Prologue: Kyle

I watched her chest rise and fall with each quiet, steady breath, silently preparing myself to tell yet another lie.  She looked so peaceful, so innocent.  She was my angel, my love.  I could hardly stand to lie to her like this, but what choice did I have?

I swept a lock of her long, blonde hair away from her face, kissing her neck gently.  I heard her inhale sharply, sighing.  She turned her head towards me as I lifted my lips from her neck, staring into those stunning emerald eyes.  A smile spread across her face.  Cold fingers grazed my stubbly cheek, raising goose bumps on my skin. 

“Good morning,” I whispered, kissing her finger tips.  Her other hand wound its way into my hair. 

“You’re up early.” She glanced at the clock on her end table. “It’s only four-thirty.” She slowly took in the fact that I was already dressed in a suit and tie. 

“I know.” I told her, giving her the excuse I always used. “I’ve got a patient who needs emergent surgery, though.  The hospital just paged.”  I kissed her.

“Mmm,” she moaned against the kiss, “you need to get going then.  Don’t let me keep you from your patients.”

I pressed against her lips harder. “I promise to make it up to you, okay.” I mentally reminded myself to kick my own ass when I left. “How about dinner tonight, anywhere you want?  How does that sound?” She kissed me back, rolling on top of me and resting on my chest. 

“That sounds like a plan.  Nine?” She smiled and propped her head atop her hands.

“Nine it is.” We kissed one last time before she rolled off of me and back to her side of the bed.  I rose from the bed, straightening my tie and the wrinkles in my suit, and grabbed my jacket off the coat rack by the closet door.  I looked back at her one last time, smiling.

“I love you, Nicole.” I whispered to the darkness, realizing she was already asleep again.  I sighed, turning for the door.  She had no idea that I wasn’t a doctor or a surgeon for that matter.  It was a cover for my real job, but I wasn’t allowed to tell her that.  I was barely allowed to breathe around her let alone date her.  I was tired of using everything I did in my life as a cover for my job.  I just wanted to kiss her without them watching my every move. 

I opened the bedroom door and entered the living room.  My cell phone was sitting on the glass coffee table, vibrating like an earthquake.  The screen’s backlight glowed neon blue.  I instantly recognized the unknown number on the caller id. 

“Hey, it’s me.” I said, answering the call.

Static sounded on the other side. “You got the instructions?” A deep, electronic voice asked.

“Yes,” I briefly remembered the message I’d received from the guy in the blue swim trunks on the bus yesterday.  I was to be in the alley just before the corner of North Street and Central Avenue by five-thirty to discuss our plan of action.  “I’m heading out the door right now, sir.”

“Good, make sure all-“

“I know, sir.  ‘Make sure all exits and entrances are secured and locked before I leave.’” I subconsciously glanced around the blackened room, cursing myself for not checking it before my entrance.

“Yes, come prepared as well.  I have a feeling that they will try something this morning.”

“I always am, sir.  I’ll see you there.” The line went dead, and I stuffed the phone in my pants pocket.  I could feel the faint outline of my occupied gun holster against my back as I pulled my jacket on, covering it up.  After checking the locks on everything, I picked up my briefcase by the front door and left the apartment.

The halls were quiet as expected for four-thirty in the morning.  I made my way to the elevators and pressed the down button.  Suddenly I heard shoes, probably heals, clacking against the tiled floor to my left.  I turned, prepared to pull my gun out, only to realize it was our neighbor and Nicole’s friend, Risha.  She walked towards me wearing a bleached white blouse, gray pencil skirt, and as expected, a pair of black stilettos. 

“Good morning, handsome.” She exclaimed a bit too cheerfully, slinging her purse over her shoulder.  

“Good morning to you, too, Risha.  A bit cheerful today, aren’t we?” I cracked a smile.

“I’m a morning person, you know.  Morning people are always cheerful in the morning.” She smiled too as she caught me laughing at her. “Okay, I may have had one more cup of coffee than I should have had.  So, a caffeine rush is expected.  Plus, the person I share my cubicle with- also the person I despise- got fired yesterday, so, until they replace him, I have the cubicle to myself.” I had forgotten that Risha worked in the marketing branch for one of the companies here in the city. 

“That’s horrible!” I laughed, “Someone just lost their job, and you’re celebrating.” I shook my head.

“Hey, if you had to spend nine hours next to someone as obnoxious as he was, you’d be glad he got fired, too.”

“I suppose I would.” Now we were both laughing in the middle of a silent hallway.

“We’re going to hell, aren’t we- for laughing at a someone getting fired?” Risha asked.  I nodded, fighting back another fit of laughter.  She cleared her throat as the elevator dinged open, and we entered.

“So, how’s work at the hospital going?” She questioned, pressing the lobby button.  The doors closed.

“Good, they paged me in for an emergent surgery.” The lie rolled easily off my tongue again. “I’ll tell you they’re throwing them at me left and right.  I’m surprised Nicky’s not mad at me for the forty-eight hour shifts sometimes.  I can see that it’s hard on her.”

Risha patted my back gently. “She’ll be okay.  Besides, she has me to keep her company when you’re not at home.”

“Yea, I promised her dinner tonight at nine.  I’m hoping the hospital doesn’t overload me again.”

“Good luck with that.” The doors opened again on the lobby. “See you later, Kyle.” She walked towards the car garage as I headed for the front doors. 

The brightly lit street was already bustling with taxis and early risers.  Billboards advertised new clothes brands and shoes.  Flashing lights called the drunks down to the depths of yet another glass of scotch.  People rushed by on both foot and bike, their collars turned up to keep their ears warm.  Some had ear buds in, listening to music or a local podcast. 

I took a right, turning up my own collar.  I could feel my nose turning pink by the second as the temperature lingered at a chilly forty degrees.  A breeze swept through the streets, knocking the color turned leaves off their branches and sent them swaying to the ground.  It was another sign that snow was on its way. 

It was refreshing in a way that a sugar rush was.  It woke up my sense and helped me pay attention to the people around me, reassuring myself that I was not being followed.  No one else was to know of this meeting.  I could get my ass canned for it or worse if someone else knew.  The entirety of my job was this way, always in secrecy.  It was something I resented, but knew was necessary.  People would freak out if they knew truth of the organization for which I worked.

I checked my watch.  Five-fifteen.  Damn!  I picked up my pace, crossed the street in front of me, and veered left at the corner, glancing at the street sign: Church Street.  I was getting close.  At the end of this street, I took a right and crossed another street.  I was at North Street; now, I just needed to follow the sidewalk to the end of the street where it ran into Central Avenue. 

As I approached the corner, I slowly entered the alley on my left.  I checked the roof tops, behind me, and every single cut out and crevice of the alley.  When, I was satisfied I took a seat on a crate near a dumpster.  It stunk, of course, like rotten fish, decaying rodents, and God knows what else.  

I checked my watch again.  It was five-thirty.     

    

One: Nicole

I rolled over and closed my eyes, silently hiding my disappointment that he couldn’t sleep in longer with me.  Kyle was always at the hospital running test and scans or performing surgeries.  I understood that he was saving lives and making history, but was it so bad that I wanted him to have a life with me, too?

I pulled the blanket tighter around my shoulders.  Maybe sleep was all I needed.  After all, I would see him tonight at nine.  So, no need to become possessive, right?

“I love you, Nicole.” I heard him say.  The declaration was barely a whisper.  I smiled to myself, feeling special because of this rare declaration.  I thought about answering him but kept silent, savoring the moment.  He sighed when I said nothing and probably assumed I had gone back to sleep.  The door knob jangled open and then almost immediately clicked shut.

Suddenly, a buzzing noise sounded.  I looked towards my phone that was sitting on my end table.  I half expected it to show a call from Risha, but the screen remained blank.  I blinked, confused- not from not getting a call from Risha at four-thirty in the morning, but because I didn’t understand what was making that God-awful noise.

A thought occurred to me.  Maybe Kyle forgot to grab his pager on his way out.  I sat up, looking anxiously towards his end table.  Nothing.  His end table was void of anything on the surface except for a picture of us we’d taken on our trip to Paris, France.

 

***

           

I remember the trip as if we’d taken it yesterday when it was actually four years ago.  He’d come home from the hospital that night, and I remember being so pissed off at him because of all the time he’d been logging at the hospital instead of at home.  He was just coming off his intern year at the hospital, so, he was expected to be at the hospital that long.  However, me being the poor little waitress girl I was at the time, I didn’t understand the three day shifts and overnight stays- not that I understand them any better now except I don’t complain as much.

Anyways, he’d come home that night like he always did no matter how early he got off- droopy, saggy, purple bags hung under his amazing blue eyes, no shower and kind of smelly, hair disheveled and sticking up everywhere like Alfalfa, the wrinkles in his suit destroyed the almost perfect ironing job I’d done, and the scent of a dozen cups of coffee and several peppermints lingered heavily on his breath.  (I had wondered at one point if the patients he cared for had ever felt just a little guilty that they were making their hot doctor scatter brained and bald.)  I took in his natural state briefly- more or less ignoring it completely- as he walked in the door and had gone straight for the “You Need to Spend More Time at Home with Me” speech I’d been preparing all day in my head during my shift at IHOP.

He hadn’t even closed the door yet when I started in on him, so, he just stood in the open doorway while I ranted on and on about me being more important than two dozen terminally ill patients seeking more and more treatment.  I have to admit, I was being a bit of a bitch, but wouldn’t you if your husband or wife or girlfriend or boyfriend was always at work?  It took me a whole five minutes to realize that he was barely listening to me.  This pissed me off even more to the point of silence, so, I just stood there fuming while he stared at me.

Finally he spoke, “Have I ever told you that you look so damn sexy when you’re mad?  It kind of turns me on.” He smiled from ear to ear.  I gaped at him.

“I can’t believe you find this amusing!” I scoffed.  “I’m being serious, Kyle!”

He laughed.  “I know you are, but you should see your face.  It’s cute.”  He sat his briefcase down, opening it.  “I’m also thinking that you’ll be much happier after I tell you what I have up my sleeve.”  He started pulling out brochure after brochure, piling it on the floor next to him.  I caught a glimpse of a passport and all my anger ceased to exist in that instant.

He stood up again, facing me with his arms full of packets of information.  “The hospital is giving me vacation time because of my hours.  I want to spend this time with you away from here, in a place where we can forget about everything.” He paused, taking in my change of mood.  “I’ve been thinking for awhile now where to go, and then I remembered our first date at that French place downtown.  I hated French food at the time, but you loved it so I went along with it because you were so damn hot that you had me lapping at your heels like a freaking dog.

“And I remember asking you about where your favorite place was in the whole world.  You told me-“

 “-Paris,” I had said, cutting him off.  I covered my mouth with my hands, tears streaming freely down my face.  “Oh my God, you got tickets to… Paris!” I instantly regretted cussing him about and being selfish about how he distributed his time. 

He dropped all the brochures in the middle of the floor and pulled two tickets out of his jacket pocket.  “What do you say to spending two weeks with me in your favorite place in the world?”

A day later on that Saturday, we caught our first class flight to Paris, France, sipping on champagne the whole way.  We visited the Eiffel Tower and had this random tourist, who didn’t speak a lick of English, take out picture when we reached the top- that was the picture on my boyfriend’s night stand.  It was the happiest moment of my life. 

 

***

 

I snapped out of my reverie as I slowly realized the buzzing had sounded again, loud and persistent, but not in our bedroom. I pulled the covers back and climbed out of bed.  I was determined to figure out what was making that sound.

I approached the door that separated our bedroom from the rest of the apartment and stopped.  The buzzing had gone silent suddenly.  I looked down, thinking I might have accidentally stepped on its origin, when I heard voices on the other side of the door.

“Hey, it’s me.” I put my ear on the door.  “I’m headed out the door right now, sir.” I heard Kyle’s voice and then a muffled response coming from what I guessed was a phone- what I hoped was a phone anyways.  I couldn’t necessarily tell through a closed door, though. 

I figured it was probably the hospital checking up on his arrival for the emergent surgery.  Then, Kyle answered, “I know, sir.  Make sure all exits and entrances are secured and locked before I leave.” This raised a red flag for a very panicked second.  Did Kyle know something I didn’t?  Were we supposed to expect company today? Tonight?

I racked my tired brain for anything that would make him say this to someone from the hospital.  Then, a revelation hit me, what if he wasn’t talking to someone from the hospital?  This raised even more questions than it answered.  Among them was: Was he cheating on me? and What the hell was he talking about? plus many more.

I paced the bedroom pondering these questions, until I my head ached.  I resigned to taking a hot shower to calm my nerves.  I knew I was overreacting and that Kyle would never do anything to hurt me, and he certainly would never lie to me.  Yet, I stood under the scorching hot stream of water doubting the truth of these obvious facts.  I needed to talk to Risha about this.  She was the only person who would be able to reassure me that Kyle wasn’t doing anything fishy.  

With this conclusion in mind, I washed quickly and hopped out of the shower.  I checked the clock.  It was five-thirty.  She should be up already.  I thought, grabbing my phone and clutching my towel tightly to my dripping frame.  I dialed her number while digging through my closet.  She picked up on the third ring.

“Well, good morning, princess!” She exclaimed in her classic ‘too much caffeine’ voice that I knew all too well.  “I just had the pleasure of chatting with your gorgeous boyfriend in the elevator this morning.  I didn’t know he was an early riser.” A car horn blared in the background.  I still didn’t understand why she drove to work in Atlanta traffic.  It was pretty much impossible when you worked downtown. 

“Yea, me neither.” I said preoccupied. “Did he seem off to you this morning when you spoke to him?” I asked on a whim. 

“Not really.  We joked about my obnoxious cubicle colleague that got fired.”

“Well, it’s about damn time!” I laughed. “I thought I was going to have to keep hearing about him for eternity.”

   “I know right!” she giggled. “He was worried about how well you were taking his long hours, especially since the ‘Paris episode,’ but other than that he seemed fine.  Why?” I heard her cussing someone out who cut her off in the turn lane.

“Well, I heard him talking on the phone this morning before he left.” I said, pouring the gas gently on the conversation.

This sparked her attention like high school gossip, “With whom?”

“I don’t know.  I was trying to go back to sleep, but I heard this buzzing sound.  It was irritating and annoying.  Anyways, after I realized it wasn’t coming from our room, I headed towards the living room, and before I opened the door, I heard him talking to someone.  And it’s been bugging me since then.” I pulled down a pair of jeans and my UGA sweatshirt from the top of the closet and threw them on my bed along with a pair of panties and a bra.

“Well, what did he say?”

“He was agreeing to check all the exits and entrances before he left.  Normally, a person would just lock the front door of their house, you know.  But what threw me off was that I thought he was talking to someone from the hospital.  Besides, who would tell someone that they were going to ‘secure all of the entrances and exits?’ That’s just weird right, or am I completely losing it and having another ‘Paris episode?’” She was silent.  I checked my phone, thinking she hung up on me, but the call was still connected.

“Risha, you have to talk to me.  I’m losing my mind on this end of the line.  I’ve been pacing like a mad man and would like some reassurance from an amazing friend like you.” I was kissing ass now, but I didn’t care.  I just wanted her to reassure me that everything was fine so I could stop freaking out, even if it was a lie. “Risha, is everything all right?” I could hear her breathing heavily.  “Risha!  For God’s sake answer me damn it!”

I heard the phone hit something hard.  Did she drop her phone? There was a loud bang followed by two- no three more.  Were those gunshots?

“OH MY GOD, RISHA!  RISHA, SAY SOMETHING, PLEASE, ANYTHING!” A sob escaped from my lips.  I couldn’t comprehend what was happening.  I didn’t know if someone shot Risha or if she was shooting at someone.  Did she even own a gun?  Was she… dead?

Tears rushed down my face at an alarming rate.  Finally, a rustling sound came from her end of the line.  “Oh no!  Nicole, are you still there?” It was Risha!  Thank God she wasn’t dead.

“I’m here.” I said my voice breaking.

“No, no, no, no, no, no.  Oh God, Nicole, I’m so sorry!” she was crying now. “It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. OH GOD!”

“Risha, you’re scaring me.  What’s wrong?”

“It’s Kyle, Nicole.  I think…”

“No, please.  No!” I sobbed harder now.  A thousand possibilities crossed my mind, but only one made sense.

“Nicole… I think he’s dead.”

 

 

  

Two: Kyle

“What are you talking about?” I asked, staring at him. 

“You know what I mean, Kyle.  It won’t be real.”

“She won’t know the difference.  Unless Nicole sees my body, she will not believe any of you- no matter how convincing you can be.  It won’t work.” I protested angrily.

“Kyle, trust us.  For the next operation you’re doing, you have to go undercover.  We can’t allow any part of this operation to fail or get out.  Do you know what would happen if our agency became public knowledge? They’d snuff us all out in an instant, and they’d go after Nicole, too- not just you.”

“You don’t think I know that already, Mark?  Of course I know that!”

“You have to decide, Kyle.  Fake your death or leave her.  What’s it gonna be?” he placed his hands on his hips.

I swallowed hard.  “Do I even have a choice in this?  Why can’t I just bring her with me like I have been?”

He sighed.  “It’s the confidentiality policy.  The less truth she knows about what you do the better.  Either way, you cannot be around her for this.  They could go after her while you’re on your mission.  This is supposed to protect the both of you.  When this is over, you can go back to her if you want.”

“Mark, she will never forgive me for this.  If I leave her for this operation, she won’t let me go back to her.  There is no ‘first class flight and two weeks here or there trip’ that will fix this with her.  She and I are done being a couple if I take this assignment.”

“This assignment can make or break your career.  If you do this, your spot at the agency will never be brought into question again.”  He parried as if the job was more important than my relationship with Nicole.

I shook my head. “Yea, but it doesn’t do me any good if I can’t tell her about this myself.  I didn’t know this morning would be the last time I saw her.” I kicked the wall out of frustration.

“That’s why we’re giving you an ultimatum.”

“You won’t let me choose, though.  The agency always decides for me.  So, what’s the point in giving me a decision?” I shouted in his face, making sure to add a little spittle on the end just to show him how pissed off I was with his ridiculous idea.

He stared at me- the quiet before the storm.  He turned around and walked towards the wall before turning around to face me again.  Mark ground his jaw in frustration.

“Look, Kyle, I hate putting you in this situation as much as the next person, but the agency won’t let me budge with this decision.  I represent the agency that I work for, the agency that I love, the agency that cares for my family when I’m gone.  I’m not going turn my back on them at the last second just because you can’t accept leaving your pathetic little girlfriend for a fucking job.”

“She’s not pathetic, and you’ve seen what the agency can do to relationships.  All you have to do is look at the nasty divorce you got yourself into.”

“Just stop right there, now!”

“Oh no, you brought it up.  You don’t get to walk out on this conversation just because it’s delicate and touchy feely.” He had me on the edge now.  One more crack about Nicole, and I was going to kick ass.

“ENOUGH!  You are doing this regardless of what you want, Kyle.  I’m done talking to you about this!” He crossed his arms across his chest defiantly, reminding me of a little kid trying to throw a temper tantrum.

Well, two could play at this game.  “Make me.”

Three: Nicole

The scene before me was a blur of tears and confusion.  I didn’t understand what was obviously the truth.  I watched as the black coroner’s van rolled up to the scene.  People avoided it like the plague and stepped aside immediately when the medical examiner emerged from the car.  Photographers and news reporters had swarmed the area in minutes, blinding onlookers with their flashing cameras.  Police officers and people in black, plastic jumpsuits picked at random things, placed them in bags, and dusted random things.

I hadn’t even been there for five minutes, but already, I could not move.  My legs felt like jelly, and my brain was a mess of disorientation.  I leaned against the wall for support, staring at the last place Kyle would ever be in his life.  I had just seen him this morning- alive and well and breathing and kissing me on the lips like he had never kissed anyone before, holding me in his arms, not wanting to ever let go.  But, I pushed him away.  I told him to go to that stupid hospital and care for people he didn’t know, didn’t love.  

I only did that because I knew being at the hospital, doing surgeries, and saving lives was a job that he couldn’t afford to lose.  He loved that job, and losing it would crush him.  It was my way of being the ‘supportive girlfriend.’ 

A pang of guilt instantly shot through my stomach as a sob exploded in my chest.  Tears tore from my eyes, pouring down my face and soaking the collar of my sweatshirt.  Desperate cries escaped from my lips as I pounded the side of the building.

Then, suddenly, Risha was there, holding me and whispering things. “It’s okay.” She said as anger and grief raced through my body, making me spasm with sobs. “Let it out.” She soothed. “Let it all out.  It’s okay.”  She rubbed my back and rocked us back and forth slowly as if I were the child and she the comforting adult.

A few minutes later, I pulled away, ashamed.  “What happened?” I croaked through my raw voice.

She glanced back at the alley for a second before turning back.  “I don’t know.” She said. “I was sitting in my car in traffic, and suddenly, I see Kyle walking into the alley out of the corner of my eye.  Someone else walks up ten minutes later.  They talk, and then there’s nothing but gunshots coming from every possible directions.” Risha stares at me, breathless. “The other guy didn’t threaten Kyle or anything, but I’m not sure he didn’t shoot Kyle either.”

I absorb the information, but it goes in one ear and out the other in a matter of seconds.  All I heard was that Kyle got shot.  It was enough to make me freak out, though.

“Oh, Risha, oh God!” she hugged me to her again as another fit of sobs hit me hard.

I looked over her shoulder and, through my blurry vision, saw them rolling a gurney out from the alley.  A black bag, encasing him, lay atop the gurney.  “IT’S HIM!” I shouted as more pain coursed through my veins. “IT’S HIM!  IT’S HIM!  IT’S HIM!  NO!” I worked my way out of Risha’s comforting arms and ran towards the gurney, towards Kyle. 

People stared as I rushed the gurney crew.  “LET ME SEE HIM!” I screamed at the nearest police officer when I was close enough.  I tried to push my way through them to get to the gurney.

They forced me back.  “Ma’m, I’m sorry, but I’m gonna have to ask you to stand back.” He outstretched his arms, pushing me away as the others wheeled the gurney towards the coroner’s van.  

I tried pushing my way forward again. “I have to see him.  He’s my boyfriend.  Please!”

The man gave me a troubling look before turning around. “Hey, Mark!”

“Yea,” the gurney stopped.  A man wearing a black and white suit lifted his head. He was tall with brown, shaggy hair.  He might have been attractive had it not been for the swelling bruise on his right eye.

“I have someone here who says she can identify John Doe.  Can she have a quick look-see?”

Mark huffed, looking at the coroner.  The medical examiner nodded. “We don’t have much time to waste, Hugh, but yes, she can have a minute to identify him.” Instantly, the men moved away from the gurney, making space for me to stand. 

I walked forward slowly.  I didn’t want to do this, but I had to know if that was Kyle in the bag.  Not knowing if he was dead would be worse than knowing he was in the bag.

I clutched my hands to my chest, scared.  My heart raced rapidly against my rib cage.  Fresh tears stained my face.  I swallowed, placing my hands on the body bag.  Clutching the zipper, I gently unzipped the bag and pulled the flaps back.                

The corpse in the bag was obviously masculine- the rigged, square jaw and the relatively short hairstyle gave it away.  He was white with a nice tan.  His eyes were a deep blue color with a white film covering them.  The hair was blonde and messy, probably from the bitter wind.  His lips were the fullest I’d ever seen in a man- gorgeous.  I stared at the man in the body bag, frozen in place. 

“Well, do you know him or not?” The man they called Mark asked me.  I lifted my head, looking at him.  He wore a stern face, appearing more or less annoyed by my presence.  Still I said nothing.  “I didn’t think so.” He said, returning to the gurney and zipping the bag closed again. 

They wheeled the gurney towards the van and loaded it inside.  I heard shoes clacking against the pavement as Risha wrapped her long fingers around my arm.  She turned me around, facing her.

“Who was it?” She asked hurriedly.  “Did you recognize it?” She glared at me with worsening concern.  I knew she was anxious to know who was in the bag, but I couldn’t wipe the blank stare off my face.  After a minute, her face slid into a look of grief that I knew was directed towards me.  “It was Kyle; wasn’t it?”

I shook my head. “No,” I said, thinking of Kyle’s jet black hair and melting chocolate eyes, “it wasn’t.”

 

***

 

I paced the living room of my apartment- my mind elsewhere as I chewed on a fingernail. 

“Risha, I’m going to ask you one more time.” I said thoroughly agitated. “Are you sure you saw Kyle in-“

“I swear on my own life, Nicky.  I swear to you that I saw Kyle in that stupid alley.  Now quit asking me!” She was perched on the edge of the sofa, clasping her hands tightly.  She’d called in to work sick this morning and had since changed into a sweatshirt and yoga pants.

“I don’t understand where he could’ve gone between the conversation with that man and being shot at in the alley.” I laughed lightly.  “He works at a fucking hospital.  He shouldn’t be discussing secrets in a back alley behind an antiques store; he should be at the hospital with the emergent surgery he had to go do this morning.  He should-“ I stopped midsentence- a thought whirring in my head at a hundred miles an hour.  “Kyle should be at the hospital.”

“What?”  Risha asked as I searched frantically for my phone.

I pulled it out of my back pocket and speed dialed the hospital.  “If he was injured and not dead, he’d be at the hospital getting-“

“-getting his wounds treated.” She finished.  Relief spread across her face.

“Or,” I said continuing my previous thought, “you just thought you saw him in the alley when he was really already at work.”

Risha looked at me, horrified. “I just said that I saw-“  I held up a hand, silencing her.

Someone had picked up at the hospital.  “Hello, Grady Memorial Hospital.  This is Sharon.  How may I help you?”

“Hey, Sharon,” I said, pacing again.  “I’m looking to see if you have any patients by the name of Kyle Williams with a possible gunshot wound.”

“Hold on, and I will check.” There was a lot of clicking sounds followed by a whir or two before she answered.  “I’m sorry.  We don’t seem to have any patients by that name.”

“Umm,” I muttered, thinking. “What about doctors by that name?  He should be one of the general surgeons there.”  A lot of clicking and whirring sounded from the other side.  I glanced at Risha, but she held the same look of desperation.  This was my last shot at sanity.  I couldn’t go crazy over this; Risha would never allow it.

“Listen, Miss, I don’t know who you are or why you’re asking for this man, but you sound desperate.  If you want me to, I can file a missing persons report or something.”

My heart pounded harder in my chest.  “I’m sorry.  What are you saying?”

The woman cleared her throat.  “Ma’m this man, Kyle, he’s not here.  He’s not anywhere in this hospital.  And as far as the hospital records are concerned, a Dr. Kyle Williams has never been hired or has one ever been treated by this hospital for any type of injury.  I can get the police on the line for you if-”

“No,” I blurted, staring into a trance at the wall. “That won’t be necessary.”

“What’s wrong?” Risha asked as I hung up.

“My last hope,” I sobbed, “has vanished without a trace.”

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Publication Date: 01-25-2014

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Dedication:
-To my very supportive family and friends and, of course, to my dedicated readers and followers. Thanks for reading, and enjoy!