Page 14 of The Asylum
Sunny and Callie exchanged looks.
The radio crackled. “We’re hearing gunshots!” Connor exclaimed, alarmed.
“Magic’s flipped his fuckin’ lid and is shooting shadows,” Sunny growled out. The airwaves fell silent before releasing a howl of laughter.
“Jack here, repeat that,” Jack demanded in disbelief. I swear that was Pyro laughing. Fuck him, I’d put a bullet in his ass later.
“Magic is shooting ghosts?” Connor asked.
“Yeah. Shadow figures, anyway,” Sunny replied.
A shadow came closer, and I shot at it. It darted away, and Callie shook her head.
“This is a bust. Let’s go. Someone needs to search Magic for any weapons before tomorrow night,” she said.
They began walking out, and I covered their asses. My job was done, and I felt pretty damn good. Nobody had got hurt on my watch.
Callie – Tuesday Night.
“I’m taking Bunny tonight with Freddie and Connor. Jack, Magic, Sunny, Pyro, and Phil can investigate the manager’s quarters. There have been reports of Edwin Lawson being seen there. He was in charge of The Asylum when it was an unmarried mothers' home,” I said.
“Where are you heading?” Sunny asked.
“The women’s wing, ground floor. There is a former resident who likes to play pranks and is often witnessed poking her head out of a door and yelling hello,” I replied.
“Sounds fun,” Sunny grouched. He was really grumpy tonight. I’d put him in charge of Magic; there was no way I’d trust Magic being let loose on his own after last time.
“I found something earlier. There was a nurse, Catherine Rawlins, who worked here when it was an orphanage. When it was shut down, Catherine confessed to the police about the cruelty she had seen. She had nothing to lose by then. Sadly, before anyone could be interviewed or Catherine could give names, she was killed in a hit and run,” Harry said.
“Damn, she was silenced?” Connor murmured, aghast.
“Looks like it. Without her, the statement didn’t go anywhere,” Harry added.
“Poor woman. Finally got the courage to do the right thing and was murdered. Were there any suspects in her death?” Phil asked.
“No, even though it happened on a busy street,” Harry replied.
“Cover-up,” Magic stated sagely, nodding his head.
“Don’t start,” Pyro said, wagging a finger at Magic.
Magic scowled in reply.
“Anything else before we need to leave?” I inquired, but nobody spoke up. “Okay, let’s go.”
???
The women’s ward seemed eerie even by The Asylum’s standards. I shivered in the cold air and noted the temperature had dropped by ten degrees in the five minutes we’d been there.
“This is awful,” Bunny said, and I nodded.
“Maybe we’re sensing it more because we’re women? Imagine being locked in this hellhole through no fault of your own?” Freddie asked.
“I don’t know what you girls feel, but I’m experiencing a lot of hate. Somebody here really loathes men,” Connor murmured, his head on a swivel.
“Do you feel threatened?” I inquired.
“Yes,” Connor answered immediately and looked a little surprised at the vehemence in his tone. “Someone despises the fact I’m here, and I sense they’d hurt me if possible. There is a real man-hater here.”
