Chapter Eleven

"Cade, I'm really scared," Molly confessed as Cade opened the refrigerator and dug out two bottles of beer. He twisted the tops off both and handed one to Molly. "I'm so scared something awful has happened to Ava and when we find her, it won't be good."

Cade set his bottle on the counter and embraced her, holding her tightly to his chest. He wanted to reassure her that everything would turn out right. He wanted to tell her that Ava was perfectly fine, just hiding out, but he couldn't. He was afraid, too. And he was afraid that Molly was right.

"We just have to be patient," he said as he kissed the crown of her head. "We have to be patient and I know how hard that is. I don't like sitting around waiting, either, but I don't know what else to do. I just keep hoping that she'll turn up in the basement or something."

"Me, too," Molly whispered, fighting the endless supply of tears. "I know that perhaps I failed her once and I don't want to fail her again."

He released her and grabbed his bottle, taking a long drink. "What will happen when we do find her now that her mother is dead and her brother is gone?"

"I'm not entirely sure," Molly said as she ripped a paper towel off the holder and blotted her nose. "I…"

Cade lifted a hand to stop her and cocked his head toward the basement door. "Did you hear that?"

Molly shook her head. "Hear what?"

Cade crossed the room and slowly opened the basement door. As the light spilled onto the steps he gasped loudly and clunked down the stairs to the limp form crumpled near the bottom.

"Ava!" he shouted.

"Ava?" Molly called from the top of the stairs. "Oh, no!"

"Get the others," Cade ordered as he carefully placed two fingers to Ava's neck. He held his breath until he felt the blood pump beneath his fingers and then chanced a smile. "Ava?" he said softly, afraid to move her. "Can you hear me?"

"Damn!" Jay cursed as he and the others tromped down the stairs. "Is she…?"

Cade shook his head as he stroked Ava's hair. "Ava, answer me, sweetheart."

She stirred slightly and turned her face toward his voice. An eye opened as she tried to lift her head. "Cade? I'm thirsty."

"Did you fall down the stairs?" he asked, desperate to move her but unsure whether he should. "Are you hurt?"

"Didn't fall," she said, her voice cracked and frog-like. She attempted to hoist her upper body off the steps but her arms trembled and gave. Cade caught her before she could bang her chin on the steps.

"Come on," he said as he carefully cradled her body to his chest and carried her upstairs and to the living room sofa. He blanched when he was able to get a good look at her in the light. "Damn."

"I'm calling an ambulance," Richie announced as he jerked the phone out of the base. He turned away as he spoke.

Cade's hands trembled as he smoothed the hair off her face. Her lips were cracked and her face pale. She was so lethargic and couldn't keep her eyes open.

"Her feet," Molly mumbled as she dropped to her knees beside the sofa. "They're all cut up – the poor thing."

"Running barefoot through the city I bet," Jay said in a tight voice.

It didn't take long for the sirens to stop outside their door and Van raced to allow the paramedics to enter. Ava woke long enough to find Cade's hand and squeeze.

"Don't leave me alone," she begged in a frail voice. "Don't leave me, please."

"One of us will stay with you at all times," Jay promised, his glare daring either of the medics to contradict him. "I promise."

Seemingly satisfied, Ava closed her eyes again.

"What's wrong with her?" Cade asked as the female EMS shined a penlight in Ava's eyes and ears. "Is she going to be okay?"

"You'll have to ask the doctor," the woman replied as her partner unrolled tubing connected to a bag of clear liquid. The woman stretched Ava's arm as the man tapped her veins on the back of her hand and, finding one he liked, poked a needle under her skin. He quickly taped the catheter in place and nodded at the woman. They gently lifted Ava's limp body onto a gurney.

"One of you can ride with us," the man said. "But only one."

"Go, Jay," Cade said, knowing Jay wouldn't relax unless he was right there in the thick of things. Besides, Cade figured Molly would be a wreck.

"Me and Van will take my car," Richie said. "We'll meet you two at the hospital."

Cade nodded and threaded his fingers through Molly's. They trailed after Van and Richie and rushed to the car.

"Don't you think you should call the police?" Molly asked, breaking the silence that had filled the car as they navigated through the dark streets.

"I will when we get to the hospital," Cade said with a scowl. "I just can't concentrate right now."

That was the truth. He couldn't shake the image of Ava's frail body and he worried that something had happened to her to make her that sick and weak. Had Bruce caught up to her only for her to escape again? Or had she been hiding out somewhere else and gotten into something poisonous or dangerous?

He rubbed his forehead, trying to banish the gruesome thoughts from his mind. He just wanted to get to the hospital and talk to a doctor and see what was wrong and if it could be fixed.

When they reached the hospital, Cade parked quickly and, dragging Molly behind him, raced for the entrance. They met up with Richie and Van at the admission desk.

"Who are you here to see?" the young, flustered girl manning the desk asked. It was clear to Cade that she'd recognized them and was trying to do her job without losing control and gushing all over them.

"Ava Petersen," Cade said, pushing his way to the front. "Little girl, eight years old? An ambulance brought her in a few minutes ago? We're the only family she has left."

The young woman smiled weakly and gave in, waving them through the door. "You'll have to wait in the waiting room, though," she told them.

Molly thanked them as they hurried down the hall, ignoring the waiting room, in search of Jay. And they found him peering through the window of a trauma room door.

"What's going on?" Richie asked.

"Don't know," Jay shrugged. "The doctor has been examining her and ordering people around for awhile, though. I guess he'll tell us what's going on."

No sooner had the words left Jay's mouth than a doctor in aqua scrubs pushed through the doors, smiling at the group eagerly awaiting his prognosis.

"Does this young lady have parents?" he asked.

Molly stepped forward and quickly explained the situation. The doctor blanched but quickly regained his composure. He sighed and folded his arms over his chest.

"Well, there doesn't seem to be anything seriously wrong, although I've ordered tests and we'll have to wait for the results to be sure," he said. "She's a bit dehydrated and running a low grade fever. She has some cuts on the bottom of her feet that were dirty and in danger of infection – but she's pretty rundown right now and her entire body is like an invitation for infection. And from what you've told me, I'd guess she's been hiding, not eating or drinking, and fighting shock."

"Will she be okay?" Cade asked.

"Yes, although I'd feel more confident if I had the test results in front of me," he said with a smile. "But with some fluids, antibiotics, and rest, she should be fine."

"Can we go in there with her?" Van asked.

"Yes," he said. "But I'm going to have to report this to the police."

"I'm going to call the detective assigned to her case right now," Jay said. "You guys go in there and I'll be there in a second."

Cade led the group into the bright room where Ava seemed to be resting comfortably. An IV was still attached to her hand along with a few monitors but a touch of color had returned to her cheeks and she didn't appear quite so … deathly.

Cade took her left hand – the one without the IV – and kissed the back of it. He fought for control of his emotions as he didn't want her to hear the fear in his voice. He needed to be strong for her – needed to let her know somehow that he and his friends would do everything in their power to take care of her and all she needed to worry about was getting better.

"Ava," he whispered as he sank to a chair beside the bed. "We're all here with you. You're safe now. Rest, sweetheart, and when you wake up, one of us will be here."

Richie bent over her and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Get better, little dude. We'll be hanging out here so don't worry."

Molly smiled weakly at Cade and he could see the frustration in her eyes. She probably wanted to speak and offer comfort but she was afraid that Ava was still angry. She didn't want to upset her.

Jay burst through the doors, astonishment all over his face. He waved the others over and Cade reluctantly released Ava's hand. "I'm just going by the door for a second, Ava," he whispered. "I won't leave the room."

Cade, Molly, Van, and Richie gathered around Jay as he clutched his phone in his fist. "I called Detective Delacrux and let her know that Ava was here," he said, swallowing hard. "And she said she'd send an officer immediately to keep watch and then she'd be here as soon as she finished talking to the person in her office."

Cade's brow furrowed as he shook his head. "And?"

Jay grinned. "And the visitor in her office is Jared Petersen."

"They found her brother?" Molly asked as her face immediately brightened. "That's great!"

"No kidding?" Cade asked.

"No kidding," Jay said. "Can you imagine how happy that will make her?"

"Is he old enough to get custody of her?" Van asked Molly.

"I think so," Molly said. "I mean, he's eighteen or nineteen so legally he is, but I think there are certain stipulations. He has to have a home and a job and stuff."

"Oh please don't let him be a drug addict or anything," Richie mumbled. "I might have to kick his ass if he is."

"Let's hope he's clean," Cade said as he moved back to the chair next to Ava's bed. He lifted her hand to his lips again. "Hang in there, Ava. We have a surprise for you."

Delacrux finished her phone call and made two more before sitting back down across from Jared. His frustration level had risen and he swore to himself that if her phone rang one more time he'd yank it from her hand and hurl it against the wall, damn the consequences.

"Jared," she said with a smirk. "I think we'll have to finish this conversation later. It seems as though Ava has been located."

He stood so fast that his chair fell over backwards with a crash. "Where is she?"

"Lake City Memorial Hospital," Delacrux said.

"Is she all right," he asked as he leaned over the table eagerly. "Is she hurt? Did he hurt her?"

"I don't have any details," she said. "I've sent a couple of officers over there for security purposes and once we get there, we'll talk to her."

"I'm coming," he said.

"Of course," Detective Rodney said as he ushered Jared out of the room. "You can ride with us."

The drive to the hospital was torture. Jared sat in the back of the detectives' sedan and wondered, again, if this was what suspects felt like and also wondered if perhaps the detectives were trying to tell him something. He snorted quietly. The only thing he was guilty of was escaping that hellhole his mother had called home. He'd made a new life for himself and now he was going to do whatever he could to include Ava in that new life.

They raced inside the hospital, the detectives just as eager to see Ava as Jared – though, not for the same purposes – and were informed that she'd been moved to a room on the third floor.

The race to Ava continued and Jared was content to bide his time – until the elevator door opened. He pushed past the detectives in his rush to see his sister. The halls were vacant – which was a good thing given his quick pace – except for a group of people huddling outside Ava's door. Jared ignored them as he twisted the knob and was stopped as an officer grabbed his shoulders and shoved him back. A collective gasp rippled through the little crowd as the detectives jogged to the scene.

"Let go of me," Jared ordered through gritted teeth. He twisted in the cop's grasp. "That's my sister in there!"

"Let him through," Delacrux ordered and the cop's arms immediately fell to his sides. Jared didn't hesitate – he pushed the door open and hurried to the bed.

Ava looked so tiny under the blindingly white sheets. Her eyes were closed and her breathing even. An IV stand was near her bed, feeding her fluids through a skinny tube. He fought a sob as he dragged a chair closer and took her hand in his.

"Oh, kiddo, what did they do to you?" he whispered, his voice cracking. "What did they do?"

He held her hand to his cheek as a few tears trickled from his eyes. He felt the presence of several people behind him but he wasn't concerned with them. He was only concerned with the little girl sleeping peacefully in the bed.

"Jared, we're going to need to speak to her when she wakes," Delacrux whispered behind him.

He nodded and lifted a hand to Ava's face, brushing a couple of strands of hair off her cheek. "Just let her rest right now, okay? She's sick and needs her sleep."

"Of course," Rodney said. "We'll go let the nurses know you're here so the doctor can talk to you."

"Thanks," Jared said quietly, his eyes not leaving Ava's face. He heard the door open and close behind him and relaxed slightly as he held onto her and waited for whatever was to come next.

"I take it that was the brother," Cade whispered to Jay after the angry young man muscled his way past the guard and into Ava's room.

"Looks that way," Jay mumbled as he leaned against the wall.

Molly moved away from them, checking signs in search of a waiting room or someplace deemed safe for cell phone use. She needed to call her supervisor and update her on Ava's case. And, she sighed, she wanted to remove herself from the stress for a few moments and wrap her mind around what was happening.

She stopped a nurse carrying a tray and got directions to a small room with vending machines and a couple of tables. Molly thanked her and glanced over her shoulder.

Van and Richie were sitting on the floor, their backs against the wall, while Cade and Jay conversed in hushed tones near the door. Molly figured sooner or later someone from the hospital staff would shoo them away or even send them to the room where Molly was now headed, but for the time being, everyone had left them alone.

Molly turned a corner and found the little room with no problems. She made her phone call, quickly explaining the situation to Linda, and ended it after a brief interrogation by her boss.

She sank to a table and released a long breath. She needed a moment to put things into perspective – things that didn't necessarily involve Ava.

Yes, the guilt was still there – the guilt that she hadn't handled Ava's case properly. Perhaps she wasn't totally at fault, but she was so inexperienced and way over her head in this one. She hadn't expressed those feelings to Linda over the phone and Linda hadn't indicated that she thought that, but it would have to be discussed as soon as Molly could get back into the office.

And then there was Cade. She smiled a little when she thought of him. He was so handsome and just plain nice. She'd already gotten over the fact that he was a burgeoning rock star. She enjoyed being with him and he'd been wonderfully comforting during this whole ordeal – but she wondered what would happen once the Ava matter was settled. Was the blossoming romance between the two of them or was it a product of the quest they'd set upon together? Was it their identical need to protect Ava that drew them together? She supposed she'd have to wait and find out even though she wasn't sure she could. Did she dare give more of her heart to the man only to chance it being broken once things were resolved? She certainly didn't know about that but what she did know was that it wasn't going to be solved tonight in a cold, sterile break room of the hospital.

Sighing, she pushed out of her seat and fished some change from her pocket. She dropped it in the soda machine and selected a diet cola. She collected her prize and trudged out of the room and back to the agonizing 'waiting zone.' She'd worry about her personal life later.

The voices sounded far off and the insects buzzing around her ears were drowning out the words. She wanted to know what they were saying but most of all, she wanted to hear who the voices belonged to.

She wanted to swat away those pesky bugs but her arms were too heavy and she was just so tired. She wasn't sure exactly where she was, either – maybe at home or in the warehouse basement or even still in the box. Wherever she was, it smelled different and she desperately wished she could open her eyes and figure it out. But her eyelids were heavy, too.

The voices stopped and a moment later a warm hand closed around hers. It was a large hand, rough and callused.

Could it belong to Jay or Cade?

She felt her nose scrunch up in concentration and it encouraged her. If she could do that then certainly she could raise her eyelids.

"Ava?" a voice whispered through the buzz. "Are you awake?"

She recognized the voice but didn't dare open her eyes and find that she was dreaming or something. That would hurt entirely too much.

Another hand – just as big and rough – touched her cheek and forehead. The sensation was too real to imagine. Her heart jumped but still she was cautious.

The door whooshed open and several footsteps tapped the floor.

"Is she awake?"

That voice she was sure was Jay's and it brought her a sense of relief. They'd promised they wouldn't leave her and they hadn't.

"I think she's trying," said the voice that she desperately wanted to be real. She turned her head slightly toward it.

"Hey, kiddo," the voice continued. "Wake up, will you? I've missed you and would like to see you."

Tears burned her eyes but they were the least of her concerns. With a burst of energy, she forced her eyes open and through the tears she saw eyes so like hers and the big smile and the face of the person she loved most in the whole world.

"Jared," she breathed as her heart twisted with joy.