns when he sees me coming, and the smile on his face sends chills down my spine. He waves, and the helicopter lifts off the ground. I don’t stop. I can’t. There’s nothing that can prevent me from getting her.

But it picks up speed, and by the time I reach the middle of the helipad, it’s out of my reach.

“FUCK!”

My hands go into my hair as I watch the only woman I’ve ever loved lift off into the air. I don’t know where she’s going or who took her for sure, but I do know one thing.

There’s nothing and no one who will keep me from getting back to her. It might have taken five years the first time, but I’m not that teenage boy anymore. Now I’m a tainted soulless monster that will do everything possible for her to be in my arms again.

“They think they can keep you from me, Belle. Let them try. I’m coming for you…and this time, I’m not leaving anyone standing.”