Stanton Box Set

The policewoman nods sadly. “We are doing everything we can. We have a chopper searching the ocean and the currents, and ground teams combing the water’s edge. You just concentrate on trying to think of any leads, no matter how small you think they may be. There are always clues in these things. You just have to join the dots together.”

Bridget and I nod with a renewed purpose. “You’re right,” I whisper. “We will find her—we have to.”

Joshua

I lie in the hospital bed as I await the doctor. “Cameron, get me the fuck out of here!” I snap.

“Listen, be calm and they will release you. You are in here because you have been losing your shit and they are worried about your sanity,” he blurts.

I screw up my face. “Sanity, I will show you fucking insanity if you don’t get me out of here. I need to find her. Natasha will be waiting for me to come and get her.”

His face drops. “Josh,” he whispers. Then he sits on the side of the bed and takes my hand in his. “This situation is out of our control. The police are doing everything they can to find her. You need to stay calm and you need to stay sane.”

I drop my head back onto the pillow.

The door opens slowly and Ben walks in. His eyes are downcast and my fury ignites.

“Where were you?” I snap.

He stays silent at the end of the bed.

“Answer me! Where were you when Natasha needed you?” I try my hardest to control my anger. I know the doctor will be here any minute to hopefully discharge me.

Cameron folds his arms in contempt. “Tell Joshua where you were Ben.”

Ben drops his head. “I stayed on the mainland with Bridget,” he murmurs.

“What!” I yell.

He shakes his head as he looks at the ground.

“You knew Max wasn’t on that boat of guards and you left anyway?” I growl.

“Natasha told me to go. She said you two were just going to go to bed,” he pushes out through tears as he holds his head in anguish.

“Why would you listen to her? You are the head of my security. Why would you go and leave us open to this?”

He screws up his face as the tears fill his eyes and he shakes his head. “I don’t know. I don’t know.”

“I will tell you why,” Cameron snaps. “You’re incompetent, that’s why.”

Ben drops to the chair in the corner and holds his head in his hands as he weeps tears of guilt. “What did the guards hear?” I ask him.

He shakes his head. “Nothing,” he replies, muffled through his hands.

“What, they heard nothing?” I snap.

He shakes his head. “From where they were they heard nothing. No screams, no boat, nothing. Not a fucking thing. I rang them three times through the night and they were unaware of anything until we heard your screams for help in the morning.”

I frown and my eyes flick to Cameron. “What’s the drug they were talking about I had in my system?”

“Rohypnol,” he replies. “It showed up in the toxicology report.”

“What’s that?” I ask.

“It’s a date rape drug. It knocks you out with no memory.”

I frown. “Do you think Natasha was given it too?”