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Where the hell have I seen her before? The more I stare at her, the more it drives me nuts, and then it hits me. Without her cammies on, she looks completely different. Very disheveled. Her mousy brown hair is dirty and pulled back in a messy ponytail. She’s wearing frumpy, oversized clothes and looks about thirty years older than she had when I was putting her through the paces in Kabul. It’s amazing how unrecognizable some people are out of their cammies. It’s not just the way they look, but the way they carry themselves out of uniform that makes them nearly, if not totally, unrecognizable. If Skyla hadn’t been staring at Mary the way she was, I would likely have just looked her over.
I see a flash of recognition in Mary’s eyes as she takes in Skyla, and I wonder if it’s because she recognized Skyla from here, but then the look turns to panic and Mary bolts.
“Stop!” Skyla yells and starts chasing after Mary, who’s gunning for the back entrance. “Stop that girl!” Just then, the door opens, and a member of the staff walks in the rear entrance, giving Mary a chance to escape.
What the fuck is going on here? I need to get to Skyla.
I pull out my weapon and aim it at Jerry. “Open this fucking door now!”
I cock my weapon to try and shoot out the door, but it’s too late. Jerry hits the panic button and pandemonium ensues. Patients start screaming and covering their ears. A couple hit the deck, and I watch in horror as one guy freezes and pisses himself. I know without even trying that shooting at the lock will be futile. I’m fucking stuck.
Skyla raises her phone to her ear and stares in horror at what is going down in the facility seconds before she chases after Mary again. She disappears around the corner, and I continue to scream at Jerry to open the door while threatening all kinds of bodily harm. It’s no use. Jerry might look terrified, but he knows he’s safe behind the bulletproof glass.
Security arrives and I’m surrounded. Weapons are pointed at me from every direction.
“Please, Skyla could be in danger. I need to just see if she’s okay.”
This somehow gets through to Jerry, and he gestures for the security to escort me through the building and out the back door where Skyla disappeared. All that greets me is an empty parking lot and a small drop of blood. I’d bet my life that blood is Skyla’s.
I pick up my phone and dial Jensen again. I dial him seven more times, and he doesn’t answer. I pace the reception area like a caged animal, nerves making my skin feel alive. When he finally calls me back, I answer on the first ring.
“J, I’m at the D.M. West Rehabilitation Center. They have me on lockdown, and Skyla’s gone.”
