THE TERROR ZONE

CHAPTER NINE

“I’ll get the phone sweetheart. Why don’t you jump in the shower,” said Paul, as he kissed me and welcomed a new day.

“Hello, Mr. Boecker. This is Officer Beck. Could I please speak with Dr. Skyler?”

“She just stepped into the shower, Officer. Can she call you back?”

“I’m sure she’s going to want to hear my findings. She asked me to let her know when we had a definite answer confirming, Mrs. Howl’s untimely departure.”

“Could I take a message and have her call you back if she needs to?” asked Paul.

“Sure. The autopsy showed signs of aging and shrinkage in the brain. They said it was almost like she died going mad, along with starvation and dehydration. A brain scan showed a seriously high dopamine level, enlarged brain ventricles, a small volume of brain tissue and absolutely no activity in the frontal lobe of the grain for some time. In short, she was driven mad!”

“Thank you, Officer. I’ll relay this very interesting but unusual information to her. Could you please fax the paperwork to Susan's office?” said Paul.

“Yes. Good-bye, Mr. Boecker.

“Who were you talking to, sweetie?” I asked.

“It was Officer Beck. He gave me the lowdown on Angelica Howl. He said, in short, she was driven mad! If you need to know all the particulars, you can call him. I also had him fax the paperwork to your office.”

“Thank you, Paul. If Kerry wasn’t so good at her job, I’d hire you. LOL, I said.

“Oh, hell no, said Paul. There is no way I’d ever want to spend my days with all those psychotics.

“Paul!” I said, irritated. "Give me a kiss, I got to go to work. "

At my office...

“Hi, Dr. Susan. How are you today?” asked Kerry.

“I had a good nights’ sleep and now I'm ready to take on the day,” I answered.

“Mr. Finch, says you told him to come in this morning. He’s in the waiting room.”

“Mr. Finch, how lovely to see you again. I think with all the excitement yesterday, I forgot to thank you for saving Paul’s life. I’m not sure what one says in a situation like that, but, thank you just the same.”

“It was my pleasure, Dr. Skyler. What are we doing today?” asked Alex.

“Well first, do you have anything important you’d like to share with me this morning?”

“Yes. Does your daughter, Lindsey have blond hair and blue eyes; and is she about ten years old?” asked Alex.

“Yes, Alex, what do you know about her? That sure got my attention!

“I saw her in my dreams last night. I thought it was her. She is still alive, but I am not sure where she is or even why she was there. Something strange happened to me last night. I could have sworn George told me he is trapped somewhere. I know, it sounds odd, and like I said, it has never happened to me before, but I have felt this connection with him ever since we were brought together at the police department.”

“Can I hypnotize you, Alex?” Honestly, I would like to pull out more information about my daughter, but also, if we can find George, we may all breathe a little safer.”

“I give you permission to walk through my brain Doc. I would be proud to be your guinea pig, if I can play a part in saving your daughter and George, but while you are in there, prodding around, could you flip the switch to off, you know the one that makes me so peculiar?”

“Thank you, Alex. Now, I want you to watch the metronome as it ticks back and forth. Imagine you are lying on a beach listening to the ocean and enjoying the warm rays of the sun. Your eyelids are getting heavy. You can’t keep your eyes open any longer, and you fade off to sleep. All you can hear now is my voice. Are you asleep Alex?

“Yes. Dr. Skyler.”

“Can you take me to a time in your life when you were most happy, Alex?”

“I’m so tiny. A woman with all black on is holding me close and talking to me like I understand her. She’s holding a bottle in my mouth and singing a song I barely recognize.”

“Can you focus on the song, Alex?”

“It’s something about a baby. I think she’s making the words up as she goes. It sounds like Rock-A-Bye Baby, only different.”

“Do you recognize anything in the room?” I ask.

“It’s all silver, white and shiny . . . cold. There are no decorations or any knickknacks or anything, not even any curtains. I look around the room and it almost looks like a lab of some kind. Wait! Someone just walked in, and he’s angry with the woman. He’s yelling at her, saying she isn’t supposed to be in here. He is telling her he will take measures to see that it won’t happen again. He’s pulling me from her arms. She’s crying and walking away. Now, I’m crying loudly. I feel the tension between them, and it makes me sad. I could feel the love when she touched me,” said Alex.

“Do you see any writing or anything that can give you a hint as to where you are? Concentrate, Alex. Look around the room. What do you see?”

“A stainless-steel bed with stirrups and belts to tie someone down. Needles and tubes, and that man, he’s wearing a mask over his mouth. He has on green clothes, similar to what doctors’ wear, with green slippers over his shoes. He has grey hair but only around his head, he’s bald on top. His eyes are surrounded by wrinkles, and he looks so sad. I feel him. I mean, I feel what he’s feeling. He’s scared, unhappy, yet sure of himself. He’s holding me close. I think he actually feels something for me. And yet, it’s like he’s hiding something. I just started screaming in pain. His badge or pin stuck me, and I’m bleeding. He’s putting a bandage on me. The pin, it reads ‘T.N. Baxter, MD.”

“That’s wonderful, Alex. Let’s move to something else. Can you focus on Lindsey?”

“I don’t see her, Doc.”

“Look further into your subconscious, Alex.”

“I’m sorry, Doc, I can’t bring her in. George?” said Alex.

“What do you see, Alex?” I asked.

“George. He’s trying to tell me something. He’s in danger. He’s hungry and tired … he’s fading. Wait. He's, back. He’s looking for something. Someone has joined him. I can’t see who it is. He has his back to me. George is trying to turn him around. Holy god!” chanted Alex. "It's me holding him there. He is in trouble because of me. George is pleading with me to stop this insanity.”

“Alex, are you okay? You are just sitting there. Is everything all right?”

“George is gone. He left. I think I hurt him. Let me try to find him, Doc. Don’t wake me up yet.”

“I’ll let you stay there for a little while longer, Alex. But you are starting to worry me. Any more shenanigans and I’ll have to step in.”

“I understand, Doctor. George, where are you? He’s underground. He’s buried underground, and it’s my face that’s holding the shovel. George, forgive me. George, come back,” hollered Alex.

“Alex, scan the area. Where are you?”

“It’s a graveyard! There is a gate with a name. I have to move around to read it. Bradenton Cemetery. Bingo. We’ll save you, George. Hang on brother…”

“Alex, can you hear me? I am going to count to three, and you will come out relaxed and in no danger, feeling fine. One, two, three.”

“Doc, we have to save George.” said Alex.

“Let’s notify the proper authorities and then we’ll head to the cemetery.”

Kerry took care of calling the cops, and Alex and I rushed out, heading for Bradenton Cemetery. About twenty minutes after we’d left, Alex started jerking and gasping for air.

“What are you doing Alex? I asked.

“I can’t breathe. I feel like I’m running out of air. Hurry, Dr. Skyler, I think we may be losing George,” said Alex, as he tried to breathe without too much trouble. “Yes George, I feel you. Try to breathe through me, brother. That’s right, breathe slowly in and out, as I do. That’s right. Now calm down and try to breath regularly. Okay. If we breathe slowly and calmly together, we might just make it before it’s too late. I love you too, brother.”

“Hold on, George,” I said, as tears poured down my cheeks.

“Did you hear that, George? George, stay with me. Breathe with me, George. That’s right. Deeper now, George.”

“Alex, I yelled, you’re not breathing. Alex,” I said, slapping him in the face. I pulled over to the side of the road and started to administer mouth to mouth. “Alex, I cried, please wake up! Alex? Oh gees, I thought I’d lost you. Come on breath.”

“I’m back Doc, please get off my chest!” implored Alex.

“Sorry, Alex,” I said. Now hold on, both of you. I only have a few more miles to go.”

“There, Alex, you see it,” I said, pointing to the gate to the cemetery. I’ts locked. Sit still Alex, I’ll see if I can open it.”

I fiddled with the lock. I banged on the gate. I even tried to climb over, but no way was I getting in.

“Alex, its no use. I can’t get in.” I said.

I got back in the driver’s seat and looked at the gate. Alex’s breathing was labored and shallow. I knew it was almost the end for at lease one of them. I started the engine, backed up, and then put the car in drive. I pulled Alex’s seat belt around him and buckled it. I buckled my seat belt and pushed the pedal to the metal.

“Hang on, guys, I yelled, we are going in!”

We crashed into the gate, but it only dented it. I started to cry again. I backed up again, only this time I went back twice as far. I stepped on the gas, and by the time I hit the gate, we must have been going thirty miles per hour. My head hit the steering wheel, and I could feel the blood dripping down my face.

“Alex, are you okay?”

“I’m okay. Let’s get to George.”

“How are we going to find him, Alex?” I asked.

“Just follow me. I can feel his terror. I can find him.”

We went about halfway through the cemetery and stopped at a grave site with no headstone and a mound of fresh dirt.

“This is it, Doctor. This is where George is buried. We have to hurry Doc, I can’t feel him breathing!” cried Alex.

“We started digging with our hands, and then we heard voices. I looked up and saw flashlights. When they came closer, I realized it was the Bradenton Police.

“Please help us, Officers. Our friend is buried alive here. Please hurry,” I Pleaded, and suddenly, Alex fell to the ground.

“We know all about it, Doctor Skyler. Officer Beck of the Okeechobee Police notified us.”

Several cops started to dig. It didn’t take them long at all to reach the casket, since the dirt was newly shoveled.

“I hit something,” yelled Officer Cleaver. He used his shovel to brush off the casket.

“Okay men, lift the lid,” ordered Captain Lark.

“George, are you all right? George,” I screamed. I slapped him in the face a few times, but there was no reaction. I bent over and, again administered CPR.

“He’s breathing. Alex, he’s breathing.” I shouted.

“Yeah, now get off his chest, Doc,” said Alex, smiling.

If I wouldn’t have seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed that Alex and George could keep each other alive. I sat on the ground watching the cops grab their belongings and clear the area.

“Thank you, Captain Lark,” I said, shaking his hand.

Medics from Okeechobee carried George and Alex on stretchers and loaded them into the ambulance.

“I’ll see you guys back home,” I said, hugging them dearly. As I backed out of the way of the stretchers, Alex grabbed my hand.

“Doc, he’s watching us. He’s still out there,” whispered Alex, and then he passed out.

I looked around, and again felt an eerie chill coursing through my soul. I almost felt like I knew he was there too. I quickly walked to my car, turned on the heat and got the hell out of there.

When I arrived back in town, I went straight to Paul’s.

“Paul, sweetheart, I’m sorry I didn’t call. I just got wrapped up again. Can you forgive me?”

“It’s your lucky night,” he said. “Kerry called and filled me in. I told her I was going to meet you there, but she insisted I stay and wait. She said she had half an army heading that way, and you were in good hands. But that doesn’t let you off the hook for taking a dangerous situation and stepping right into the middle of the hurricane. You really have to start letting the professionals do their jobs, honey. I am starting to worry that you are too involved in your work and not seeing, or not making the right decisions when necessary.”

“That is a terrible thing to say, Paul. I saved George’s life tonight. And I have a feeling, if I hadn’t, Alex would have gone down with him. Honey, I witnessed something no less than a miracle out there tonight! Alex connected with George, and he was helping him breathe while George was buried six feet underground. I had to stop the car and give Alex CPR. They kept each other alive, baby.”

Paul just looked at me. He didn’t say a word.

“He’s still out there, babe,” I said.

“Who’s still out there, Sky?” asked Paul.

“The one who is causing all this trouble. I’m starting to think they are triplets, not twins.”

“Why do you say that,” asked Paul.

“It’s just the way Alex was talking, and one more thing,” I said as I looked Paul in the eyes…

“Sweetheart, you’re starting to scare me. You are changing right in front of my eyes. I hardly recognize you anymore,” said Paul.

“Perhaps you never knew me at all,” I said spitefully. Paul backed up and looked at me for a few minutes, then walked away.

“Paul, I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s happening to me. You are absolutely right, I am changing. Something’s twisting me in knots, and I can’t get it out of my head.”

Paul put his arms around me gently, brushed my hair back, and looked into my eyes. “What’s in your head, baby? What’s changing you? I wish I knew how to help you.”

“I don’t know, Paul. I feel my veins run cold, and then I feel like I’m outside of my body, watching someone else take over. I know, it sounds just as strange to me as it does to you. I can almost feel myself going crazy! I’m a psychiatrist. I know all the symptoms. I just can’t seem to stop it!”

“I think you should hire a private investigator to look into the family history of Alex and George. You can’t do all this by yourself. I would love to help, but I can’t just stop working and pretend I know how to investigate, long lost relatives and junk.”

“Actually, Paul, that is the sanest thing anyone has said to me in weeks. I’ll call someone tomorrow. Thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without you. But right now, let’s go make love. I need a little tender loving care.”

I walked past the dining room and saw lit candles, beautiful roses in a vase, and a set table. I smiled and suddenly felt like such a heel, that I’d missed my evening with Paul.

“Sweetheart, I see you had a romantic evening planned for tonight.”

“Yeah, I did. But I called and told her not to come because you were on your way home,” teased Paul.

“I love you baby. Please don’t ever leave me. No matter how crazy I get! I don’t know what I’d have done if you wouldn’t have been here to help me through my daughter’s kidnapping.”

“Sky?” said Paul.

“Yes, my love?”

“You’ve never said your daughter was kidnapped aloud, before. Why all of a sudden would you use those words?” asked Paul.

“Are you trying to put words into my mouth, Paul? Why are you questioning me?” I asked, intimidatingly. “I’m tired. Let’s make love now.”

We made love and fell asleep entwined together, like grapes on a vine.

“No! Leave me alone, you bastard,” I screamed. “No, I don’t want you to do that. Stop!” I said, accidentally hitting Paul in the eye with my elbow, as he was trying to wake me up.

“You were having a dream, Sky,” said Paul. You’re trembling, babe. Do you want to talk about it?”

“I don’t remember what it was about. Oh, sweetheart, your eye. Are you okay?” I said, apologetically. “Would you like me to get some ice?”

“Lying here with you is all I need baby.”

We tangled back up and fell fast asleep.