subdue her arms but without success as she flailed at the wall. Three other men show up and landed on the woman. A needle was produced and then they got her turned over, pushing her into the chair’s wheelbase. Moments later, they took the woman away as she kicked and screamed.
Cole breathed deep, hitched up his pants and turned to Sarah.
“Code one was for the schizophrenic patients who scream and punch the walls. Katy often hears voices and sees monsters that aren’t there.” Cole offered Sarah a sardonic smile. “I would too if my uncle locked me in a basement cage for twelve years and raped me daily until there was nothing left inside but fear, anger and a lovely schizo-affective disorder. Well, almost nothing left inside, there’s still a little something in Katy for me.” He leaned down and whispered, “But let’s keep that between us.”
He walked away leaving Sarah in the chair, shaken from lack of food and the anger that almost felt like it was consuming her.
Do I always have to deal with human scum? I seem to be haunted by them.
But Sarah knew the answer. She would spend the rest of her days, however many she had left, dealing with men like Cole because she could fight back. Men like Cole were her prey. She was a predator after all. And she was here hunting Cole Lincoln and had added Dr. Williams to her list.
Cole brought over a small plate of food, whisked a chair around in front of Sarah and stuck a fork full of moist beef in Sarah’s face. Taking anything from the sick man in front of her was the last thing she ever thought she could do, but nourishment offered a better chance at leaving this building. She had to eat. She opened her mouth. He hesitated, staring inside at her tongue, her throat. She almost closed it again, but the fork moved forward and she accepted the food.
“The Macdonald Triad describes an obsession with fire setting, which you will do tonight. It also covers enuresis, or bedwetting, which you already did on your own. I have to thank you for that.” He smiled that horrid grin of his as he stirred her food and offered up more. “According to Dr. Williams, fire setting is a release of aggression. You, Sarah Roberts, seem quite aggressive.”
As she listened to Cole rant on about her supposed conditions, she ate and thought of escape. Before the fire broke out in the hospital, she had to try to save as many people as she could. But how if she couldn’t even save herself?
“After dinner,” Cole went on, “everyone will be going for closure group to see if they met their daily goals. You won’t be joining them. That’s the time when you’ll be investigating me.”
“Huh?”
“That’s right. You’ll have stored all my files and patient complaint forms in your room. How you did it will remain a mystery for most, but then they’ll locate my key card on your person when the fire marshal conducts his investigation.”
The stroganoff was done and the carrots tasted horrible.
“I’m done eating.”
Cole set the plate aside and looked around the room. No one was close enough to hear them and even if they were, how much would it matter?
Helena, the white-haired woman from earlier, who spoke of the burning coming in the night, stared at Sarah from the other side of the room.
The burning, the burning …
She looked at Cole’s face as he spoke, not hearing him. The burn marks on his face. The burning . Coming in the night . Sweet release . Now Cole wanted to burn the building down with all the patient files in Sarah’s room.
It’s a cleansing.
Vivian.
A cleansing for Lance Williams and for Cole Lincoln. And who better to be blamed for the cleansing but Sarah Roberts, an old family friend who has been obsessed with Cole since he was her babysitter all those years ago?
“By nine tonight, we’ll offer everyone their night meds,” Cole continued. “There will be Seroquel and
Cole breathed deep, hitched up his pants and turned to Sarah.
“Code one was for the schizophrenic patients who scream and punch the walls. Katy often hears voices and sees monsters that aren’t there.” Cole offered Sarah a sardonic smile. “I would too if my uncle locked me in a basement cage for twelve years and raped me daily until there was nothing left inside but fear, anger and a lovely schizo-affective disorder. Well, almost nothing left inside, there’s still a little something in Katy for me.” He leaned down and whispered, “But let’s keep that between us.”
He walked away leaving Sarah in the chair, shaken from lack of food and the anger that almost felt like it was consuming her.
Do I always have to deal with human scum? I seem to be haunted by them.
But Sarah knew the answer. She would spend the rest of her days, however many she had left, dealing with men like Cole because she could fight back. Men like Cole were her prey. She was a predator after all. And she was here hunting Cole Lincoln and had added Dr. Williams to her list.
Cole brought over a small plate of food, whisked a chair around in front of Sarah and stuck a fork full of moist beef in Sarah’s face. Taking anything from the sick man in front of her was the last thing she ever thought she could do, but nourishment offered a better chance at leaving this building. She had to eat. She opened her mouth. He hesitated, staring inside at her tongue, her throat. She almost closed it again, but the fork moved forward and she accepted the food.
“The Macdonald Triad describes an obsession with fire setting, which you will do tonight. It also covers enuresis, or bedwetting, which you already did on your own. I have to thank you for that.” He smiled that horrid grin of his as he stirred her food and offered up more. “According to Dr. Williams, fire setting is a release of aggression. You, Sarah Roberts, seem quite aggressive.”
As she listened to Cole rant on about her supposed conditions, she ate and thought of escape. Before the fire broke out in the hospital, she had to try to save as many people as she could. But how if she couldn’t even save herself?
“After dinner,” Cole went on, “everyone will be going for closure group to see if they met their daily goals. You won’t be joining them. That’s the time when you’ll be investigating me.”
“Huh?”
“That’s right. You’ll have stored all my files and patient complaint forms in your room. How you did it will remain a mystery for most, but then they’ll locate my key card on your person when the fire marshal conducts his investigation.”
The stroganoff was done and the carrots tasted horrible.
“I’m done eating.”
Cole set the plate aside and looked around the room. No one was close enough to hear them and even if they were, how much would it matter?
Helena, the white-haired woman from earlier, who spoke of the burning coming in the night, stared at Sarah from the other side of the room.
The burning, the burning …
She looked at Cole’s face as he spoke, not hearing him. The burn marks on his face. The burning . Coming in the night . Sweet release . Now Cole wanted to burn the building down with all the patient files in Sarah’s room.
It’s a cleansing.
Vivian.
A cleansing for Lance Williams and for Cole Lincoln. And who better to be blamed for the cleansing but Sarah Roberts, an old family friend who has been obsessed with Cole since he was her babysitter all those years ago?
“By nine tonight, we’ll offer everyone their night meds,” Cole continued. “There will be Seroquel and
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