Stay Away (The Beocraftian Gambit - Book One)

CHAPTER SIXTEEN: His Missing Daughter

Climbing out of the car, William glanced about—a cloud of gloom settling over his face at the sight of the mob and several police vehicles parked in front of De-Laurel. He became worried for his daughter.

"What the hell happened here?" he spoke in a low voice, directing the question to no one.

He got out of the car and walked to an older man dressed in a different uniform from the rest of the cops. He seemed to be the one leading the operation. "I am William Martinez," he introduced himself, flashing a badge at him. "Head of threat control unit."

"Inspector Alex Krevoy," the agile officer answered, taking out his badge and showing it to him. "Head of city police." he pushed the badge back in his pocket and tossed an inquisitive glance at him. "Mr. William Martinez?" his brows furrowed. "You don't happen to be related to one Miss Natasha Martinez, do you?"

"She's my daughter." his interest was piqued, and he became even more worried. "Why? Did something happen to her?"

"We got an anonymous call about a possible kidnap happening here at De-Laurel. The caller explicitly stated that the target is Miss Natasha Martinez, your daughter."

"My daughter?" Now he exploded. "Is she alright?"

"My men are in there searching for her. So far, no sign of her yet. We heard there was a gunshot earlier, possibly from the supposed kidnapper. I guess that's what started this commotion."

"I am going in there to have a look." William signalled to the armed uniformed men who were with him to follow him, and they all trooped behind him into the hospital.

It distressed William to see the traffic of nurses that were walking in and out of Room 157. He scampered to that ward and was momentarily confused to see Derik lying on the hospital bed in the place of his daughter. Several nurses surrounded him, attaching a heart monitor to him.

Derik was almost at the point of death. Had multiple stab wounds on his chest. An oxygen mask was worn over his face. The bed on which he was laid was stained in blood. The nurses were cleaning the blood from his body, while the doctor patched the cuts on his chest.

"Dr. Clark," William called out to the doctor operating on him. "Where is my daughter? She is supposed to be discharged today."

"I don't know where your daughter might be at the moment." said Clark, regretfully.

His brow tightened. "I'm sorry, what?"

"The police had informed us that your daughter was the target of a possible kidnap here in the hospital." Dr. Clark started off, "One of the nurses said she saw your daughter leaving the hospital with another teenager just about her age during the commotion. She noted that your daughter went with him willingly, and that he didn't seem to look dangerous."

His worries grew. "Did she say where she was going?"

"Didn't ask." Clark finished wrapping the bandage around Derik. Walked to one of the nurses and took scissors from her. "She could be heading home as we speak. Have you tried to contact her to see if she's home already?"

"Natasha wouldn't come home, not after what had happened. I know my daughter too well. She would be too scared to come home."

William looked over at Derik, lying unconscious with a breathing mask strapped onto his face. He was perplexed. "What happened to him?" he finally asked. "How did he end up here on my daughter's bed?"

"We are yet to understand the situation." Clark said, "The teenager with your daughter had notified us of his current condition, but didn't say in details what had happened. Only said that he was stabbed multiple times, that's all we know about the incidence. He also mentioned that this man here works at TCU." He gazed up to look at him. "Mr. William, do you know this man?"

His voice drifted back. "His name is Derik Rushford. Was an agent at the TCU taskforce."

"Was?"

"He used to work with me but was recently relieved of his duty for behavioural misconduct." He paused briefly, "How long before he regains consciousness? I need to know what happened here and how he ended up this way."

"It might take up to a day for him to recover..." the doctor said "... maybe two days, or a week at most."

"Sergeant Scott..." William called out to one of the armed men waiting outside.

"Yes, sir." he answered obediently.

"I need you to go over to the mayor's manor. Ask his daughter, Dreda, if my daughter is there with her. Thereafter, get me a full report of what had happened here, I need to know where my daughter is and who she is with."