Brawler (14 page)

“Jonas?” she, asks getting my attention.

“Yeah, Princess?”

“What do you think about this?”

“I’m sorry?” I ask, feeling stupid for zoning out on her. “About what?”

“Venessa said it was like she was paralyzed; she couldn’t move, but she could see and hear,” she explains. “So I have a theory about that.”

“Let me hear it,” I say. Rogan and Venessa both pull their chairs closer to the bed so now we have her surrounded, waiting to hear what she has to say. She sits herself up and crosses her legs, and I swear you can see the gears turning in her brain. She likes figuring  out puzzles; them she’s doing it right now, and Venessa was right. Briggs is already forgotten because she has a new puzzle to solve.

“I don’t think it’s necessary to explain the design of my drug, because that isn’t what was used here,” she starts. “I believe Rohypnol was used because it’s intent is to keep someone impaired enough to be unable to fight back. They lie on the floor, eyes open, able to observe events but completely unable to move. Afterwards, memory is impaired and they cannot recall any of what happened. Venessa can remember, so I can assume with being injected that it worked quickly, but she was likely dosed wrong, and because of her size it didn’t last as long as perhaps it should have. In most cases the person is given a pill or it’s put into their drink without their knowledge; then person experiences loss of muscle control, confusion, drowsiness, and amnesia …”

“Macy,” Rogan interrupts “Slow down.”

“Huh?” she asks, then blinks, not realizing when she’s medicated she talks a mile a minute. “Right, okay, Rohypnol is called the date rape drug. Problem is, even if we tested your blood it’s not going to show up. It’s legal in some countries, but not here in the US, obviously. But it’s not difficult to get.” Looking at Venessa you can see her working out the details “You’re still pale. Are you sweating or feeling hot? How’s your heart rate? Is it elevated?”

“I’m feeling better, Macy, just tired. Increased heart rate, yeah, but that may be because you were under fucking attack,” she says. “Warm or cold I can’t say, nothing I noticed one way or the other, Macy I was more focused on you.”

“Okay, well, based on that, I suppose you may have been given a light dose. Essentially Flunitrazepam or Narcozep. Like I said, it is used to incapacitate; we’re lucky it didn’t cause convulsions and memory loss. ”

“Jesus,” I say “You actually know this shit?”

“Well yes, since it’s what
I do.”

“Rogan and I are trained to know this, but you have to know all this too? In detail?”

“She isn’t just a nurse, Rafe,” says Venessa. “You did know she’s a pharmaceutical scientist, right?”

“A what?” I ask, looking over at Rogan, who nods.

“Nursing is something I do on the side,” she says, like it’s no big deal that she isn’t just nurse-smart, she’s fucking pharmaceutical-scientist-smart!

“All right ,Macy,” says Rogan, bringing us back. “You got more, so hit us with it.”

“Why use Rohypnol ,” she says. “Why not use my drug?”

“So we’re dealing with someone with access to pharmaceuticals?” asks Rogan.

“Well that’s just it,” she says, waving her hands, then winces and drops them. “You were given what you’d know as a ‘roofie,’ which isn’t hard to get. So we’re dealing with someone who wanted you out of the way and used Briggs to get to me. That’s my theory, and it’s not a good one, because I think someone is willing to go to a lot of trouble to get what’s in my head.”

“Wait,” says Venessa, standing up. “I was fucking roofied?”

“I believe so, yes.”

“Roofied!”

“I’m sorry, V,” she whispers.

“I’m not pissed at you, Macy, but seriously, I was roofied? People still use that shit?”

“He said he was getting paid a fuckload to get what’s in my head. I think he got the Rohypnol on his own because the last time he went toe to toe with you, he lost. He never had any money, and getting it would be fairly cheap and effective. I think he planned on using it on me, but you showing up forced his hand. Whoever was paying him was probably keeping him high, too, because a year ago if you asked me if he was capable of this I’d have said no. But within the last year he’s done all sorts of despicable shit, so he was desperate, and whoever it is pulling the strings knew it.”

Just when I was about to weigh in or smash my fist into the wall the nurse comes in to take her to her CT scan, so we all watch her go, staying quiet until it’s just the three of us again.

“The fuck are we dealing with here?” I ask, agitated and worried.

“Whatever the fuck it is, the only one who’s gonna figure it out just rolled down to X-ray,” says Rogan, and for once, I agree.

T
he tech in charge of my CT scan was a talker. Typically people with head injuries aren’t appreciative of incessant chatter, and come to find out, I am no exception.  Her name is Cathy which seems appropriate given she lacks the ability to shut the hell up, but she works quickly, for which I’m grateful. I work here, so if I were to, I don’t know? Slap her. I’m sure word would spread, so I held back.

Heading back to the room, I’m anxious to get cleared to leave so I can sleep for the next twelve hours or so. I’m also eager to get the hell away from the doctor and the looks of pity from the other three. Now that the threat is mostly gone I see no reason not to go home, sleep in my own bed, watch my own television, and not be reminded Jonas thinks I’m a porno chick.

As soon as we enter my suite they all stop talking, but of course they would. I’m the fragile one, remember? See, the problem is someone grabbed Rohypnol and a needle, and gave it to Briggs to incapacitate me, so despite the pain in my head I’m smart enough to know that whoever gave the order knew who Venessa was and what she was capable of. Brigg’s hadn’t expected her, why would he? She wasn’t supposed to be. I was. A cop I’m not, but I am a realist. This person or possibly persons know me, and that’s where this gets personal.

Jonas is the first to approach me, although you can see he doesn’t know what to do with me. One look tells me he wants to touch me, but the next look he thinks better of it, and stays back. I don’t have the ability to hash this out in my head right now. I want clearance, then I want quiet, then I’m doing my own homework. Venessa has been through enough, Rogan along with her. Now Jonas looks ready to kill people and all because I had this crazy idea to design a medicine to improve another human’s quality of life. It’s insane someone would go to all this trouble for it. They think I don’t know it’s been used to subdue women for trafficking; honestly, I probably figured it out before they did. Weird shit has been going on around me, but I act oblivious when I’m far from it, which is why I’ve taken extreme measures to protect my work. Once I’m told that I’m fine but need a few days to rest that’s what I’ll do, because resting gives me time to plan.

Venessa isn’t the only one with informants. Hello? I’m a nurse, I meet all sorts of interesting people, and if they can help me, in return their scripts may have a few extra pills. So yes, the innocent one has informants, too. Jonas opens his mouth to speak, but the doctor walks in before he can. Odd that he won’t look at anyone, including me. I’ve never known Chris to be intimidated before.

“Your CT scan was clear,” he clips. “Here are two scripts; one for pain, and an antibiotic. Follow up with your family doctor in the next forty-eight hours.” He hands them to me, and I notice his hand shaking, but before I can ask him if he’s all right, he turns and leaves, with Jonas right behind him.

Venessa sits next to me. “Are you ready to go?” she asks, handing me scrubs.

“Yes,” I say back. “Where is Jonas going?”

“To sign your release,” says Rogan.

“Okay,” I say. “If you don’t mind dropping me on your way home?”

“You’re not staying with Rafe?” Venessa asks, leering at me, and it’s a look I’m getting sick of.

“No,” I say firm. “With Briggs gone, I’ll be fine. I just need to be home with my own bed, computer and —”

“What is your problem?” demands Venessa.

“Excuse me?”

“Angel …” warns Rogan.

“I asked what your problem was,” she begins, ignoring him. “You run from Rafe’s again, only this time back to your fucking house which you knew wasn’t safe, and then proceeded to get beat down and almost ra—”

“Angel, enough,” says Rogan, pulling her back.

“No,” I say, standing up. “Let her finish, I really want to hear what
Kharma
has to say about
this.
”

“You know what I’m going to say.” She sneers at me. “What the fuck were you thinking? How could you do that to him, and to us?”

“You’re fucking joking, right?” I laugh, getting in her face. “This coming from the girl who had her fucking living will drawn up in front of her man, whom she
left
to go after the man trying to kill her? I’m sorry, aren’t you that girl?”

“I came for you,” she screams in my face, and it’s then I see Jonas reentering the room.

“You did come for me,” I say quietly. “I just did the same fucking thing for
you.
Don’t put this whole thing on me, Venessa. Briggs was coming and we both know it was only a matter of when. How do you think I felt when I found you on my goddamn kitchen floor? That son of a bitch hurt
you
, because of
me
. All of this bullshit happening is because of me. You get to run around fighting crime on your own fucking terms, but I can’t? Well, fuck that! You keep preaching I’m not some helpless whelp, yet it’s
you
that thinks the only thing I’m capable of is running to you for help.”

She takes a step back, looking from Rogan to me. “I don’t think that,” she says. “I never thought that, Macy. I don’t want any more blood on your hands. You don’t deserve —”

“I’ve been coated it in for years now, same as you, remember? We’ve been a team since the beginning,” I reply. “It never goes away, Venessa, and you know that as well as I do. He hurt you, he’s gone now. Are we going to stand here and argue, or are we going to finish this?”

“You both need time to heal,” adds Rogan. “The team is on a break until further notice.”

“Of course it is,” is my response as I grab the scrubs left for me, then look for my shoes but realize I don’t even have my own shoes here, either.

“Macy,” Venessa says, sitting next to me. “Don’t be pissed at me, please. You are capable, you’ve been capable since we were kids, I just don’t want you to feel like you have to be capable all the time. You can come to me, yeah?”

Looking over at her, I lose it. “Save it,” I growl. “I came to you about Briggs and he could have easily fucking killed you. I didn’t ask you to do it alone. You did it without caring what I thought because you didn’t see me as capable; you saw me as damaged. We should have done it
together
. You have as much bullshit in your life as I do mine, yet I always support you one hundred percent, no questions. You claim we’re equals, but when its crunch time you leave me out. You all do,” I say, looking around.

“Macy,” starts Rogan.

“No,” says Jonas joining the fun. “She’s right, we do. But it’s because you’re not cut out for this, and it’s because we care about you.”

“Is that right?” I ask with a smile. “When were you all going to share what my drug was being used for? When were you going to share you had Jonas following me without my permission? When were any of you going to share that you are each sitting there waiting for me to fucking crack? Guess what? Not going to fucking happen. Each one of you is as fucked up as I am. Some of you more than others,” I say glancing to Venessa and Jonas. “When were any of you going to come out and say what you’re really thinking? Because of
me
, because of what
I
created this nightmare is on your doorstep. All of this bullshit is my goddamn fault. I created a drug that is being used for evil instead of good. Because you think I’m a child, you kept me in the dark assuming I didn’t know, when I fucking
knew
. Why don’t the Three Musketeers think on that while I’m gone? I’m out.”

Pushing past Venessa, I do exactly that. Bare feet and all, I march my sassy ass right to the elevator and down to reception, feeling like a fucking fool.