"Where is he now?" asked John while his eyes a.s.sessed the patient on the bed.

"We really don't know, Doc," said the head nurse who was checking the girl's blood pressure using an inflatable cuff with tubing attached to a digital device.

"Okay, report this to the police. They will file the case themselves. What're her vital signs[1]," John calmly said. He placed a stethoscope[2] on the girl's chest and heard her breathing was heavy.

Another nurse read from a clipped chart. "Temperature, 38.5. oxygen level 70, pulse rate 60, blood pressure 100/70."

"Give her oxygen support. Administer antipyretic[3] medication via IV[4]. Get her a complete x-ray, MRI[5] and all the tests needed. Hand me the MRI results first. Call the Gynecologist[6] of the day to examine if the girl has been s.e.xually abused," said John.

A nurse attached a needle on the back of her palm and connected it to a tubing all the way to the dextrose hanging on a standing metal pole. Then another nurse injected the medicine to the tubing's injection port.

Next, John took note of the wound. The bleeding had ceased by now. He let a nurse cut the hair surrounding it. Afterward, he examined it in an elaborate way. It was clean cut, probably by a sharp knife. However, a few limestone and flints were in it.

John stared at the girl's head. The probability of a traumatic brain injury was high with that long wound, he thought. Regarding the girl, he could not fathom on what she had gone through to acquire multiple bruises on her body and a deep wound. And who was that man who brought and abandoned her?

John shook his head. He had no choice but to wait for the tests' results. As of the moment, cleaning and st.i.tching the wound were his priority. After st.i.tching, he went to his office to read other medical reports waiting for him. At this time, the girl underwent a thorough physical examination.

An hour after, he received a call informing him that he could view the MRI results in his computer. He opened his computer and opened the file. John's facial muscles relaxed. Fortunately, no sign of brain injury, the wound was deep but plainly external. It meant, the girl did not suffer any heavy blow on her head and a high chance that she could recall who was her attacker and the man who brought her in.

Two policemen arrived an hour later. John talked to them for a while and continued with his rounds.

While walking, his mind was full of the girl's wound. Those limestones and flints bothered him. The place of attack could be in a secluded stony area.

That night, John's car drove in Arch Lithe Villa, his family home. He was dog-tired, but before climbing the stairs to his room, he went first to Leonard's secret office in the bas.e.m.e.nt.

He stepped into an elevator and pressed B2, signifying bas.e.m.e.nt two.

Unknown to the world, Leonard was a part owner of Paul Stevenson's investigation and security company. Leonard turned his house into two-story high villa but it was only a cover. Underground, it had four secret floors.

The first bas.e.m.e.nt was a mini-hospital to tend for their men receiving accidents on duty.

Bas.e.m.e.nt two was the office, conference room, and other formal offices. The third bas.e.m.e.nt was where all satellite feeds and other investigations done online took place. It was full of personal and server computers. Multiple wide screens and monitors mounted on the walls.

The last bas.e.m.e.nt was the ammunition and training area.

The elevator opened and he went to the largest rooms. As he opened the door, John saw four more familiar faces inside. Paul Stevenson, Richard, Jenna, and Ronald.

"Oh, you have a meeting?" John said.

"Good, you're already here. We've been waiting for you. Come here, you need to see this," Leonard said, waving a hand toward them.

John walked to where they stood. There was a stockpile of pictures scattered on the long conference table. Then an image on one of the photos caught his attention. It was the tattoo on the girl's arm.

"I saw this today."

"Where?" Paul asked.

"A girl brought to the ER this afternoon. This tattoo was on her left shoulder."

"Then that girl is from the prost.i.tute den. All girls staying there have this tattoo."

John was astounded to know the girl's true ident.i.ty and connected it with the bruises she suffered. He cringed. Then John glimpsed on another photo and was uneasy. "Is this policeman under your surveillance?" John asked as he pointed the man in uniform. This was one of the policemen he handed over the medical report this afternoon.

"That is one of Gallante's henchmen."

"Oh no," John shouted. "Leonard prepare a room in the bas.e.m.e.nt hospital. Get me our ambulance. We need to bring that girl in, she could be in danger." They found the best lead to that den and Gallante might strike fast to erase the lady for good. He had to save her.

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[1] Vital signs - clinical measurement indicating the state of a patient's body functions.

[2] stethoscope - a doctor's listening device to check a patient's heartbeat or breathing.

[3] antipyretic - against fever.

[4] IV -intravenous.

[5] MRI - magnetic resonance imaging, it shows detailed images inside the body.

[6] Gynecologist - the doctor for women.