Annoyed that he failed to jump at my command, I cock the trigger back to the halfway point. It may even be three-quarters compressed.
“Okay, okay, don’t shoot.” With one hand raised in the air, Lee squeezes the button on his radio as firmly as I am squeezing the trigger. “Stand down, patient was found hiding in the restroom. I repeat, stand down from Code 44. Patient was located safe and without injury.”
The crackling of a radio sounds through my ears, closely followed by a breathless, “Jesus, Lee! How many times have you been told to check their hidey holes before sounding the alarm?” Bryce sucks in three ragged breaths before adding on, “You scared the living shit out of me. We don’t want any crazies running wild with the turkeys this weekend.”
Lee laughs as if Bryce is funny—like he wasn’t standing outside my door thirty minutes ago discussing an appropriate time for Bryce to return unnoticed.
A wireless receiver crackles before Lee says, “Yeah, sorry about that. It won’t happen again.”
His promise is more for me than Bryce. He knows I heard their plans to return to my room before daylight. He knows what they were going to do to me. Just like he knows what I plan to do to him for his stupidity.
“Shall we do this in here or out there?” I ask, shifting my eyes to the single glass door separating the criminally insane from the general public. “There’ll be less mess for Bryce to clean up outside.”
Lee’s Adam’s apple bobs up and down before he follows the direction of my gaze. “D-d-do what exactly?”
I grin. It is the smile of insane man. This will only get better when the tangy smell of Lee’s piss filters through my nostrils. I love how cowards lose the ability to control their bodily functions when they’re scared. They piss and shit their pants like babies, encouraging my campaign to free them from the madness. Stephen cried like a baby when our game reached the final two hours. Lee should be grateful time isn’t on my side.
“Outside it is,” I answer on Lee’s behalf when he continues staring at me like a fish out of water, hoping he’s misreading the silent warnings streaming from me. He isn’t, but you can’t blame a guy for being hopeful.
“Hurry up, Lee. We haven’t got all night.” My voice comes out crackly, the surge of Claudia’s heart rate complementing my raspy tone. If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear she was scared. It’s a pity I know better. Just like me, she’s feeding off the adrenaline thickening the air.
Lee is all thumbs when he secures an overloaded keyring from his trouser pocket and an employee ID from his jacket. His hands rattle uncontrollably when he scans his credentials into a wall-mounted scanner before twisting his key into the lock.
“Walk through before us to ensure there aren’t any snipers hiding in wait,” I demand.
Lee glares at me like I’m clinically insane. I don’t know why he’s shocked. My paranoia reached fever pitch the instant he became a part of my life. I’m a plotter, methodically planning out each stage of my life in precise detail. Men like Lee ruin my game plan with their rules and expectations.
When Lee remains bullet-free after crossing the threshold between the clinically insane and normality, I cautiously inch Claudia and me outside.
“Come on, Claudia. No one will hurt you. We’re just going home,” I whisper in her ear when her reluctant steps slow me down. Her hesitance is surprising. I thought the first whiff of fresh air in years would have had her legs pumping as fast as her heart.
Taking my pledge as gospel, Claudia lightens her steps. She trusts me. She shouldn’t; I’m not a trustworthy man. Getting her out of here alive is the most honorable thing I’ve ever done. I could leave her, but the fewer witnesses to my escape, the better. She wouldn’t talk—she’s fucking mute, for crying out loud—but there is a bit of danger associated with her that warns me to remain vigilant. No one expects a killer with an angelic face and dazzling eyes. That’s how I flew under the radar so long. I’d still be free if it weren’t forhim.
The thrusts of my lungs turn frantic. Not because Marcus entered my thoughts but because freedom is so close, I can taste it on the tip of my tongue. The crispness of a late fall breeze floats across my skin as the crunch of grass underfoot sounds through my ears. Even the brutal clap of thunder above my head can’t detract from the brilliance. It’s been years since I’ve heard such an intoxicating sound. I’ll be fucked if I let anything take it away from me again. I’d rather die than return to being caged like an animal.
After directing my gun back to Lee’s head, I drop my lips to Claudia’s temple. “On the count of three, you’re going to run, okay? Don’t ever look back. No matter what you hear, you are to never look back. Do you understand?”
The wooziness in my head amplifies when her pretty hazel eyes glance up into mine before she weakly nods. Her trust is addictive, more heady than any drug I’ve been given, but her dazzling eyes in a low-hanging moon are even more hypnotizing. They’re remarkably clear for a patient at a hospital for the criminally insane.
“Alright, it’s time for you to go home. Are you ready?”
Ignoring Lee’s warning that state troopers will find her within minutes of fleeing, Claudia nods. Her determination inspires me. It also has me thinking recklessly. I’m precariously dangling between borderline insane and a mere man. I don’t know which one I’d rather be right now.
As birds begin their early morning chirping, I commence my countdown. When my tongue flattens against my front teeth to pronounce the “th” in three, Claudia pushes off her feet. She charges for the tree line barely visible in the dark conditions, her strides as chaotic as my pulse.
I wait for her to join one of the many stars dancing in front of my eyes before returning my focus to Lee. He holds his hands out in front of his body when he spots the murderous demon hiding behind my sparkling baby blues.
“Hey, come on, Dexter. You said you’d let me live if I called off the warning.”
“No,” I reply, shaking my head so rapidly my brain rattles. Although the hammering of my brain against my skull is painful, I’m grateful to learn it isn’t all sludge. “I said ‘Imightlet you live.’” My ear touches my shoulder when I shrug. “I lied.”
He stupidly smiles, believing a friendly approach will reduce the severity of his punishment. It does—somewhat. I gun him down in cold blood instead of removing his stomach via his throat as I threatened earlier tonight. That’s more due to lack of time than respect. He wears a bullet hole well. It does wonders to the deep crinkle in the middle of his brows.
Just as Lee’s lifeless body slumps to my feet, a commotion inside Meadow Fields gains my attention. I was so caught up watching the life fade from Lee’s eyes, I neglected to notice we are with company. The guard’s pudgy midsection slows his steps as he races toward me. He is decked out in full riot gear—three-sizes-too-small helmet and all.
I laugh. With my mind still gooey from the substances Lee forced down my throat, I either laugh or go on a rampage. Revenge will always exceed my need to be entertained. After firing off four shots, my aim dismal, I push off my feet and head in the direction Claudia fled. If my mind wasn’t hazed by drugs, I would have taken more than one gun. Alas, I’m not close to being smart when my brain is on fire.
Wet grass coats my bare feet as I charge across the soaked ground. The heavens have opened up, one god happy to assist another with his escape. That’s not surprising. Gods stick together when it is for the greater good.
