Chapter 7
CHAPTER
SEVEN
Max sat in his new office, the cool blue light of the computer screen reflecting off his furrowed brow. He leaned back in his chair, his eyes scanning the detailed intel that Craig had handed to him earlier.
Since Michael Knox, Casey’s former childhood best friend, had suddenly reappeared in her life, Max had felt uneasy. The man’s sudden return seemed too convenient, too calculated, especially given his and his family’s history with Casey.
As Max flipped through the files, his unease deepened.
The more he read about Michael, the more hair on the back of his neck began to rise.
Michael couldn’t seem to hold a job for too long.
Each new position appeared to end abruptly, with vague reasons for his departures.
But it wasn’t just the instability of his employment that troubled Max, there was a pattern emerging that sent a chill down his spine.
Every hospital Michael had worked at had some connection to Casey.
It was as if Michael had been following her, stalking her from one city to the next.
The only break was when she was working on a ship.
But even then, he managed to find employment in the city where she was stationed.
And now, he had shown up at the very hospital where Casey worked.
Max’s pulse quickened, a knot of dread forming in his gut.
He immediately dialed Casey’s number, his heart pounding in his chest as the phone rang.
There was no answer, so he tried again, but there was still nothing.
Panic began to bubble up inside him as he quickly switched to calling Tracy, knowing she and Casey had planned to have dinner together after work.
But when Tracy didn’t answer either, that knot of dread tightened into a vise. Something was wrong. His instincts screamed at him to get to the hospital and fast.
Max grabbed his keys and bolted from the office, his mind racing. In his rush, he nearly collided with Tink, who was coming down the hall.
“Max? What’s going on?” Tink asked concern showing in his expression.
“It’s Casey,” Max blurted out, trying to keep his voice steady despite the fear gnawing at him.
“I’ve been looking into Michael’s background, and it’s not good.
I think he’s been stalking her for years, and now he’s shown up at her hospital.
I can’t reach her or Tracy, and I’ve got a bad feeling that something is wrong. ”
Tink’s expression darkened, and his concern quickly turned into action. “Alright, we’re not wasting any time. Let’s move. Grab your gear, and I’ll get the others.”
Within moments, Tink had gathered two of their colleagues who were still in the office.
Together, they raced to the parking lot, urgency driving their every step.
Max’s mind was in overdrive, with a thousand worst-case scenarios in his head.
But one thing was clear, he wouldn’t let anything happen to Casey. Not on his watch.
Max clenched his jaw as they sped toward the hospital, his hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white. He couldn’t shake the feeling that time was running out.