Chapter 11 #2
“We are going to hire a security guard to keep an eye on things; however, he will be dressed just like any other trainer. Logan, he will be hired under the guise that you are training him to help with the boot camp program. That way he can come and go as he pleases. We are also going to put him in your apartment, so it won’t look suspicious if he is going up and down those stairs at any time of the day.
I figure you could stay at Gia’s since the two of you are an item,” Andy begins.
“Also, he will be reviewing security footage every few hours, just in case the person doing this might still be in the building. I want to catch this asshole soon. I will not tolerate this happening to my people or at my business,” he finishes.
“That will make me feel better, and I was going to sleep at Gia’s for the next few weeks, so it works out great.”
“That would definitely make me feel better,” Gia explains.
After discussing a few other things about the fire, Margot leaves, and Andy assures us that he will get to the bottom of this. Gia and I leave Andy’s office, and she heads back to the front desk, and I make my way to the locker room to get ready for my first class.
As I walk into the locker room, I see Marco coming out of the showers. “Hey Marco, how was your class this morning? Are you ready to add a few more to your schedule? With this shit going on with Gia, I need to lighten my load for a few weeks.”
“Man, that would be great. I need to get more time under my belt, and that will work out great for me. Just let me know when.”
“Okay, I am going to work on the schedule after my last class this afternoon. I will text you the new schedule.”
I really want to have lunch with Gia today, but my schedule isn’t going to allow it. I guess I will have to wait until tonight to spend some time with her. After my classes are done, I make up the new schedule and text it out to Marco and the other trainers involved in the boot camp sessions.
The rest of the week has gone smoothly. Jeremiah actually has a background in personal training, so Andy pairs him up with a few of the newer members.
I head upstairs to change. When I walk over to Gia’s apartment, what I find scares the shit out of me.
Gia is lying in the middle of the floor in the kitchen, and she has blood coming from her head.
I pull out my phone and dial 911 and follow their directions to check that she is breathing, but I am advised not to move her until the paramedics get here.
I stayed on the call and also texted Andy to get up here and that an ambulance is on the way.
Andy and Kenzie arrive about the same time the paramedics do.
The firehouse is only two blocks away, thank God.
The paramedics check her over, put her in a collar, and transport her to the hospital.
I follow the ambulance on my bike, breaking all the laws, going through red lights, and not stopping at stop signs.
All the while I am trying to figure out what the fuck is going on.
Gia is the sweetest person I know. Who the hell would want to hurt her is beyond me!
Because they need to run tests, as well as a CT scan of her head, the staff won’t let me go back with Gia, so there I sit. About fifteen minutes later, Blake and Mason arrive and sit down with me.
“What happened to Gia? I saw the ambulance arrive and then I watched them take her away on a gurney. I had just finished with a client when this happened. Andy came around to let everyone know. I grabbed Mason, and here we are. If you need anything, let us know,” Blake offers.
“Thanks, man, I appreciate it. I am just waiting for the doctor to come out and let me know what is going on. I want to be back there with her, but I was told no.”
“When did that kind of shit ever stop you, my friend?” Mason asks.
I laugh and shake my head. He’s right. What was I thinking?
With that, I get up, and I walk back to where the emergency patients are.
I ask which bed Gia is in, and the nurse indicates bed three.
I open the curtain to find her awake, but she looks really out of it.
After lacing our fingers together, I was going to ask her what happened when Margot and Andy appear.
“Gia, do you think you are up to talking to me about what happened?”
“I don’t know much. I remember going into the kitchen after showering and changing, and then something hard hit me in the head, and when I woke up, I was here at the hospital.”
“I am sending a forensics team over to your apartment when I leave here. Andy has already locked down the apartments, so no one can go up there. We will talk tomorrow, Gia. I hope you feel better soon,” Margot says.
“I’m going to check all the security footage when I get back to my office. I have Jeremiah already looking through them, but I want to see what is going on myself. This shit has got to stop.”
“Let me know what you find out, okay?” I ask Andy.
“You will be the first person I call. No worries there.”
After a few minutes, Andy and Margot leave, and I finally have a few minutes alone with Gia. But that time is short-lived, as they take her up for a CT-Scan to confirm there isn’t a skull fracture. With nothing else to do, I go back out and wait with Blake and Mason.
Gia
When I open my eyes, I see that I am no longer in my apartment but in a hospital.
I have no idea what happened. One minute I was walking into my kitchen, and the next minute I was here.
I turn my head, and I see Logan standing next to my bed.
Andy and Detective Malone arrive, and we have a short conversation about what happened.
I am not much help because, apparently, I was hit from behind.
After returning from having a CT-Scan, Logan is nowhere to be found. I ask the nurse to find him. I thought I had only closed my eyes for a minute, but apparently it had been about two hours. When I do open my eyes again, Logan is sitting in a chair next to the bed.
“Hi handsome, fancy meeting you here.”
“Gia, how are you feeling?”
“Other than a horrible headache, pretty good. Logan, I don’t understand what is happening.”
“Beautiful, don’t worry, we are tightening security, and we will find the asshole responsible for all of this, trust me.”
I hope he is right. I am scared to even go into that apartment area of the gym anymore.
The doctor shows up and explains that they want to keep me overnight for observation, and that they will be moving me to a private room shortly. Logan asks if it will be alright if he stays, and the doctor agrees. My own personal security, I think to myself.
After moving into a room and getting comfortable, Logan leaves the room to take a phone call.
About twenty minutes later, he returns and explains that Andy has watched the security footage, and that there is a person going up the steps and into my apartment.
The video shows them picking the lock and letting themselves into my room.
Andy will be sending that footage to Logan soon so that he can check a few things out.
I can’t keep my eyes open any longer, and soon I am drifting into a deep sleep.
The next time I wake up is when the nurse comes in to take my vitals.
I hate this part of staying in a hospital.
Every time you fall asleep, a nurse will inevitably come in to take your blood pressure, temperature, etc.
Now that I am wide awake, I notice Logan is not in my room.
A small sense of panic overcomes me, but within five minutes he is back, and now I can relax.
“Did Andy send over the footage, and did you review it?”
“Yes, and I did. I zoomed in on the person’s hands, and it looked like a woman’s hands. But I can’t be sure.”
“Can I look at it, please? Maybe I can help.”
Logan shows me the footage, and it definitely is a woman’s hands.
The person, however, is dressed in all dark clothing, with a hoodie to hide their face.
But there is something about those hands, especially the little finger on her left hand.
I see it looks a bit bent to the inside, and I know who that is.
“Logan, those are Susan’s hands, I swear they are. Look at how her little finger curves in. That is unusual, and I would know that anywhere.”
“Are you 100% sure, Gia? We can’t accuse her if we aren’t completely sure.”
“I am, but I know that won’t be enough to arrest her. Why is she doing this?”
“I have no idea what is going on. I don’t want to leave you here by yourself. I have asked Mason to come and keep an eye on you while I’m gone. He should be here any minute. I have to check a couple of things. Will that be okay?”
“Don’t be too long, please,” I plead. He gives me a quick kiss and leaves.
A few minutes later, Mason walks in with Sara.
“Gia, are you okay? Who is doing this and what is going on?” Sara asks.
“To be completely honest, I have no idea. Logan is going to check on a few things and will be back as soon as he can.”
“Okay, well, Mason and I are going to sit here with you until he does. Do you need anything?”
“I could go for an iced latte.”
“You got it. Mason will stay here until I get back.”
Sara leaves the room, and it is just Mason and me. I really haven’t talked to him much, so I guess now is a good time. “So, Mason, we really haven’t had much interaction at the gym. Sara is my best friend, and if you mess with her or hurt her in any way, you will answer to me, got that?”