Silent Run

the rapidly growing list of people who didn’t like her.
    The door opened, and Jake walked in holding two cups of coffee. His eyes were weary, his face showing a dark shadow of beard across his jaw. As he handed Dylan a cup, he frowned. “I told you to wait for me before you talked to Sarah."
    â€œI wanted to see her for myself,” Dylan said. “You’re right: She looks like hell. But I don’t feel one ounce of sympathy for her, and neither should you."
    â€œI don’t,” Jake replied.
    While they reconfirmed their dislike of her, Sarah eyed their coffees with envy. She could have used a shot of caffeine to raise her energy to face the night ahead, but she wouldn’t ask Jake to get her a cup. He’d no doubt suspect some ulterior motive. Instead she asked, “Did you speak to Officer Manning again? He said he was going to come by, right?"
    â€œHe’s downstairs,” Jake said. “Look, Sarah, I don’t know if Dylan told you, but he arranged for the local news channel to send a reporter over here. They want to do a short interview with you, ask for the public’s help in identifying you and locating Caitlyn. It will air on the six-o’clock and eleven-o’clock newscasts tonight."
    â€œBut we already know who I am,” she said, suddenly terrified at the prospect of going on camera and talking to a reporter.
    â€œSomeone may have seen you with Caitlyn at a rest stop or a restaurant, a gas station, somewhere that would help us pinpoint your location before the accident.” Jake’s eyes narrowed suspiciously at her hesitation. “Is there a problem?"
    â€œSomeone is trying to kill me. That’s a problem,” she said, panic rising. “I don’t know if it’s a good idea for me to go on television."
    â€œIt’s no secret you’re here in the hospital,” Jake said. “In fact, the more public you are, the more difficult you’ll make it for someone to get to you."
    Everything he said was true, but her mind still urged her to say no. “I think it’s a mistake."
    â€œWhy?” Dylan shot out. “What are you afraid of?"
    â€œI’m not sure. My instincts tell me to lie low."
    â€œWell, my instincts tell me that we’re going to need all the help we can get to find Caitlyn,” Jake said. “You’re going to do this if I have to carry you down there and force you to speak. This is a great opportunity for us to get the word out that Caitlyn is missing. I’m not going to waste it. And you have to be there, because you were with her. It’s your face someone may recognize, not mine. It’s also possible that whoever has Caitlyn will see the broadcast, realize you’re not coming back, and step forward."
    She knew he was right, and her reluctance was only making Jake and Dylan more suspicious of her -- if that was even possible. She had no choice but to agree.
    â€œAll right. I’ll do it,” she conceded. “When is it?"
    â€œTen minutes, downstairs."
    She swung her legs off the bed. “I need to use the restroom.” She stood up slowly, her head spinning. Jake started to reach for her, and then thought better of it. Dylan watched her as if he were waiting for her to reveal something. Despite the fact that they weren’t leaving her alone, she knew she was very much on her own. The two men were united -- against her.
    It was odd, but the feeling of being alone felt very true to her. She sensed she’d been on her own for most of her life. She’d told Jake her parents had died. That felt right. The rest, she had no idea.
    When she thought she could move forward without falling, she put one tentative foot in front of the other until she had crossed the room. She reached for the restroom door with relief.
    Once inside, she put her hands on the sink for balance and stared at her face in the mirror. The bruises around her eyes were darker, and the small cuts on her cheek were healing. Her brown hair was a mess, thick, tangled, curly, frizzed at the ends, completely wild. She felt a distinct feminine yearning for a hairbrush but settled for running her fingers through her hair, trying to get rid of some of the bigger tangles.
    The familiar motion made her pause. She’d done this before. An image flashed through her mind. Her hair was blond, and there’d been a man in the mirror, coming up behind her, his strong hands slipping around her