Page 14 of No Escape

“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.

Suddenly, from behind her, she heard the sound of her mother’s voice, taunting and mocking her.

“You’ve done it now,”the voice said.“You’ll never get your life back.”

A hollow laugh bellowed from the darkness.

Valerie’s hands trembled, and her breath caught in her throat as she realized it was just a hallucination. The first in several weeks. She closed her eyes, trying to calm her racing thoughts. She focused on her therapy sessions, imagining the hallucination evaporating like dust on the wind, leaving her alone in the restroom.

Valerie nearly jumped out of her skin as the door to the restroom creaked open. Suzie entered, her face etched with worry, cast in strange shadows by the fluorescent lighting.

She took in the scene before her, noticing the bloodstained water in the sink and the haunted look in her sister’s eyes. Suzie approached Valerie slowly, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

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