Nurse Blood (The Organ Harvester Series Book 1) Page 3

  “No, they’re various sizes, actually,” Roger replied. “It could be worse…he could be this heavy and really tall.”

  “True,” Jack said, straining a little harder to keep ahold of the bag since his grip had slipped a bit when he’d stumbled. “Can you get the doors?” He nodded toward the white van they’d arrived in.

  Roger nodded, bent over, and put his end of the bag down on the ground. Jack did the same. Once Roger had the doors open, they lifted the duffle bag into the back of the van.

  After they shut the doors again, they looked around to make sure no one had noticed their movements. No lights were on and the only noise that could be heard was the sound of sporadic traffic on the nearby street beyond the short concrete block wall that shielded the motel’s parking lot from the general public.

  After a silent nod as they agreed there was no immediate threat, the men walked around each side of the van to climb into the front.

  Jack drove two miles to an abandoned manufacturing district and continued to the building they’d set up the surgical room in for the “operations.” They were just pulling into the cracked, warped parking lot when Jack spoke again.

  “Do ya think Sonya would go out with me?” he asked.

  Roger shook his head. “That depends. How strong is this death wish you have?”

  Jack frowned. “She can’t be that bad. Come on, she’s just one woman.”

  “One woman who would kill you just because she took the notion to,” Roger said, trying to make Jack see reason. “Watch yourself with her unless you want to be in his predicament.” He nodded to the cargo area behind them.

  Jack flexed the muscles of his strong arms as he brought the van to a halt close to the docking bays of the building. “I think I can handle her.”

  Sighing, Roger gave up trying to make Jack see reason—he apparently needed to learn on his own how dangerous Sonya could be.

  They got out—not even bothering with being quiet, since there was no one in any of the buildings around them—and pulled open the back doors of the van. Together they pulled Bill out unceremoniously and started carrying him toward the ramp that led up to the door.

  “Did you call Jennings?” Roger asked.

  “Shit!” Jack exclaimed. “I knew there was somethin’ I’d forgotten.”

  Roger rolled his eyes and bit his tongue, not wanting to berate the man, but damn it, he was tired of having to remind Jack of everything. He missed the smooth efficiency he’d had working with Peter. He’d accepted the fact he’d have a new partner to work with when Peter quit, and he and Jack did get along rather well, but it wasn’t the same as before.

  “We’ll get him inside and then we’ll call,” Roger said, keeping his tone flat and even.

  “I’m sorry I forgot, man,” Jack said.

  “Maybe you should worry more about your job and less about Sonya and whether or not you can get her into bed,” Roger snapped as he bumped his elbow on a pointed, rusted piece of metal railing.

  “Geez,” Jack grumbled, “there’s no need to get all touchy and personal about it. I just forgot.”

  “I know,” Roger sighed. “I’m sorry. I just hope Sonya gets here before this guy wakes up. She’ll be able to give him more drugs while we wait for Jennings, if need be.”

  “Hell,” Jack said, grinning, “I can knock the guy back out. One good punch and he’ll be in la-la land for hours.”

  “We can’t do that,” Roger said. “Hitting him would damage too much tissue—you’d be surprised how much they can harvest and we can make money on.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah,” Roger said, pausing to unlock the padlock they’d put on the door. “It’s amazing actually.”

  “But they make really good money off the parts, right?” Jack asked. “I’m just asking ’cause that Jennings guy promised me a lot of money, and it kinda made me nervous he couldn’t deliver.”

  Roger laughed as they entered the building and carried Bill around an array of broken down, rotting factory equipment. “You’ll get your money—don’t worry about that. Just keep your mouth shut and your head down and you’ll make a killing.” He snorted at his witty innuendo.

  “I can handle that,” Jack said.

  They climbed into an old elevator approximately halfway through the main floor of the defunct facility, and after closing the gated door, hit a button and started descending.

  “When should I call Jennings?” Jack asked.

  “We’ll get this guy downstairs on the table, ready to strip, then we’ll call,” Roger said. “I’ll call Sonya too, to see how far away she is, just in case.”

  “How long does it usually take her to clean a room and get out?”

  “Usually around fifteen minutes,” Roger said with a shrug. “She’s pretty damn good at it.”

  They stopped talking when the elevator came to a halt with a bump. Roger pushed open the gated door and helped carry Bill out into the large, musty basement. They laid him down on a plastic-covered table and Jack flipped the master switch on one of the generators, which caused bright light to flood the room.

  They both took a moment to make their calls. Roger was done first and started to strip Bill’s clothes from his body; Jack joined him in his efforts after he too ended his call.

  “Jennings will be here in a half hour, max,” Jack said, frowning down at the man in front of them. “Ya don’t think she actually has sex with them, do ya?”

  Roger made a sound of disgust in his throat. “I sure hope not. Some of them have been pretty nasty.”

  Jack laughed. “How far away is she?”

  “She’s just pulling out of the motel parking lot and will be here soon.”

  “What do we do after we get Mr. Stud, here, naked?” Jack asked, trying to distance himself from the task.

  “We’ll wash him and tie him down to the operating table,” Roger said. “Why? You having issues with this part of the job? If so, just think about all the money you’re making and it will be a lot easier.”

  Jack nodded and did what he had to do.

  ***

  Sonya threw her cell phone into the passenger’s seat with a growl of angry frustration; it landed on the black wig she’d taken off once she’d gotten in the car. Jack hadn’t called Jennings, which cost them extra time. Doesn’t he know we’re supposed to be as quick and efficient as possible? she thought, tightening her grip on the steering wheel.

  Her foot pressed down harder on the accelerator as she thought of all the things she’d like to do to Jack. All the things that would make him scream and beg for mercy. She knew she couldn’t carry them out right now because they needed him for jobs, but when the jobs were over, she planned to have a little fun with him.

  She sped through the dark, almost deserted streets toward the abandoned brick factory they were using, to assist in the operation when Dr. Jennings arrived.

  She pulled her blue compact car in beside the white van and climbed out, thinking about what she had planned for Jack—he’d pay a dear price for pissing her off. She planned to scare the living shit out of him and make him remember his duties―at least until she could do what she really wanted.

  Following the same route the men had taken earlier, she was soon opening the gated door, exiting the elevator, and stepping into the basement. Completely ignoring Roger, she marched right up to Jack with a saucy smile on her face. She reached up, cupped the back of his neck with one of her hands, and kissed him, letting her other hand trail down his chest toward his crotch.

  When she pulled away slightly and smiled up at him, he smiled back and said, “I knew ya’d come ’round, babe,” right before he cried out in pain and fell to his knees.

  Chapter Four

  “Sonya!” Roger yelled, and stepped forward to make sure Jack was all right. “What are you thinking? We need him to be able to work.”

  She backed away from Jack with a smirk on her face and blood on her hand.

  “Fuck!” Roger yelled again. “
He’s bleeding! What did you do?” He turned to look at her and noted the blood on her hand and a small scalpel blade protruding from her fingers.

  “Oh, he’ll be all right,” she said, blinking innocently at Roger and smiling. “It’s not a deep wound.”

  “Ya crazy bitch,” Jack wheezed as he tried to climb to his feet, cupping his testicles with his hand. “Ya stabbed me in the fuckin’ balls!” He teetered for a moment as the room spun around him before he fell to the floor again with an agonized grunt.

  Sonya pursed her lips and made a tsking sound. “Ah, poor baby.”

  “That’s enough,” Roger barked, stepping up to Sonya and glaring at her. “You can’t go around stabbing men in the balls. I mean, you could really mess him up.”

  Her gaze never wavered from his and he noted there was no remorse in the depths of her green eyes.

  “Can’t I?” she asked sweetly, standing taller. “Because I just did. You really are blowing this out of proportion. I barely broke the skin. He’s in so much pain because it’s a sensitive area. Hell, all he’ll need is a bandage.”

  Roger dragged his hands through his thick black hair and growled, knowing he wasn’t going to get anywhere with her. In her mind she’d done nothing wrong. She’d only given Jack what he deserved. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths before asking her what he really wanted to know.

  “Why?” he asked, trying to calm himself, glancing at Jack who was lying on the floor, covered with sweat. “Why did you do that to him?”

  Sonya laughed, slid the scalpel out of the sleeve of the jacket she’d donned before leaving the motel, and held the cold steel blade coated in blood in front of her face.

  “He forgot to call Jennings,” she said flatly. “He won’t forget to do his job next time, now will he?”

  Roger frowned. “So…this has nothing to do with him teasing you earlier?”

  “Please!” she exclaimed, and rolled her eyes. “You guys acting like children isn’t worth stabbing someone over.” She shook her head at him like he was a wayward toddler. “I don’t like the teasing, but him not doing his job really pisses me off. We have to be careful and pay attention, and he wasn’t.” With a shrug she stepped around Roger and knelt beside Jack. She cupped his chin in her hand and showed him his blood on the scalpel. “You think this was bad? Fail to do your job right again and you’ll get worse. Do you understand?”

  Jack glared at her with anger sizzling in his eyes, which kept his fear of her hidden. He didn’t answer.

  “Do you understand?” she screamed in his face, bringing the blade close to his nose so he could smell the blood.

  “Yes,” he ground out.

  “Good,” she chirped, letting go of him and standing. “I’d hate to have to cut your balls off.”

  “What’s going on here?” a masculine voice boomed.

  They all turned to the source of the voice to see a gray-haired man who looked to be in his mid-forties—Dr. Jennings had arrived.

  “Nothing,” Sonya said, smiling and walking away from the men to go take a shower and change into scrubs.

  Roger and Jack looked at each other, and then back at Jennings, not saying a word.

  “Why’s he bleeding?” Jennings asked with a slight frown, motioning to Jack. “He could contaminate the surgical area.”

  Roger sighed deeply and dragged his hands through his hair again. “Sonya,” he said with a shrug.

  Jennings smiled and looked down at Jack. “What did you do to piss her off? Did you learn your lesson? I hope so, because I don’t need this shit happening on a regular basis. We run a tight ship here and you’re either onboard or you aren’t. I can find another thug to do my dirty work if I need to.”

  Jack grunted and forced himself to his feet. The pain was ebbing and he managed the action with only a slight hiss of pain.

  “Sonya made that very clear,” he muttered.

  “Good,” Jennings said. “Now get yourself cleaned up. We have work to do.” He turned and headed toward the showers to get ready for surgery.

  “Cocky old fucker,” Jack snarled. “I still can’t believe she stabbed me in the nuts!”

  Roger stood still and silent, watching Jennings disappear around the corner. While he thought Sonya’s method had been a bit extreme, he was, in a way, happy she’d done something to Jack to wake him up. The business they were in was serious and dangerous. They couldn’t afford to work with someone who was even slightly sloppy.

  “Just go get yourself cleaned up so we can get back to work,” Roger said, turning back to the naked man on the table. “We have to get him on the surgical table before they come back. There’s a small bathroom over there you can use.” He nodded to a far corner of the large room. “You can wash up really quick and then help me.”

  Jack staggered slowly toward the bathroom, holding his crotch with both hands.

  “Make sure you get all the blood off your hands!” Roger called after him, allowing himself to smile for the first time since Sonya’s arrival. Damn, she’s a crazy bitch, he thought and chuckled with a shake of his head.

  ***

  Jennings was taking off his shirt when Sonya walked out of the shower. She grabbed a towel from a pile on an old wooden bench, glanced his way, and started to dry herself off, not even trying to hide her nakedness. They’d worked together for a long time and it wasn’t the first time he’d seen her without clothes on.

  “What did he do to anger you, my dear?” Jennings asked with an air of authoritative detachment. “Something serious, I hope, because you can’t go doing things to our co-workers on a whim.”

  She smiled and shrugged. “Nothing he’ll be stupid enough to do again. I have our contact at the hospital set up, so there shouldn’t be any trouble moving everything.”

  He looked at her, watching her slide on underwear and faded blue scrubs. “That’s good to know,” he said, letting her change the subject. “We’ll see how smooth this one goes before we decide how long we’ll be here.”

  She nodded, sitting down to put on a pair of rubber clogs. “I’ll have the patient prepped and ready for you when you get out there.” She stood and pulled up her blonde hair, twisting it into a tight knot on the top of her head before wrapping a hair tie around it. After grabbing a face mask and a hair net from beside the towels on the bench, she headed for the doorway. She paused just before exiting and looked back at him with her moss-green eyes. “Do you think I should give him more drugs? You arrived sooner than anticipated…I was planning on giving him more while we waited for you, but now I don’t think it’s necessary.”

  “I agree,” Jennings said. “We shouldn’t need to, but we’ll see once I get out there. Go ahead and start the IV, so we can give him something quickly if we need to.”

  “Okay,” she said and left the locker room.

  ***

  Jack stared at himself in the filmy, cracked mirror over the bathroom sink. Looking down at the once white porcelain basin, he grimaced as a cockroach skidded down the black hole of the drain. The one bare bulb hanging from the ceiling did little to light the room, which he was thankful for. It was completely filthy and disgusting. He and Roger weren’t allowed to use the locker room Dr. Jennings and Sonya shared, as they insisted on keeping it as uncontaminated as possible, so he knew Roger had used these facilities previously. The evidence was found in a container of antibacterial hand soap on the sink and a roll of paper towels on the small counter to the left.

  Slowly, being extremely careful, he undid the fly of his jeans and peeled his pants and underwear from his wound, hissing and gritting his teeth at the painful ache in his groin. He closed his eyes for a moment before looking down at his testicles—sure enough, the wound was small and shallow, which surprised him.

  Reaching over and unrolling a few paper towels from the roll, he folded them and pumped some of the soap on before adding water, soaking the makeshift washcloth. He gingerly washed his wound, flinching at the sting of the rough towels and soap.


  After he was done cleaning himself, he lamented on not grabbing a bandage before coming into the bathroom, but it had been the last thing on his mind—he’d been more concerned with the condition of his “boys.” Now, knowing they were going to survive, he wished he’d thought things through better.

  Unrolling a few more paper towels, he folded them and slid them into his boxer briefs to catch the trickle of blood that still seeped from his body. He tugged his pants up and started thinking about how he could pay Sonya back while he washed his hands. By the time he left the bathroom he was grinning, pleased with his own thoughts of revenge.

  ***

  Roger—expecting to be a referee between Sonya and Jack—was shocked when they both came back out into the main room at about the same time and acted like nothing had happened. Neither of them said anything and they promptly got to work: Sonya, prepping the IV, and Jack, preparing to help lift Bill’s body over onto the table.

  “You okay, man?” Roger asked Jack as they got ready to lift.

  “Yup, fine,” Jack replied, and smiled.

  Roger raised his eyebrow, silently questioning Jack’s easy acceptance of the recent occurrence—he didn’t answer, only smiled in reply.

  “You guys almost done playing with Bill?” Sonya asked, exasperated. She was ready to prep him and was still waiting on them to move the man.

  “Coming your way right now,” Roger said, and with a few grunts, they lifted Bill and carried him through the clear plastic curtains hanging around the makeshift OR.

  The strong, stringent smell of the chemicals used to keep the surgical area sanitized burned the men’s nostrils. The extra luminance from the many light stands in the small space made them blink rapidly and break out in a light sweat from the heat of the bulbs.

  Jack and Roger laid Bill on the shining, stainless steel table, then strapped down his wrists and ankles.

  Jack caught Sonya’s eye when she leaned forward to make sure they had Bill tied down properly. He winked at her.