the yelling inside. Nathaniel’s blood froze. He recognized the pleas as Emmy’s voice. No one uses their real name here. Tessa Saint was his Emmy.
“No crying! No more crying! You like this, why the fuck are you crying? Gimme that bat. Give it to me.”
Franz yanked on the door handle, hard, yelling at Chantal. “Go get security, now. Go, go!” She took off down the hall as Franz pulled and pushed on the door. “Tessa!” he screamed.
“Do you have keys?” Nathaniel demanded.
“Only security, no one locks the doors.”
“Hoping he’s going to rescue you?” someone inside yelled. “Keep hoping.”
Nathaniel banged on the door. “Emmy!” He looked down the hall. “Where the hell is security?”
“They’ll be here,” Franz said, but his voice was laced with the same panic Nathaniel was feeling.
“Oh, fuck this.” Nathaniel stepped back. He brought his foot up and slammed it into the door near the knob. Franz did the same as Nathaniel pulled back. Nathaniel kicked it even harder the second time and the door flew open.
A cricket bat flew at his head. He was able to throw his arm to deflect the blow, but he heard one of his bones crack. Whoever had the bat was good; they had it spinning around on him, nailing the small of his back, then shoved him forward with the edge.
Right into Greg Cortez.
Nathaniel’s fist flew out and connected with his jaw, knocking him backward into the wall. He heard pounding footsteps in the hall and Franz screaming. “Go after him! Find him and take him down!”
Greg was holding his arm up in front of his face to protect himself. “You’re a fucker, just as bad as your brother.”
Nathaniel punched him again. This time his head was so close to the wall that it bounced and knocked him out. He slid to the floor.
Nathaniel dropped next to Emmy on the floor, gathering her into his arms. She had blood all over her mouth and face. Every breath was ragged and hitching on the way in and out. Her arm was clearly broken and there was a bright bruise already blooming on her arm and her forehead.
“Oh fuck, Emmy,” Nathaniel said. “Can you hear me? Oh, God, please hear me...”
She didn’t move. Her eyes didn’t even flicker.
Franz grabbed someone running by. “You! Go call an ambulance and the cops! Now! No, don’t question me, go!”
Nathaniel tried to stand with her, but Franz held him down. “No. You’ve moved her too much already. Stay still. The ambulance will be here soon.”
“Emmy.” Chantal gasped from the door. “Oh, God, Emmy.” She squatted down. “Nathaniel, your arm!”
He didn’t even glance at it. “I’ll deal with it when we get to the hospital.”
It seemed hours passed before the cops and the EMTs came stomping up the stairs. They took charge of Emmy, taking her stats as fast as possible. Nathaniel refused to let her go and he didn’t like the EMT chatter either. They had the stretcher up in no time and he stood while they placed her on it, strapping her down.
“Sir, your arm.” One of the EMTs pointed at the quickly growing lump.
“Yeah, I know,” he said, “I’m going with you.”
“We should check—”
“No, just go, go.” Nathaniel held his arm. A throbbing finally registered in his mind and he firmly ignored it.
The two techs rolled Emmy out of the room on the stretcher, and Franz grabbed Nathaniel’s cell out of his pocket, dialing. They heard a phone ring and Franz answered his, then ended the call. “There. I have your number and you have mine. I’ll call you later and let you know what’s up. I need to find the asshole who ran out of the room and figure out how these bastards got in.”
They moved Emmy down the stairs as fast as they could and out toward the waiting ambulance. Franz grabbed Nathaniel’s good arm. “Please. I’ll try to make it there, but let me know how she is.”
Nathaniel nodded and hopped in the back of the ambulance as they slammed the doors shut. He reached over and grabbed