No Escape, page 5
Every door she passed was a potential threat, a hiding place for the monster that she knew was lurking somewhere within the facility. The knowledge that John Murphy was just beyond one of those doors filled her with a cold, creeping dread, a sensation that sent shivers down her spine and made her skin crawl.
And still, Valerie pressed on, her determination driving her forward as she navigated the seemingly endless maze of corridors. She knew she couldn’t afford to let fear paralyze her, that too much was at stake for her to falter now. She had to be strong, not only for herself but for Suzie and the others who might become Murphy’s targets if he managed to break free.
As she continued her search, the storm outside showed no sign of lessening, its fury unabated as it battered the walls of Shady Pines. It was a relentless, merciless force, much like the man she was hunting, and it served as a stark reminder of the darkness that lay ahead.
She finally reached John Murphy’s room, seeing his name on the wall beside the door. Taking a deep breath, Valerie steeled herself for what she might find on the other side.
Just before Valerie could turn the door handle, Suzie appeared beside her, her expression a mixture of concern and confusion. “Val, what are you doing?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Valerie jumped. “You nearly scared me to death, sis!” she said in a whisper.
“I couldn’t sleep,” Suzie said. “The storm reminded me of when we were kids, waiting for Mom to come to her senses.”
Valerie shook her head. “I’m not Mom.”
“Are you sure?” Suzie said. “You seem familiar.”
Valerie looked at her sister, her face determined. “I’m an FBI agent. I’m checking on John Murphy,” she replied. “The storm is the perfect cover for him to escape, and I have to make sure he’s still in his room.”
Suzie shook her head. “You’re jeopardizing any chance you have of being released. If you want to get back to your life with Tom and the FBI, you need to get back to your room, Val.”
Valerie’s jaw tightened. “I can’t do that, Suzie. People’s safety is more important than my release. Murphy is a dangerous killer. I can’t take any chances.” Valerie’s eyes pleaded with her sister. “Go back to your room, Suzie. I don’t want to jeopardize your release, too.”
Suzie looked at Valerie, her gaze unwavering. “I can’t leave you to do this alone, Val. I’m staying with you.”
“I’m not going to argue,” Valerie said.
“And I’m not going to let you do anything stupid,” Suzie replied.
A silence spread between them as they looked at each other, punctuated by two flashes of lightning and a thunderous clap high above in the clouds.
The blue light cast an eerie hue across Suzie’s face. For a second, Valerie thought she was staring at a hallucination of her mother, grinning.
No, she said to herself, resolute that the hallucinations were far behind her.
Valerie nodded. “If he’s in here, don’t put yourself in harm’s way.”
With Suzie by her side, Valerie turned the handle, opening the door slowly and carefully, vaguely thinking the door of the dangerous criminal should have been locked.
The door creaked open, revealing an empty room bathed in the ethereal glow of the storm outside. The bed was neatly made, and Murphy was nowhere to be found.
Valerie’s hope dropped into an abyss as she noticed the door lock, which had been broken from the inside. Her worst fears had come true: John Murphy had already escaped.
Horrified, she turned to Suzie. “He’s gone,” she whispered, the weight of the situation settling upon them. “We have to find him before it’s too late.”
Valerie and Suzie walked through the empty, dimly lit corridors of Shady Pines, their footsteps echoing as they searched for any sign of Murphy. Suzie suggested, her voice tense, “We should call the police, Val.”
Valerie nodded in agreement, but her brow furrowed with worry. “You’re right, but the second they know I’m involved, they’ll put me back in my room and likely lock me in. I can’t let John get away. Too many lives are at stake.”
Suzie’s expression was resolute as she continued to walk beside Valerie. As they approached another corridor, Valerie stopped and turned to Suzie. “You should go and alert an orderly that John Murphy has escaped from his room and could be dangerous. I’ll keep looking for him.”
Just as she said this, they turned the corner and were met with a chilling sight. The bloodied bodies of two orderlies lay on the floor, their uniforms stained crimson. Shock and horror washed over the sisters as Valerie rushed over to them.
Kneeling down, she checked for any signs of life, her hands trembling. She placed her fingers on their necks, searching for a pulse, but both orderlies were dead. Valerie stared at the blood now staining her hands, her breathing heavy and her eyes wide with fear.
Suzie, pale and shaken, stood beside her sister. “Val, we have to do something. We have to stop him.”
Valerie’s voice was filled with determination as she wiped her hands on her clothes, trying to remove the blood. “You’re right. We can’t let him hurt anyone else. Let’s find him and put an end to this nightmare.”
Together, the sisters continued their search for the escaped killer, the storm outside raging on, mirroring the tumultuous emotions within them.
The sound of the storm outside Shady Pines was deafening, thunder crashing and lightning illuminating the darkened sky. Valerie and Suzie, their hearts pounding, searched for security personnel or any staff who could help them. But instead, they discovered a third lifeless body, another victim of Murphy’s ruthless escape.
Valerie cursed under her breath as she realized she’d left her phone in her room. “I can’t believe I forgot it,” she muttered, feeling as though her mind wasn’t as sharp as it used to be.
Suzie seemed paralyzed by fear, her eyes wide and her breathing shallow. Determined to take action, Valerie smashed a nearby fire alarm, setting off a shrill siren that pierced through the storm’s cacophony.
As they continued searching, Valerie noticed a trail of blood on the floor. With growing dread, she followed it, Suzie trailing behind her. “Suzie, I can’t protect you. You need to wait for help,” Valerie warned, but her sister refused to leave her side.
Valerie and Suzie turned a corner, their ears straining to catch any sound beneath the howl of the wind and the crashing thunder outside. Suddenly, they heard a faint noise, like metal scraping against metal. Valerie, her pulse quickening, sprinted toward the sound, Suzie right behind her.
As they rounded another corner, they caught sight of John Murphy, a sinister grin on his face as he used a piece of broken metal to pry open a door. He leered at Valerie and shouted over the storm, “Catch me if you can!”
Valerie and Suzie gave chase, their shoes slipping on the wet floor as they followed Murphy out the door. The rain outside was torrential, and the lightning cast eerie shadows on the walls of the facility. In one of the brief, disorienting flashes, Valerie lost sight of Murphy as he scaled a fence and disappeared between oncoming cars on a nearby road.
As they reached the fence, Valerie looked back toward Shady Pines and saw police car lights flashing in the distance, their blue and red hues reflecting against the shadowy outline of the building. Suzie, out of breath and drenched, implored Valerie to go back.
Valerie stared at the woods, the darkness swallowing them as the storm continued its relentless assault. She screamed over the sound of the rain, “There’s no time!” A chilling thought permeated her mind, a dreadful realization. She knew where Murphy was going, and it wasn’t far.
“We have to save Joshua,” she told Suzie, her voice filled with urgency. “John’s cousin is his next target, the one he failed to kill when I caught him. We have to stop his reign of terror before it’s too late.”
Valerie ran through the rain, not looking back. She knew that her sister would follow.
CHAPTER NINE
Will felt pressure building in his chest from worry as he sat in the passenger seat of Charlie’s car, the relentless storm outside threatening to swallow them whole.
Night had fallen, and the darkness closed in around them as they approached Shady Pines. The sight of police cars and ambulances scattered across the grounds sent a shiver down Will’s spine. Two bodies were being loaded into one of the ambulances, covered by black body bags.
“What do you think happened?” Will asked nervously, his voice barely audible over the howling wind and the staccato drumming of rain against the car’s roof.
Charlie’s brow furrowed as he gripped the steering wheel tighter, his knuckles turning paler. “I don’t know, but it doesn’t look good,” he replied, his voice grave.
Will felt a gnawing fear in the pit of his stomach, terror gripping him as he thought of Valerie. “Do you think… do you think she’s one of the victims?”
Charlie didn’t answer, his eyes scanning the chaotic scene outside. They pulled up to the entrance, and Charlie rolled down his window to speak with a police officer. The wind whipped rain into the car, soaking them as they tried to get information.
“I’m with the FBI,” Charlie said, showing his badge. “We’ve got an agent in there. What’s happened?”
The officer’s face was wrought with tension, and his eyes were heavy from lack of sleep. “I’m sorry to tell you,” he began, his voice somber and solemn, “there have been multiple homicides inside the facility and at least one patient escaped.”
Will felt as though his heart had dropped into the depths of his stomach. His breath hitched, and he managed to ask in a halting voice, scared of what the answer might be, “Was Agent Valerie Law one of the victims?”
The officer shook his head, water droplets flying from his rain-slicked hair. “I don’t know, sir. We’re still assessing the situation.”
Will watched Charlie feel for his revolver in its holster against his shoulder.
“We’re going to need to get in there,” he said.
“I’ll check with…” the young officer began.
“Son,” Charlie said. “I’m going in there with or without your permission. My partner is in there. Understand?”
The officer nodded slowly. “Yes… Sorry. Go right ahead, but please don’t tell my sergeant I let you in.”
“Our lips are sealed,” Will said above the rain and clattering thunder.
As they stepped out of the car, they were immediately pummeled by the storm’s fury, the wind tearing at their clothes and rain stinging their faces. Will felt it taking his breath away, but he watched Charlie march through it like he was made of stone.
The exterior of Shady Pines loomed before them, a formidable structure shrouded in darkness and illuminated only by sporadic flashes of lightning. The trees surrounding the building swayed violently, their branches clawing at the night sky as if in agony.
Blue and red lights from the police cars cast an eerie glow across the scene, their colors merging with the rain to create a nightmarish landscape. Will’s pulse raced, his mind filled with worry for Valerie as he and Charlie made their way inside, the storm continuing its assault on the world around them.
Will and Charlie ventured further into the dimly lit corridors of Shady Pines, their footsteps echoing eerily in the otherwise silent building. They approached a forlorn-looking woman at the reception desk, her face a mixture of fear and exhaustion, her hands shaking.
“Who’s in charge here?” Charlie asked, his voice firm but gentle.
The woman hesitated for a moment, then answered, “The director, Quincy Jensen.”
“Take us to him immediately,” Will demanded, his worry for Valerie evident in his voice.
The receptionist led them to the director’s office, her steps slow and heavy. They knocked on the door, but there was no response. Charlie turned to the receptionist, his brow furrowed. “Are you sure he’s in there?”
She nodded, her eyes wide with uncertainty. “Yes, I think so.”
Charlie hesitated for a moment before turning the handle and opening the door. The director’s office was dimly lit, the only illumination coming from a solitary desk lamp casting long shadows across the room. Quincy Jensen sat in his chair, his head in his hands, his body trembling ever so slightly.
Will and Charlie entered, the door creaking shut behind them.
“Director Jensen?” Will asked.
He did not look up.
“FBI,” Charlie said forcefully. “Director, we need to ask you some questions. One of our own is among your patients.”
Finally, the man looked up, his face ashen.
Will’s voice was tight with anxiety as he asked, “Is John Murphy behind all of this?”
The director’s lip trembled, his face pale and haunted. “Possibly. We know he’s escaped, but we’re still trying to piece everything together.”
Charlie’s voice was tense as he asked, “What about Valerie Law? Where is she?”
Jensen shook his head, his eyes filled with despair. “I… I don’t know. The police and staff are doing a head count, but it’s chaos out there.”
Will’s anger flared, his eyes blazing with fury. “We’re here because Valerie knew this would happen! I bet she told you…”
The man stared vacantly, but Will could see in his eyes that guilt had set in.
“Valerie warned you about that patient! She told you he was dangerous!” Charlie shouted.
The director seemed defeated, his shoulders sagging. “I know. I… I’m so sorry. We thought she was overreacting.”
“Overreacting?” Will now said. “Whoever gave the go ahead for a killer and an agent to share a facility should be out of a job by the morning.”
“There… There was a slipup,” the director conceded. “They were processed around the same time. If we’d had more time… we’d have sent them to different places.”
“Not good enough!” Will said.
Will had never felt so angry. For once, it was time for Charlie to play good cop.
“Director, there will be time for the blame game later,” Charlie said. “How did John Murphy escape?”
“I did post two extra security guards on Murphy’s room, but he must have manipulated them to take him to the bathroom and then killed them in the corridor,” Quincy said. “Then he killed more… And kept killing until he could leave… Oh God…”
Will’s face flushed red, his fists balled up with rage. “You should have done more! You’re responsible for this!” he shouted, pointing an accusing finger at the director.
Charlie stepped forward and placed a calming hand on Will’s arm. “Let’s not jump to conclusions,” he said softly, his voice full of understanding. “We need to find Val.”
Will shot him a look of disbelief but didn’t say anything else, allowing Charlie to continue speaking with the director in an attempt to glean whatever information they could about Murphy’s and Valerie’s whereabouts. But deep down, Will couldn’t help feeling that Jensen had been grossly negligent in his duty to protect his patients.
As the conversation unfolded, Will’s heart beat rapidly in his chest, his mind racing with worry for Valerie. Charlie’s and the director’s words faded into background noise. The oppressive atmosphere of the office weighed heavily on him, the air thick with tension and fear. Every passing moment without news of Valerie’s whereabouts only served to heighten his anxiety, the uncertainty gnawing at his very soul.
She had become like a daughter to him. And he couldn’t bear the thought of losing her to a cold-blooded killer. Not after all this time.
A sudden knock on the door interrupted Charlie and the director’s tense conversation, causing Quincy Jensen to jump, his eyes wide with fright as he stared at the door.
Will turned and watched.
Charlie rose from his chair, his movements cautious and deliberate. He crossed the room and opened the door, revealing a police officer standing in the dimly lit hallway.
“Mr. Jensen,” the officer said, his voice strained, “we’ve completed the head count, and there are two other patients missing.”
Will’s heart skipped a beat, his breath catching in his throat as he braced himself for the answer he dreaded. “What are their names?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
The police officer hesitated for a moment, his expression grim as he looked from Will to Quincy. The tension in the room was palpable, the air thick with anticipation and dread. Finally, the officer spoke, his words sending a chill down Will’s spine.
“Two sisters. Valerie and Suzie Law.”
The words echoed through the room like a death knell, the silence that followed an insidious echo.
Will’s palpitations clattered in his chest, his mind racing with a thousand fears and worries. The menacing storm outside seemed to mirror the turmoil in his soul, and as the thunder crashed and the lightning flashed, Will knew that he had to find Valerie, no matter what it took.
CHAPTER TEN
Sometimes Valerie wondered when the suffering would end. When would she get to live a normal life? Didn’t she deserve it by now after all the death she had put behind her?
Rain pelted the windows of the gas station as the storm continued its reign outside. Valerie stood in front of the restroom mirror, her hands trembling as she washed away the blood from the dead body she’d touched at Shady Pines.
She was at least glad that they didn’t need to find new clothes. Shady Pines had allowed them to dress more like visitors than patients during their stay. It was, according to Quincy Jensen, a way to break down the patient-doctor divide.
Valerie looked down.
The crimson stains swirled down the drain, disappearing into the darkness below. She looked at her reflection, her face pale and her eyes haunted.
She almost didn’t recognize herself.
For a brief moment, Valerie thought she resembled her mother. The same deep-set eyes, the same sharp features, and the same air of determination that had defined her mother throughout her life. It sent a shiver down her spine.
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