Page 54 of Breathless
They finished eating before heading to the market down the street to buy the snacks that Rafferty had suggested. Then they went to his car. He drove them over to the law office and parked in a nearby parking garage.
They got out and were walking to the building when two men came in their direction. Rafferty checked to make sure the girls were close to him. But Chaney noticed a third man coming between two parked cars from his left. Before she could warn Rafferty of the possible danger, the man did a leg sweep, and in one quick move put Rafferty flat on his back. He fell with such force it knocked the wind out of him and he dropped his cellphone which the man kicked aside before running away.
Chaney squealed in anger and fright while Justus yelled, “Rafferty!”
With them distracted by what had happened to Rafferty, the other two men were able to snatch them away quickly, covering their mouths with cloths. They both kicked and fought against their assailants. The girls’ muffled screaming was emitted but it didn’t go far.
Samson stuck Justus with a syringe,knocking her out, and laid Justus on the ground near the tail end of the car where they were standing. He joined Oscar who held Chaney, but she dug her heel in his shin, and he let her go as he hopped on one foot, cursing.
“She’s getting away, you fool!” Leland grimaced; behind the silicone mask he was wearing so the girls wouldn’t recognize him.
“Damn!” Oscar shrieked, as he and Samson ran, catching her before she got too far away. While Oscar grabbed her again, Samson stuck her with the syringe. Within seconds, she too was out. Not taking pains to be gentle, Oscar threw her over his shoulder and carried her back to the car.
“Toss them in the trunk,” Leland ordered. “They should be out for a while.”
Samson opened the trunk, picked up Justus, and laid her inside. Then Oscar dumped Chaney beside her, and they closed the lid.
“What about their protector?” Oscar asked. “Are we just going to leave him there groaning?”
“Sure. He’s not going anywhere. You made sure to destroy his phone, right?”
“I kicked it under a nearby car,” Samson said. “There is no way he can get to it with his knee blown.”
“Good. Let’s get out of here before someone comes looking for them,” Leland said.
The three jumped in the car and left the parking garage.
Rawlins drove as fastas he could without breaking any speeding laws to reach his appointment on time. However, when he got there, the receptionist informed him he had no appointment at their location.
“I don’t understand,” he told her. “This is the Foley Pulmonology, is it not?”
“Correct, sir,” she replied.
“Then I’m at the right place.” He held up his phone and showed her the text message he’d received that morning. “I got a phone call from Cagney Foster. She informed me that there had been a cancellation and if I could be here at eleven today, I would be able to see the doctor instead of waiting for my currently scheduled appointment. Otherwise, I’d stay on the waitlist for the next available.”
The receptionist shook her head. “I don’t know a Cagney Foster. She doesn’t work at this office. I’ve pulled up all our branch offices and I don’t see that name as an employee of Foley Pulmonology.”
He took a deep breath feeling his throat constricting. He reached at his waist for his utility belt and futilely realized it wasn’t there. He wasn’t dressed for work. His inhaler wasn’t there either. Instead, he shoved his hand into his pocket and pulled it out. Removed the cap and took a puff.
“I don’t know what to tell you, sir.”
“I want to speak to your office manager,” he croaked. “This has to be some sort of sick joke.”
He gasped for air as his lungs constricted and he leaned his head against the glass that separated the waiting area from the office workers.
“Sir, do you need some water? Would that help?” the receptionist asked.
He shook his head and slid down to the floor, putting his head between his bent knees as he waited for his inhaler to kick in. A nurse came out of the door to the waiting room to check on him. She placed a pulse oximeter on the end of his fingertip to get his oxygen reading and once she declared he was good, asked him to come with her.
He got up and followed her to an office where she introduced him to the business manager.
“I understand you were sent here today believing you had an appointment?” the man said.
“I was told by a Cagney Foster that I had one,” Rawlins showed him his cellphone and the number from where the call came.
“Like our receptionist told you, we don’t have an employee at this office or even at one of the other sites by the name of Cagney Foster,” the business manager said. “I fear you have been misled. Is there any reason someone would want to do this?”
“You’re asking me this?” Rawlins said. “Just tell me whether I still have my original appointment.” He gave him his information to check on.
