Page 13

CHAPTER 13

VICKI

I peer out the window, my heart pounding in my chest. Fester and his goons surround the poor night nurse, their faces twisted into menacing sneers. Saucerhead stands there too, that dumb oaf, cracking his knuckles like he's about to pound someone into paste.

The nurse fumbles for her phone, probably trying to call security. But Fester is too quick. He whips out a hammer from his belt and brings it down hard on her hand. The sickening crunch of shattering bones makes me wince.

The nurse crumples to the ground, cradling her mangled hand and screaming in agony. Fester just laughs, that deep belly laugh of his that makes my skin crawl. I remember him laughing like that when he used to come over to our place, drinking beers with Dad.

The thugs join in the laughter, like a pack of hyenas. Saucy looks away, clenching his fists and looking miserable. He does nothing to help the nurse, though. I want to look away but I can't. It's like a horrific accident - I can't tear my eyes from the carnage unfolding outside.

Part of me wants to run out there, to try and help the poor woman. But the sensible part of my brain kicks in. What can I do against Fester and his entire crew? I'm just one woman. They'd crush me like a bug if I tried to intervene.

So I stay frozen at the window, bile rising in my throat as I watch them kick at the writhing nurse. Please, someone call the cops. This can't be happening...

The brave nurse tries for her phone with her unbroken hand. Fester sighs and raises the hammer again.

"Some folks are always trying to ice skate up hill," Fester says with a sigh.

The crash of metal on bone turns my stomach. The nurse's scream pierces my ears as Fester brings the hammer down on her hand. My fingers press against my lips, stifling my own cry.

"Now darlin', I truly hate to cause you discomfort." Fester's honeyed drawl drips with false concern. "Just tell me where to find Jim Sloane."

The fluorescent lights cast harsh shadows across Fester's face. His smile never wavers, even as the nurse cradles her mangled hand against her chest.

"Fourth floor. Room 412." The nurse's voice breaks between sobs.

My heart pounds. That's nowhere near Dad's room. This brave woman is trying to protect us, risking herself for strangers.

Saucy shifts his weight, uncomfortable. His massive shoulders bunch under his leather jacket. The other goons crack their knuckles, eager for more violence.

"Well now, that's mighty kind of you." Fester tucks the bloodied hammer into his belt. "But if you're lying..." He gestures to the thug with platinum teeth. "Show the lady your knife, friend."

The blade gleams under the hospital lights. The nurse whimpers.

"If my associate here gets a text from me, well..." Fester's smile widens. "Let's just say you'll have a very bad evening."

The elevator doors close on Fester, Saucy, and the others. Only Platinum Teeth remains, leering at the nurse as he toys with his knife.

My hands shake. This woman put herself in danger for us. I can't let her suffer for her bravery.

I grip the cold metal bedpan. The nurse’s whimpers echo in the hallway, and my stomach churns with a mix of fear and rage. This is it, I think. No more hiding. I step out of the room, my heart hammering in my chest.

“Hey, asshole!” I shout, my voice shaking but loud enough to echo down the corridor. “Looking for me?”

The thug with platinum teeth spins around, his knife glinting under the fluorescent lights. His eyes flicker between me and the nurse, torn between guarding his captive and coming after me. I don’t give him time to decide. With a grunt, I hurl the bedpan at him, praying it distracts him long enough for the nurse to get away.

What I didn’t realize is the bedpan wasn’t empty.

The metal clatters against his chest, and a splash of human waste sprays across his face and shirt. He freezes, his jaw tightening, and for a moment, the hallway is eerily silent. Then he wipes the filth from his eyes, his expression twisting into a snarl.

“You’re dead, bitch,” he growls, lunging toward me.

I scramble backward, grabbing anything I can find—a coffee mug, a stapler, a wet floor sign. I hurl them at him like missiles, but they barely slow him down. The mug shatters against his shoulder, the stapler bounces off his chest, and the wet floor sign clatters to the ground. He’s relentless, his eyes locked on me like a predator stalking its prey.

My fingers brush against something cold and sharp—an empty syringe. I snatch it up, my breath coming in shallow gasps. The thug is on me in an instant, his hand closing around my throat. He lifts me off the ground, his knife raised high, ready to slash me open.

“Should’ve stayed hidden, sweetheart,” he sneers.

I jab the syringe into his neck and press the plunger. His eyes widen in shock, and he drops me, stumbling back as he pulls the syringe out. He glares at me, his hand clutching his neck, I think it’s not going to work.

Then his smile falters. His hands fly to his chest, his face contorting in pain. He gasps, his eyes wide with terror, and he collapses to the floor, his body twitching before going still.

I stare at his lifeless body, my hands shaking. The syringe falls from my fingers, clattering to the floor. I just killed a man. My stomach lurches, and I clutch the wall for support, trying to steady my breathing. The nurse stares at me, her eyes wide with shock.

“I… I didn’t mean to…” I whisper, but the words feel hollow. I meant to survive, and I did. But at what cost?

The nurse’s whimpers snap me out of my daze. I crouch down beside her, my hands trembling as I help her sit up. Her broken hand is a mess, fingers bent at unnatural angles, and my stomach churns.

“Come on,” I say, my voice shaky but firm. “We need to get you to the ER.”

She nods, tears streaming down her face as I loop an arm around her waist. She leans on me, her weight heavy against my side, and together we hobble toward the elevator. The fluorescent lights buzz overhead, casting everything in a harsh, sterile glare.

The elevator doors slide open, and my heart sinks.

Saucerhead stands there, his massive frame filling the space. His eyes dart to the nurse, then to the dead goon sprawled on the floor behind us. He sucks in a breath through his teeth, his brow furrowing like a kid who just dropped his ice cream cone.

“Aww, man,” he groans, his voice low and gravelly. “Why’d you have to go and do that, Vicki? Now Fester’s gonna do bad stuff to you.”

I glare at him, my fear morphing into anger. “How can you work for him, Daryl? You’re not stupid. You used to be kind. Decent.”

His face flickers, and for a moment, he looks like the boy I dated in high school—the one who cried when we watched Old Yeller . His shoulders slump, and he looks down at his boots, scuffing the toe against the floor.

“Vic,” he says, his voice barely above a whisper. “Am I… am I evil now?”

I let out a sharp exhale, my chest tight. “No, you’re not evil. Evil is a choice, just like doing good is a choice. You can still choose to do good things.”

The nurse lets out a pained sob, clutching her mangled hand to her chest. Saucy’s head snaps up, his eyes narrowing as he takes in her injuries. His jaw clenches, and I see something click behind his eyes—something hard and determined.

“Well, I’m not gonna choose to be the bad guy no more,” he says, his voice firm.

The elevator dings again, and my stomach drops as the doors slide open. Fester steps out, flanked by three of his thugs. His smile is wide and easy, like he’s just walked into a church potluck.

“Are we too late to join the party?” he asks cheerfully, his voice dripping with that Southern charm that makes my skin crawl.

The nurse whimpers, and I tighten my arm around her, my pulse racing. Saucy steps in front of us, his massive frame blocking Fester’s view.

“Party’s over, Fess,” he says, his voice steady. “You’re done.”

Fester’s smile falters, his eyes narrowing as he takes in the scene. The thugs behind him shift, their hands twitching toward their weapons.

“Now, Daryl,” Fester says, his tone light but with an edge of steel. “You know I don’t take kindly to insubordination.”

Saucy doesn’t budge. His fists clench at his sides, and I can see the tension in his shoulders.

“Not this time,” he growls. “Not anymore.”

The air in the hallway crackles with tension, and I grip the nurse tighter, ready to bolt if things go south. Fester’s smile fades completely, his eyes cold and calculating.

“You’re making a mistake, Daryl,” he says softly, his voice like a knife in the dark.

“Maybe,” Saucy says, his voice steady. “But it’s mine to make.”

"Run!" Daryl shouts, his massive frame tensing like a spring. "Get her out of here!"

Before I can protest, he launches himself at Fester's thugs. His fists fly in devastating arcs, catching the first goon in the jaw with a sickening crunch. The second thug pulls a knife, but Daryl grabs his wrist and twists until bones snap.

I half-drag, half-carry the nurse into the elevator. Her broken hands tremble against my side as I slam the ground floor button. Through the closing gap, I see Fester reach into his jacket.

The metallic gleam of the gun catches the fluorescent light.

"Daryl!" I scream, but it's too late.

The doors seal shut just as the gunshot cracks through the air. My knees buckle, and tears blur my vision. The nurse sobs quietly beside me as we descend.

The ER staff swarm around us when the doors open. They whisk the nurse away on a gurney, leaving me alone in the sterile brightness. My hands shake as I wipe my eyes.

I take one step toward the exit, then freeze.

Dad.

He's still up there, helpless in his hospital bed. Right outside his room, Fester and his goons are probably still standing over Daryl's body. My stomach churns at the thought.

I can't leave Dad alone with those monsters. But what can I do against armed thugs? My fingers curl into fists as I stare at the elevator buttons, torn between running and staying to help.

I shoot off a text to Rokkon. No time for anything fancy.

Hosptial. 911. Fester.

Then I'm off, running back into certain danger because even if my father is weak willed, he's still my Dad.

"I didn't bust my ass taking care of you for all those years to let you die now, Dad," I growl under my breath as I run through the lobby.