Page 27 of Breathless
“Lydia, Roger is out for blood,” Amber yelled.
“He’s hunting for Chaney. He said he’s going to kill her,” Tiffany cried.
“Calm down, ladies. What is going on?” Lydia said, stopping what she was doing to go to them. “Why is Roger upset now?”
“He broke into the girls’ dorm looking for Josie because he couldn’t find her anywhere,” Tiffany explained.
“He what?” Lydia exclaimed.
Amber nodded. “We tried to tell him she wasn’t there. Hadn’t been since we returned from group session this morning. We didn’t tell him she packed up her things and left.”
“She what?” Lydia said. “Did you report that to anyone?”
Tiffany shook her head. “We thought when she told us good-bye and that she was out of here that she was running off with Roger. She seemed upset when she learned he was being moved to another facility.”
“We’re truly sorry,” Amber said, her face scrunching in a weird look of contrition.
Tonya, the counselor in charge of the drive walked over to assist Lydia with the girls. “I’ll handle them while you go call Hannah. She needs to know what is going on.”
Knots formed in Chaney’s stomach as she listened, and she feared this was all her fault. She rushed toward Lydia. “Is there anything I can do? I feel responsible somehow.”
“No honey. You stay here and keep helping Tonya,” Lydia said.
Chaney did as she was asked and joined the girls with Tonya, she hugged them. “Don’t worry. Roger isn’t going to hurt me.”
“You didn’t see the look in his eye,” Tiffany said. “He blames you for Josie being gone.”
“He already blames me for him being sent to this other facility, so what’s new?” Chaney said.
“How can you be so calm?” Amber asked.
“Help get this done while we sort this out. I’m sure we’ll be able to locate Josie and keep Roger at bay.” Tonya ushered the girls over to the tables where the packing was being one and got them set up to work.
A few minutes later, Lydia returned, looking bewildered. “I can’t get in touch with Hannah at all. She isn’t answering her office line. I even tried her cellphone, but it goes to voicemail, so I went down to her office. Mindy her assistant said she left campus for an urgent meeting and can’t be reached. Something strange is going on.”
“I better let Rawlins know what is going on with Roger then,” Chaney said.
“And I’ll inform Tom and see what he recommends,” Lydia said.
Chaney stepped out in the corridor to phone Rawlins, but got his voice mail, so she texted him instead. He responded that he was tied up, but he’d be there soon and she should stay with others. Stepping back into the assembly room, she went to the table and started packing boxes again, but she kept an eye on the open double doors if Roger came through.
About thirty minutes later, they were finished packing for the drive and putting away the folding tables when Rawlins finally made it to the assembly room with another male counselor. Tom entered a minute later as well.
“Listen up every, can I have your attention?” Tom called. He motioned for them all to come closer. “I want to give you an update on what has been going on. I know you are aware that Roger was making threats against Chaney this afternoon. Thenhe broke into the girls’ dorm looking for Josie. He has been quarantined in isolation at the present time. There is no longer danger. However, we still do not know where Josie is.”
Soft murmuring erupted amongst the room at this news. Chaney looked at Rawlins trying to see if she could read anything in his stony expression. But it was no use, he was in his protector mode, and he was unbreachable.
“Has anyone been able to reach Hannah?” Lydia asked.
Tom shook his head. “I spoke with Mindy before coming here and she said she has tried to reach her to give her and update on our situation.”
“This is so unlike her to go off campus during the day without someone knowing about it,” Lydia said.
“I recommend everyone go about the rest of the day as normal,” Tom suggested. “We have a security protocol put in place to keep the members of The Village safe.”
The group broke up and Chaney walked over to speak to Rawlins. “Do you know anything Tom isn’t sharing?” she asked.
“Not really,” he said. “I heard you have a talk with Roger in the hallway earlier.”
