Caught

11.

I instructed one of my soldiers to gather the necessary items for the prisoner and then retreated to the safety of my office. I needed to calm down and consider my next steps.

Why had I let this happen? Where was my common sense? Yet, whenever the memory of Shira's lips touching mine resurfaced, I felt an undeniable excitement in addition to my confusion.

If I had been confused before, I was certain now. Whether I liked it or not, I was attracted to our prisoner. As if I didn't have enough problems already.

I reached for my mobile and tried to call Maya.

"The number you have dialled is not available," came the voice from my phone. "Hang up and try again..."

Following the advice, I hung up and dialled the hospital, hoping to reach her there. Unfortunately, the head nurse who answered told me that Dr Saar hadn't been at the hospital for two days.

Where are you, Maya?

Maybe she was at home, sleeping off a hangover. The thought made me realise that my head was killing me. I didn't know when I had stopped noticing the pain, but now it was back in full force.

Maybe I should follow Maya's example and go home and get some sleep. At least for a few hours. In my current state of mind I was unlikely to do any meaningful work anyway.

I had almost managed to slip out of the building unnoticed when the director of the prison stopped me in the corridor.

He greeted me, his voice cold and distant, and then informed me that the Governor was expecting a detailed report on the prisoner. And since I hadn't bothered to come to work yesterday, it had to be ready today.

What could I do? I went back to my office and started typing the stupid report.

Less than an hour later, one of the soldiers turned up. He was holding a carefully folded map that Shira had just finished.

As I had anticipated, the prisoner had upheld his end of the bargain. He had drawn out the layout of the underground tunnels in great detail, almost like a professional.

I made a copy of the map and attached the original to the report I had just finished. Hopefully it'll keep the Governor occupied for a few days and keep him from nipping at my heels.

~~~

I tried to contact Maya several times during the day. With no success. I was getting worried so I stopped by her house. She wasn't there. I knocked on the door for a while before realising it was no use. Finally, a young girl, barely twelve years old, looked out of the next door.

"Doctor Maya isn't home," she informed me.

"Do you know when she left?"

"I saw her go out this morning and she hasn't been back since," the girl explained. "But she doesn't usually come back until late in the evening. Are you a boyfriend of hers?"

"Just a friend," I corrected the girl. "If she comes back, tell her I was looking for her," I said, walking back across the small garden to the gate leading to the street.

Damn it, Maya, where are you? I hope she hasn't done something stupid.

My mobile buzzed in my pocket, and I quickly retrieved it, hoping it was Maya.

I stared at the screen in frustration as an unfamiliar number flashed.

"Hello?"

"Commander Imara?"

The Governor's exalted voice was the last thing I wanted to hear right now.

"Governor, is something wrong?" I asked.