Deadly Deception

Chapter 16



The blinding white light grazed Anne’s cornea while Dr. Rasmussen examined her. She could hear the humming of machines and smell the aroma of bleach and latex. He glanced at each eye, with his own eyes displaying worry. That was not comforting her at all. Her body ached and throbbed.

“Can you hear me, Anne?” Dr. Rasmussen asked.

She willed her voice to come forth but it rebelled.

“Can you feel this?”

He squeezed her hand. Anne could see in her peripheral vision that various tubes and wires twisted over her watery skin. She could feel him but couldn’t respond. Anxiety plagued her trapped body. Her heart rate accelerated, announcing her anxiety through the machine that sat next to her.

“Calm down, Anne, you’re all right. That’s good that you’re responding.”

Anne concentrated on the liver spots that dotted Dr. Rasmussen’s hand. Why couldn’t she move? Was she paralyzed? Her inner dialogue began spiraling out of control. Where was Adam? Was Carter dead?

“Listen to me, Anne, this is good news. You’re making progress.”

Anne could feel his warm hand pat hers. A tall red-headed nurse swept in with a syringe and administered the contents into the IV. A wave of euphoria overtook her, calming her muffled hysterics.

“Good morning, Anne, my name is Judy. I’m one of your nurses. This will help you relax, okay?”

She didn’t wait for a response because she knew there wouldn’t be one.

“Anne, you were in an accident. You’ve been in a coma for three weeks. You have bruised ribs and pelvic fracture, and there was swelling in your brain. You opened your eyes early this morning. Do you think you could blink for me?”

In Anne’s puffy, muddled brain, she coaxed her heavy lids to do as she was asked.

“Good girl.”

Polaroid flashes of that night lit up her mind. She had found Adam. Carter killed him then tried to kill her. Carter clung to the railing before reaching for her. She lost her balance and flew over the railing, falling toward the concrete floor. She thought she had seen Adam, with grief etched across his face. But how could that be? Carter had shot him.

Dr. Rasmussen stepped to the side, revealing Dr. Lindsey standing rigidly in the corner. His face held a look of melancholy but he gave Anne a weak smile. She observed their whispered exchange, and then Dr. Rasmussen was gone. Dr. Lindsey cautiously approached her hospital bed. She had never seen this side of him. His typical therapist façade was non-existent. He was just a middle-aged man wearing jogging pants and a T-shirt.

Anne continued to coax her limbs to move and her voice to demand answers, but there was nothing. She could feel a tear escape, trailing slowly down her cheek. Dr. Lindsey sat down in a small blue chair, and then he wiped her tear away.

“Oh Anne, I know you are frustrated. I can see that you want to move and talk so badly but you can’t.”

He paused, contemplating how to explain to her what was happening.

“You’re in a private facility being cared for by the best doctors in the country. Your recovery will depend on how badly you want retribution. Blink once if you understand what I’m saying.”

She blinked, leading him to go on.

“Carter survived.”

Those two words set her machines off.

“Anne, calm down or they will come in again. They are under Carter’s thumb. You must stop. Control your breathing.”

She tried to focus on Dr. Lindsey’s soft voice, just as she did during their many therapy sessions. Her muscles trembled at just the thought of Carter still roaming this earth alive. She had survived—why not him? He never dies. The man has nine lives. The machines slowly quieted while Dr. Lindsey waited for someone to barge in, but no one did.

“He’s more mobile than you are, but that’s due to the medication they are giving you. They are keeping you incapacitated until Carter gives the go-ahead. He has a plan and, unfortunately, you’re right in the middle of it all. I will try to keep you as safe as I can because I have a plan of my own.”

Anne blinked once to show him she understood everything he was telling her.

“Adam is alive as well.”

Internally, Anne gave a sigh of relief. She had indeed seen him. The tears began again. Dr. Lindsey dabbed them with a tissue. She knew he was safe and under FBI protection. Victoria wouldn’t let anything happen to him.

“I know you are worried about him but you need to worry about you right now. Once Carter executes his plan, there’s no going back. I need you to trust me. Do you trust me, Anne?”

Without hesitation, she blinked once. Dr. Lindsey nodded.

“Rest, Anne. You’re going to need all your strength for what lies ahead.”

That statement tore through her, igniting a fire deep within. She was seeking retribution and it would be hers, no matter what the cost, even if it meant losing herself in the process.

***

Nine days had passed since her initial true awakening. Carter and Dr. Lindsey hovered over her. The debilitating medicine continued to drip into her IV, paralyzing all muscle function. Carter steadied himself on crutches, locking his wicked irises with hers.

“Anneliese, don’t look so forlorn. What I have planned for you is brilliant. Consider yourself lucky that I’m even keeping you alive.”

“Carter,” Dr. Lindsey spat out.

“Shut up.” Carter shot a glare across her bed. “Since your mother was just as f*cked in the head as you, this will work out perfectly.”

Tears spilled out of her at the sound of his vile words, but he continued mercilessly.

“Good ‘ole Dr. Lindsey has brought to me all your research about brain manipulation, and your study notes with the Mayo Clinic. It’s amazing how readily you can locate certain drugs and medications—for the right price of course. You are pumped with so many f*cking meds. I’m amazed you’re still breathing.”

Carter moved closer to her, evil rolling off of him. She prayed he would hurry along his point.

“You will be my puppet, Anneliese. You’ll do whatever I say and your sweet Adam will be nothing to you. I’m going to suck all the oxygen from your lungs and replace it with mine. Your blood will call out to me.” He stroked her wet cheek. “You will belong to me.”

She blinked once, conceding to his insanity. She had no other choice.

“Otherwise, you’ll watch me slaughter Casey and her entire family. It’ll be your fault. I’ll slit their throats and not think twice about it.”

She was clawing from her insides out, begging for mercy or for him to just kill her. The vision of Casey, Tony and her innocent children’s lifeless bodies was her undoing. Internally, her body thrashed from his threats. It convulsed. It screamed. It begged for death. She lay still while the inner war raged, consuming her soul.

“Before I leave, I have one other little secret to share but I think I’ll wait until my Anneliese awakes.” He turned to Dr. Lindsey. “Do it.”

Carter brought his lips to her skin, brushing them over her, as though she were Snow White, like he was breaking some sinful spell that had been cast upon her. However, the opposite was happening. His kiss was poison. He nodded at Dr. Lindsey and hobbled from the grim room. He exhaled, closing his eyes.

“Are you ready, Anne?”

She blinked.

“I’m sorry I have to do this.”

She could see his remorse. Anne wanted to reach out to him and tell him she understood, tell him that she knew he didn’t have a choice. Just like she didn’t have a choice. They were Carter’s captives. Once again, she was saying a silent goodbye to Adam.

“Anne, close your eyes and listen to my voice. Let it take you away, like an ocean current…”

His hypnotic voice towed her deeper and deeper, until his soothing commands breached her subconscious.