Gabitril for sleep, and for depression, we’ll be offering Abilify. At eleven tonight, when everyone is drugged and falling into a psychotic dream-filled sleep, you’ll be preparing your masterpiece. A nurse will call for lights out and the fire will start. How does that sound?”
“Wonderful.” It was Sarah’s turn to smile. Vivian was back. A couple of thoughts, accompanied by images came to Sarah in rapid succession. “But you forgot one thing,” she added.
“What’s that?” Cole had a smug look on his face, like he was waiting for the punch line of a joke. “I haven’t forgotten anything. This plan was already in place before you began your little search for me. That woman who died took part in the search for you. She knew too much. Her body was found in your car. How the hell do you think you will ever walk away from here—”
“Cole,” a man said.
Dr. Williams had walked up behind him.
“What?”
“A cop and two others were just here looking for Sarah.”
“And? What did they want?”
“To see her.” He pointed at Sarah. “To talk to her. They found the body in Sarah’s car. The cop might become a problem.”
Cole shook his head. “No, he won’t. It’s late. The fireworks are set to start in a few hours. It’s impossible for him to get the necessary warrants in that time. Who were the other two men?”
“Her boyfriend, Aaron, and a friend, a man who only gave the name, Parkman.”
A warmth coursed through her. They were here. They knew where she was. Her men. Her lover. How they found her so fast was a miracle, but it made her feel loved. She would get out of this, deal with Cole and Williams and be home for breakfast.
“Too bad they missed out.” Cole turned back to Sarah. “We’ll be the last two sane men you ever see.” He got up and set the dinner plate on a table, then turned to Williams. “Don’t worry about them. Stay focused. Come find me after the closure group session is over. We get started as everyone heads to bed. I’ve got final rounds to make after I wheel her back to her room. I’ll leave you to finish the preparations.”
Williams patted Cole on the back of the shoulder and stepped away, with what Sarah thought was a tight, worried look on his face.
Cole grabbed the handles of the wheelchair and pushed Sarah from the dining room toward the corridor that led back to her room.
“Oh, yeah, you were saying I missed something,” Cole said.
Vivian’s thoughts were clear in Sarah’s head. She knew what she had to do but wasn’t completely sure of the outcome.
“The fire will be small and contained. Most of what you are planning will not happen.” The chair slowed momentarily, then picked up again. Low enough that only he could hear, she said, “Your last breath will be because I took it.”
When they got to her room, he shoved her inside and slammed the door closed behind her without another word.
She smiled as it all came clear.
And she waited as any good hunter would.
Chapter 18
With no clock on the wall, Sarah had no way of knowing how long she sat in the wheelchair, waiting for Williams or Lincoln to show up. Her bladder ached, her throat was dry, mild images of Vivian’s past flitted through her mind and she had an itch. But none of that bothered her anymore. She had learned a long time ago some things were more important than taking a piss or scratching an itch.
Over and over she thought about what Vivian had told her, examining it from all angles. More importantly this time, Vivian had shown her some of what was going to happen. Like a future déjà vu. As if she had been there, done that, but it hadn’t happened yet.
There were uncertainties, but that didn’t sway Sarah’s belief that this would end in her favor. What was of utmost importance was that the files didn’t burn. Somewhere inside those files were the complaints of several
“Wonderful.” It was Sarah’s turn to smile. Vivian was back. A couple of thoughts, accompanied by images came to Sarah in rapid succession. “But you forgot one thing,” she added.
“What’s that?” Cole had a smug look on his face, like he was waiting for the punch line of a joke. “I haven’t forgotten anything. This plan was already in place before you began your little search for me. That woman who died took part in the search for you. She knew too much. Her body was found in your car. How the hell do you think you will ever walk away from here—”
“Cole,” a man said.
Dr. Williams had walked up behind him.
“What?”
“A cop and two others were just here looking for Sarah.”
“And? What did they want?”
“To see her.” He pointed at Sarah. “To talk to her. They found the body in Sarah’s car. The cop might become a problem.”
Cole shook his head. “No, he won’t. It’s late. The fireworks are set to start in a few hours. It’s impossible for him to get the necessary warrants in that time. Who were the other two men?”
“Her boyfriend, Aaron, and a friend, a man who only gave the name, Parkman.”
A warmth coursed through her. They were here. They knew where she was. Her men. Her lover. How they found her so fast was a miracle, but it made her feel loved. She would get out of this, deal with Cole and Williams and be home for breakfast.
“Too bad they missed out.” Cole turned back to Sarah. “We’ll be the last two sane men you ever see.” He got up and set the dinner plate on a table, then turned to Williams. “Don’t worry about them. Stay focused. Come find me after the closure group session is over. We get started as everyone heads to bed. I’ve got final rounds to make after I wheel her back to her room. I’ll leave you to finish the preparations.”
Williams patted Cole on the back of the shoulder and stepped away, with what Sarah thought was a tight, worried look on his face.
Cole grabbed the handles of the wheelchair and pushed Sarah from the dining room toward the corridor that led back to her room.
“Oh, yeah, you were saying I missed something,” Cole said.
Vivian’s thoughts were clear in Sarah’s head. She knew what she had to do but wasn’t completely sure of the outcome.
“The fire will be small and contained. Most of what you are planning will not happen.” The chair slowed momentarily, then picked up again. Low enough that only he could hear, she said, “Your last breath will be because I took it.”
When they got to her room, he shoved her inside and slammed the door closed behind her without another word.
She smiled as it all came clear.
And she waited as any good hunter would.
Chapter 18
With no clock on the wall, Sarah had no way of knowing how long she sat in the wheelchair, waiting for Williams or Lincoln to show up. Her bladder ached, her throat was dry, mild images of Vivian’s past flitted through her mind and she had an itch. But none of that bothered her anymore. She had learned a long time ago some things were more important than taking a piss or scratching an itch.
Over and over she thought about what Vivian had told her, examining it from all angles. More importantly this time, Vivian had shown her some of what was going to happen. Like a future déjà vu. As if she had been there, done that, but it hadn’t happened yet.
There were uncertainties, but that didn’t sway Sarah’s belief that this would end in her favor. What was of utmost importance was that the files didn’t burn. Somewhere inside those files were the complaints of several
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