Barrett raised his eyebrows at the mention of the American. "Well, we certainly wouldn"t want his involvement explained, now would we? An influential man like Alfonso Ramsey, somehow pulling strings in the upper echelons of the police force and inserting an FBI agent into the mix."
The room went deathly silent at that and Barrett knew that his judges were evaluating their own positions and exposure.
"Mr Ramsey took his own life earlier today," the PM"s aide said quietly. "I"m sure that ruining a dead man"s reputation wouldn"t serve any purpose at this point."
Barrett fought hard to hide his anger at these three knowing something he didn"t. He had hoped to use Ramsey in the future and had planned to use Bradshaw as leverage. The media magnate had never struck him as the suicidal type.
"I"m not sure about all of this," a voice of dissention spoke out from the periphery of Barrett"s vision and he spotted a middle-aged woman sitting uncomfortably amongst her peers.
"Ma"am?" Barrett enquired.
"This whole business seems somewhat...," she began before pausing to ponder the word she wanted.
"Oh, for heaven"s sake," the PM"s aide muttered. "This isn"t the place for consciences, Margaret".
"I was going to say insubstantial," the woman finished. "You can be a.s.sured that I have no illusions as to our responsibilities, Douglas," she said, taking pleasure in returning the favour of announcing her compatriot"s name during the supposedly anonymous meeting. "This situation, I would wager, requires a more..., permanent solution."
Barrett didn"t like the woman"s tone or the stony expression on her face. He had threatened Chalmers himself, but it had been an empty threat preying on the conspiracy threat that most people held about the government. His loyalty ran deep, deep enough to see Meyers" career ruined and the Parkes woman discredited, but further than that, he wasn"t so sure.
"You will keep us informed, Commander," the aide stated firmly. "There is to be no word from Ms Parkes, and Mr Meyers is to be apprehended immediately. You will monitor the situation and we shall monitor you. This case is to be put down and put down definitively. I want you to find everything that is required to a.s.sure the public that Martin Kline was the killer. Is that clear?"
Barrett left the room knowing that if he failed in his entrusted task then his name would soon join Meyers and Parkes and that was one list that he didn"t want to be on.
"Good afternoon, Doctor Reese," Danny announced grandly as the police surgeon entered the kitchen, still towelling his wet hair from the shower. He was pleased with the look of shock on the doctor"s face. It was naked surprise, but not fear.
"What the h.e.l.l are you doing here, Inspector Meyers?" Reese spluttered.
"This is some home, Doc ... some home indeed," Danny mused, looking around appreciatively.
"That"s not an answer."
"I need your help, Doc. No bulls.h.i.t."
"Your face is all over the station, Danny. Word is that there will be an announcement on the news tomorrow about a nationwide manhunt for you. There"s a warrant out for your arrest and Commander Barrett has made it very clear to those of us left that the consequences of helping you will be dire, Danny, dire."
"You"re going to help me, Doc."
"Even if I wanted to, there"s no way that I"d risk helping you, Meyers; you"re toxic to everyone around you. And why the h.e.l.l should I help you anyway? Because we"re such great friends?" Reese scoffed.
"No, Doc, because I helped you get your daughter out of St Joseph"s. Without me, she"d be dead," Danny said, holding the doctor"s gaze firmly.
Reese stared at him long and hard before finally releasing a long drawn out sigh. "Alright, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d, I"ll help; what is it you need? A way out of the country? Money?"
"How about busting someone out of Mountside Hospital?"
Reese looked him up and down as though trying to determine if he was joking or not. "You can"t be serious? What the h.e.l.l do you think I am?"
"You are a very well respected doctor in the police, Reese. You have the access credentials to get into Mountside and interview a patient."
"Oh, I don"t like where this is heading," Reese said as he opened the fridge and took out a bottle of wine. He shook the bottle towards Danny.
"A bit early for me on a weekday, Doc."
"Yes, but this is no ordinary day now, is it?"
"I guess not." Danny couldn"t help but smile.
Reese poured the wine and sat opposite Danny at the large kitchen table. "They took Ms Parkes?"
Danny nodded in reply.
Reese shook his head. "Barrett?"
"Oh yes, Barrett is cleaning house and I"m guessing that no one is exempt. My team is going to get buried twice, Doc: once in the cemetery and again in the press, and I can"t let that happen. Barrett is going to lay the blame of St Joseph"s on my shoulders and paint Jane as, at best, mentally unstable. If we don"t get her out of Mountside then she"s not getting out at all."
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.
FOUR PADDED WALLS.
Jane swam amidst the dark infested waters as bony fingers reached up to drag her down further into the shadows. Because her slumber was drug-induced, she was unable to break free and reach the sunlit surface of her dreams. The ocean was bottomless and filled with the vengeful dead. The harder that she kicked against the tide, the deeper she sank. Her limbs were growing more and more exhausted with every kick and stroke until she had nothing left to give and began to sink.
She knew why she was here and she accepted her fate. She had been the one to lead good people to their deaths because of her vanity. This whole time she had been led by the nose, blinded by her own hubris, and now the grave diggers were working overtime.
The drowning waters suddenly evaporated and she found herself floundering on a cold stone floor. She sat up and stared around at the familiar surroundings; a long corridor stretched out as far as she could see and she pulled herself onto unsteady legs.
The floor was ice on her bare feet to begin with, but slowly it began to warm up; the trouble was that the temperature kept on rising until her body was bathed in sweat. She took a few paces forward and the stones were cooler but soon began to heat up. She started to walk faster until she was running. The stone paving started to burn the soles of her feet, no matter how fast she ran. The aged wallpaper began to blister and peel as she pa.s.sed and the walls looked like they were melting.
The heat was unbearable and inescapable and the air was soon filled with the high-pitched screams of young girls dying. The sound reached a crescendo and Jane"s hands flew to her ears to try and block out the screaming, but to no avail. This was St Joseph"s hallowed halls and this was the tomb of 13 young girls burned alive because Jane had darkened their door. She had come to the school and death had followed.
She awoke in a panic with her heart thumping painfully against her chest and beating way too fast. Her room was blasted in white from the floor, to the walls and bedding. It was a place devoid of sensory input, one designed to empty the mind and dull the senses. Her hands were not strapped to the bed and she was able to swing her legs out from under the covers. Her head swam from the drugs pumped into her system and she had to concentrate hard to regain her balance.
She gradually eased herself up off the bed and walked slowly to the door. There was a sliding metal slot that opened from the other side and she could see immediately that the door was tightly secured.
She stood leaning against the sheer white door, trying to gather thoughts. A large part of her wanted to slip back into bed and drift away into sleep. It wasn"t her strength that stopped her; it was her cowardice about what lay beyond the veil of her dreams. She could feel them standing behind her now. The white room seemed to dim in their presence and she didn"t dare turn around to face them. The shadows encroached all around her until the looming spectre of death closed in and she had nothing left to fight with. They would have their vengeance and she had nothing left with which to deny them, not that she had the right to. She closed her eyes and slumped against the cold metallic door and waited for the moment to strike her down, but it never came.
Suddenly, the shadows were blown apart by blinding light that bounced off the reflective walls, amplifying the effect. She turned into the warmth and saw the darkness begin to drift apart like ashes on the wind. A figure emerged from the dark and at once he was a stranger to her, but also oddly familiar as though she was able to look beyond his features.
The man was old but strong; his face shone through, strongly determined to make his presence known and he reached out a hand towards her. His face was kind and loving and his lips moved with important words that she couldn"t hear. Instinctively, she put out her own hand until their fingertips were brushing with tingling electricity. His simple touch brought a smile to her lips amidst her depression and guilt, and the ghost of an answer danced just beyond her grasp.
She stretched out further for him, reaching for the truth that she was sure he held, but then strong hands grabbed her from behind and pulled her away again. The old man"s face dimmed and faded into nothing as reality swept all before it and then he was gone.
"Jane, JANE!" a loud voice boomed in her ears, as strong arms shook her roughly. "Doc, they must have given her something. She"s well out of it."
Jane recognised Danny"s insistent voice but she couldn"t answer; her eyes were filled with tears as she reached for the old man but couldn"t find him. "I almost had him, I could almost hear him," she whispered.
"Jane, we"ve got to go," Danny hissed pulling her roughly towards the door.
She stepped out into the corridor with him and saw Dr Reese waiting there for them. The police surgeon was standing next to a hospital gurney. "Get on it, quick," he urged.
Jane complied and climbed aboard, still feeling an ache in her heart at her loss. She closed her eyes and tried to picture the old man"s face, but his features were fading quickly into the darkness. She tried to sit up on the gurney and tell Danny to go back, but his strong arm held her down firmly.
"It"s okay, Jane, it"s me," he stressed.
She couldn"t find the strength to argue as her system was still flooded by the contents of her captors" needle.
Danny"s hand pressed down hard as she struggled. "It"s going to be alright, Jane; we"re going to get you out of here, I promise."
"My brooch," she slurred. "They took it from me ... find it ... you have to find it!"
Sleep then overtook her again but this time her dreams were empty.
"I don"t like this, Danny," Reese hissed as they headed down the corridor with the gurney"s wheels squeaking in betrayal.
"Shut up, you big girl," Danny whispered back. "We"ll be out of here in a few minutes and then all debts are paid in full; you don"t have to go any further."
Danny stopped outside of the office and poked his head inside. There were lockers lining the back walls with name plates on them. "Stay here," he told Reese, before ducking inside.
He quickly found the locker with Jane"s name on it and wasted no time in tearing it open. Fortunately, there wasn"t much need for security here as the patients" belongings were spa.r.s.e and mainly worthless. The locker was flimsy and opened quickly. He found the silver brooch, amongst a few other items, and retrieved it, leaving the rest behind. He had seen Jane use her mother"s brooch several times and knew that she needed it.
"They"re going to catch us, Danny, I just know it," Reese said as Danny joined him back outside in the corridor again.
"They will if you keep acting nervous, Doc! Just relax. There"s one staff member on duty at the front desk this time of night; that"s all you"ve got to get us past and then we"re out of here."
Danny offered Reese his calmest smile but he could see that the Doc was close to breaking point. He didn"t blame the man as his own heart was racing way too fast, but there was no other way. He had to get Jane out and together they had to find answers, answers that no one else was ever going to look for.
Given the fact that Reese had taken his daughter away from St Joseph"s before the proverbial s.h.i.t storm hit the fan, he had not been placed on Barrett"s. .h.i.t list and, as such, his credentials were still active. Reese had lent him a white doctor"s coat and although it was a little snug, it would certainly do the job without close scrutiny.
They had waited until the night shift at Mountside were on duty; inst.i.tutions rarely placed their A-List players after dark. As such, Reese had been able to barrel past the nurse manning the front desk with an air of well practised and recognisable "Doctor Att.i.tude". Getting into Mountside and reaching Jane"s room was one thing, but there was no way they were going to be able to wheel Jane out the front door. As much as Danny was trying to project a calm and in command aura to Reese, the truth was that he was winging it.
They reached the end of the corridor and thankfully Jane had fallen asleep again; it would make her easier to manage as she"d seemed confused and disorientated when she"d briefly woken. He spotted a fire door off to the side but there was a warning sign that the door was alarmed. "Doc," he whispered. "Get ready to run."
He pulled the closest fire alarm tap on the wall and then pushed Jane"s gurney hard at the fire door. The two different alarms went off, one after the other, with the fire alarm masking the door"s. In a flash they were outside in the dark. Reese struggled to keep up as Danny pushed the gurney harder as its wheels started to dig into the dewy gra.s.s. He caught his sense of direction and broke hard towards the parking area where Reese"s car was waiting.
Meanwhile, the building behind them was exploding into life as lights flared on and the panicked wails of the patients began to challenge the alarms for superiority. The gurney dug its wheels firmly into the turf and Danny threw back the covers and picked Jane up. He ran the rest of the way with her over his shoulder as Reese struggled to keep up, all the while muttering panicked expletives under his. .h.i.tching breath.
They reached the car and the doctor dropped his keys in his haste. He fell to his knees searching for them in the dark before finally finding them. Danny held his tongue with great effort as shouting at Reese now would only panic the man further.
Once Reese got the car unlocked, Danny lay Jane across the back seats before slamming the door. He s.n.a.t.c.hed the car keys from Reese and shoved the man in through the pa.s.senger door. He ran around and jumped into the driver"s seat, starting the engine and pulling away. Through the rear view mirror he could see multiple silhouettes exiting the hospital. They spilled out into the night, led by staff members, and Danny hoped that it would be some time before they realised that Jane was missing.
The surrounding land of the hospital was lush and green wooded and seemed to consist of many acres. The drive up to Mountside went along a long winding lane that seemed more like an entry to a stately home than a hospital.
Danny drove quickly back towards the road, slowing as he reached the gates. There was a high metal chain link fence that encased the property and was manned by a small hut with a security guard. The uniformed man saw them approaching and opened the wheeled section of fence to let them out.
Danny was about a hundred yards or so away when he saw the guard duck back into his hut and knew that something was up. The man came back again and the fence section started to close again. Danny figured that in for a penny in for pound, and floored the doc"s car. The vehicle leapt forward with a surprising amount of pick up and they hit the fence before it was closed all the way. The chain link buckled and was torn from its moorings, flying up and over the car; then they were out and free, but for how long he had no idea.
Randall was sitting up in bed watching the TV for any coverage of the all-conquering hero, but his moment in the sun seemed to be already fading mere hours after he"d stepped into the limelight. The feeling was like a drug and he didn"t want it to end, certainly not quite so soon. He had been fielding calls from agents and publishers all wanting a piece of him; there were even several messages from his ex-wife professing a concern that he took to be false and predatory.
He was currently sleeping on his handwritten notes as he didn"t trust anyone in this place not to start rifling through the bedside table the moment he was asleep. He had already written half the novel which would a.s.sure him his place in the national consciousness and the rest was burbling just below the surface.
The door to his room opened and he looked up in surprise. Visiting hours had ended hours ago. He recognised Commander Barrett immediately although the man didn"t look good. There seemed to be a heavy weight on the cop"s shoulders, one that was slowly crushing the man.
"Commander Barrett," Randall greeted him, trying not to sound nervous.
"Mr Zerneck," Barrett nodded awkwardly.
"And to what do I owe the pleasure?"
"We need to talk, Mr Zerneck," Barrett replied, sitting down on the end of the bed.
Randall could sense a reluctance in Barrett, but there was also a steely edge to the man that seemed to suggest that whatever was giving his conscience trouble, he was going to push through it regardless.
"Is this the point where you lay down the threats in the middle of the night?" Randall joked, but Barrett didn"t smile.
"We have a problem, Mr Zerneck," Barrett began slowly. "Or more accurately, you have a problem."
"What the h.e.l.l is this?" Randall demanded, pushing himself up into a painful sitting position.
"This is your life, Mr Zerneck, or certainly your freedom."
"I don"t know what you mean, but you"re not going to scare me," Randall lied.
"I understand that you were to meet a police administrative a.s.sistant by the name of Kim Croft. I also know that she was supplying you with information about the case and that you were blackmailing her into doing so."
"That"s a lie," Randall bl.u.s.tered.
"No, Mr Zerneck, it isn"t."
"So you think that you can threaten me with what? Coercing information from a source?"
"No, Mr Zerneck, I think that I can threaten you with being a suspect in Ms Croft"s murder," Barrett replied.
"You"re s.h.i.tting me?"
"Not in the slightest, Mr Zerneck. I know that you were at the scene."