Chapter 8: The Unraveling Truth
The tension in the air was thick as Anika and Rowe stood facing each other, the bear still positioned between them like an immovable wall. The growl it emitted vibrated through the parking lot, sending an involuntary shiver down Anika’s spine. Rowe flinched, his eyes darting nervously from the bear to Anika. There was a flicker of something—fear, perhaps—but it was quickly masked by a forced calmness.
Anika crossed her arms, studying Rowe carefully. “Mr. Rowe, I’m afraid you can’t see your son until we’re certain about what happened. You’re not authorized to be here yet.” She tried to keep her voice steady, but there was a tightness in her chest she couldn’t shake. Everything about this situation felt wrong.
Rowe’s lips tightened, and for a moment, he didn’t speak. His eyes locked onto the bear, then back at Anika. “I don’t understand. I’ve been searching for Evan for hours. I need to see him,” he insisted, his tone rising slightly, a crack of desperation seeping through.
Anika glanced back at the bear. Its unblinking gaze was still fixed on Rowe, its massive frame seemingly growing more solid with every passing second. Something about its watchfulness sent a chill creeping down her spine. She couldn’t ignore it any longer—there was more going on here than just a protective animal.
“I know you’re worried, Mr. Rowe,” she said, choosing her words carefully. “But you’re not helping matters by rushing in here. If you want to see Evan, we need to be sure of who you are first. Your story doesn’t quite add up.”
Rowe’s jaw clenched. “What are you implying?” His voice was barely above a whisper now, but the edge of frustration was clear.
Anika paused, considering her next words carefully. “You say you’ve been searching for your son all night. But how did you know he was brought here? You didn’t mention how you found out, and that’s… strange.”
Rowe’s face froze for a split second. It was brief, but Anika noticed it—the flicker of discomfort, the way his gaze darted toward the bear as if seeking some sort of reassurance.
Before he could respond, there was a sharp noise from inside the hospital. A nurse came rushing out, breathless. “Dr. Sorel, we just got the results back from the lab. We’ve found traces of something else in Evan’s blood. It’s not just the sedatives. It’s ropes—fragments of fibers, like he was bound.”
Anika’s stomach twisted. The truth was becoming clearer, and it wasn’t the kind of truth she had hoped for. The abduction, the sedatives—it was all starting to make sense. But there was still one piece of the puzzle missing.
The bear shifted slightly, its heavy breathing making the ground vibrate beneath them. It was waiting. Waiting for something to happen. Anika could feel the animal’s unspoken command. It wasn’t just guarding Evan anymore. It was guarding something much darker.
And then, as if on cue, Rowe turned sharply, looking toward the hospital doors. The bear’s growl deepened, its muscles coiling like a spring ready to snap.
Anika’s heart pounded in her chest.
Something was about to happen. And she was running out of time to stop it.
To be continued…