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Chapter 1
Micah
The decayed iron gates welcomed me into hell, luring me forth to dine with the clinically insane. Wailing blasts of wind threatened to uproot me from the circular driveway, my black heels tracing scattered raindrops to the entrance of Oakview Asylum.
Oakview Asylum was an intimidating compound, a sprawling concrete prison in the centre of Junction City; originally a historical estate, donated and converted into a high-security forensic facility. It now housed the craziest, most disturbed and psychotic patients in the country. People who committed crimes so heinous and unbelievable that once they entered, theynevercame out.
A chuckle escaped my lips at the audacity of the situation.
The things I’d done. The things I was yet to do. Based on all manner of criteria, I too should be imprisoned within those cold castle walls.
As if the depressing state of the crumbling foundation isn’t incentive enough to stay the fuck away.
An imposing tower stood guard on each corner, the bland, grey bricks leached of all colour and life. The fortificationstwisted high in the sky, camouflaging amid the overcast clouds, a debilitating storm brewing within both.
I straightened my shoulders, smoothed a professional mask and stepped over the threshold of the entrance foyer. I was instantly assaulted by a threatening electrical current that zinged over my flesh in warning. The security suppressant barrier felt as if my soul was being torn from the very marrow of my bones.
It was inhumane, merciless, a physically painful experience. An aggressive failsafe to keep inmates confined and the city streets safe.
But who will keep them safe from me?
A bulky security guard with a buzz cut stood before the front desk, his uniform pressed and ironed into regimented alignment. Enormous arms crossed in front of his chest as lacklustre blue eyes roamed over my frame with disapproval.
“I’ve been waiting,” he said with an authoritative undertone.
I kept his gaze and refused to clock the time. I wasn’t late. I was five minutes early. “We’d better get started then, shouldn’t we?”
He can go fuck himself.
A tick flexed in the corner of his jaw before he offered me a staff identification card. “This doubles as a swipe card, which grants you access to all areas of the facility. Come, I’ll lead you to your office.” Turning for a side door, he didn’t wait to see if I followed. “The name’s Fern. I’m head of Oakview Security.”
As if I couldn’t tell by the blatant badge plastered over his chest in clear block letters.
I rolled my eyes behind his back as he led me through multiple checkpoints, the barren corridors already compressing on what little happiness was hidden within.
Fern came to a halt outside a thick timber door. “I only have one rule: follow my instructions, every instruction. I’m here foryour protection. I can’t protect you if you don’t follow orders, Miss Olivia Chaser.”
“DoctorChaser.” The alias rolled off my tongue, slick as honey.
I didn’t need my ability to feel the direct potency of misogyny radiating from him. My insides preened with glee. Maybe I could have some fun after all.
My office was sobland and suffocatingly mundane, it was sure to suck the life out of you (if you still had any left). The colourless cell held a desk directly in the centre, bolted to the ground with two weighted metal chairs lined on either side. Rest assured, I wouldn’t be assaulted by the damn furniture. Comfort seemed to be a non-existent concept.
A stack of patient files lay haphazardly on the desk. I sifted through the contents until I found the name that had held residence in my mind ever since I’d first heard it.
The reason I was here. The person I’d sought to find, hoping he’d be the gateway to our many unanswered questions. I opened the file.
Alias: Psycho
Legal Name: Unknown
Sex: Male
Age: 21
Variant Status: Unknown
Sentence: Homicide — 25 years to life
