Darling, Thanks For Stabbing Me

Chapter 39

The clock was ticking away but there wasn’t any sign of Iris. Glancing up to each other, Linda and Erik decided to leave and scold her the next time. Finally confined in their car, Erik turned to her.

“Should we be worried?” His cracked voice gave away his fear.

“I-I don’t know…” Linda’s eyes were fixed on the carpet of the car as both sighed.

Their worry was regarding her temperament when she left the office. She acted like a freak show and the haste was another reason. Spending some another ten minutes, they drove away.

Derek called Alan who was already fidgeting.

“Where’s Iris?” He demanded as Alan’s face cringed.

“Isn't she at home? She left some three hours back.” He said now shifting his cell to the other ear as he pulled out his pocket diary.

“You don’t know where she went to?” Derek asked suspiciously.

It was unlike her to go out without informing him at the least.

“No Mr. Reider but let me call—” he suggested but was interjected.

“I can do that.” Derek hung up on him wondering if he should wait or call.

Something inside nagged him to check on her as he felt his stomach churned but that may offend her so he decided to wait.

Aiden on the other hand was on his way back in his private jet sleeping peacefully when he jolted in his couch. Papers lay spread on the table in front as he rubbed his face in order to check the reality.

Sweat formed on his forehead although the flight had AC. He had a bad dream about Iris where they walked on the highest bridge when she started running as he chased her but suddenly she stumbled and fell of the bridge. He was quick and held her wrist but she wasn’t able to climb back, no matter how hard she tried.

Tears poured down his face and saw her screaming at him to save her. It was heart wrenching and unbearable, that’s when he jolted and woke up. He gasped for breath as his chest felt heavy.

Dialing her number through face time app, he waited but no one answered him only scaring him more. After four futile attempts he called Derek who answered quickly.

“Where’s she?” he asked displeased.

The dirty move was still afresh in his mind.

“She is out somewhere. Why you ask?” Derek answered impatiently. “Didn’t your fiancée told you about her whereabouts, unlike before?” he sneered.

Regardless the taunts, Aiden decided to tell him. “Can you check upon her? I-I don’t feel easy about it and call me as soon as you meet her.”

He instructed to which Derek stiffened for a moment before ending the call.

What a coincidence? He felt the same too. Should I be worried about how she would react?

The inner conscience asked him to just leave and find her. So he made a dash towards the parking lot.

***

Eyes fluttered open as Iris tried to see where she was. The blood covered fingers and arm on which her head lay made her alert. Panicking, she tried to get up and call for help but her throat felt like sandpaper. She heard sirens nearby but she couldn’t see anyone close. Her eyes became heavy as she wriggled in her place only to find her lower section from abdomen not responding.

Her eyes watered as she sobbed but tried to call out for help again. She felt fatigue take over her and her eyes closed despite her efforts to keep them open and going. Just as she felt numb, the last thing etched on her mind was- a figurine coming close to her.

***

Her limp body lay on the stretcher which was pushed hastily through the corridor of the hospital as she was accepted in ER. She had lost too much blood and now was taken into surgery where her internal wounds were treated. The man strolled outside the surgery room waiting desperately for the others to arrive.

The hurried footsteps came close as he looked up only to realize he had been frowning for god knows how long.

“Ian! What happened, how’s she?” Erik halted just few inches away from his brother.

Ian was the same sheriff and luckily he was asked to report to the accident site. The case was clear but he still wanted to investigate about it as per the protocol.

“She- I don’t know Erik. She looked bad.” He said with saddened eyes.

His grandpa and grandma had given him her responsibility saying she was his sister who he always craved for and as usual, he followed whatever they said. After all, they replaced their parents to look after him and Erik. His immense respect for them never allowed him to defy their orders.

Regardless of the promise, when he met her for the first time knowing her history; he automatically thought to protect her.

She looked pure and innocent, a person not fit for this cruel world and on his instincts, he gave his word to her to do whatever she wanted fearlessly as he would clear the mess left behind.

Despite his reputation and influence in the Police department, she never dared to ask for his help fearing that would bother him or put him into trouble. She didn’t want to risk his job for her sake.

“What did the doctor say?” Linda asked with her tear stained face.

“I am afraid, I may not know that as well.” He lowered his head.

The reality was he didn’t want to dishearten them. They were younger than him and it was again his responsibility to watch out for them. He prayed to the super power up above to help the soul fighting for her life inside.

After agonizing six hours, the door opened as the doctor walked out followed by his fellows and nurse.

“Ha! Mr. Brown, the surgery went well but she needs to be in observation.” He said.

“Her abdomen and thighs were badly injured. The bleeding has been stopped but just to make sure it doesn’t reoccur and her recovery is stable; she needs to stay at the hospital.” He said explaining that the cause was blunt and penetrating trauma.

Linda saw as her pale body was pushed out of the room and taken upstairs, she followed crying lightly covering her mouth. She was shifted to the VVIP ward and infused IV into her veins.

They remained seated for long when Mr. Brown received another call asking him to be back on the duty. Erik asked him to inform Derek and seeing Linda crying since the news, he convinced her to come along and grab a coffee along with snacks to make her feel a little better.

Derek on the other hand was furious not being able to find her. He headed to the police officer when he was close to the station but an unknown number flashed on his mobile screen. He hesitated but thinking it might be her calling for help, her phone must have died and thus giving up on the idea of rejecting it; he answered.

“Mr. Reider, I am Officer Ian Brown. There was an accident involving Ms. Iris Reider who has been personally moved to the hospital.” The officer didn’t elaborate or formalized it because he was aware how impatient Derek can be.

“f**k… is she… is she okay?” Derek asked fearing.

“Yes Derek. Please relax. Things are taken with best care and her friends are with her right now.” He shared the details before hanging up.

Derek showed his gratitude and cursed himself for not searching for her before. He knew how scared she must be right now and just the thought of her weakening, terrified him.

Back to the hospital-

Under the dark night, Iris lay on the bed with oxygen mask and several sensors attached to her body which was fixed to a monitor beeping at regular interval. She was alone with the nurses roaming outside. They went to grab their dinner one by one before checking in her for last time. Just as the nurse hang the clipboard jotting down her vitals, the curtains behind her shifted before stilling. Giving once over gaze, she turned and left.

The room echoes with only the equipments’ beep and her forced breathing through the mask which sounded like a thriller background.

But was she really alone?

The curtains shifted slowly once again and a dark shadow jumped inside, lurking in her room who fumed in anger seeing her breathing slightly. Moving behind her and that figurine caressed a long pointed finger on Iris’s bandaged face.

“Good bye… Iris. Though you don’t deserve this peaceful death, I’ll still grant it!”

With that the oxygen tube was pulled roughly making it disconnect with the tank and the monitor was turned off to prevent unwanted attention. The cut of oxygen supply made Iris writhe in pain as her body convulsed and jumped as in epilepsy.

Her muffled voice satisfied that stranger but there were footsteps outside. Cursing under the breath, that person moved faster and shifted the curtains before opening the back window. The curtains were placed carefully. Opening the window, the person jumped outside to escape. The depth from where it stood was enough to make someone pee in their pants but was unstoppable for this person.

Taking deep breaths, the shadow turned around and gripped the water pipe that run along the entire building. The grip was tight and a rope securely tied around the waist helped in the confidence to reach down from this fifth storey.

Sliding cautiously but in haste, it was able to cover all that distance and jumped when it was only few feet left landing perfectly like a ninja. Running from there, it laughed wildly.

“No sun rise for The Reiders.” The hatred wasn’t masked like the face.