TEARS OF RAGE

Chapter 28

Intuition is the precursor of instinct.

The mind processes the shift in a prior perusal and alerts the body that its health has been placed in jeopardy.

The ears hear the sudden shuffle of feet, as danger lunges to snuff out of its light of life.

Once a person's eyes happen to catch sight of the threat, it alerts the limbs to take whatever actions are necessary to protect the person's safety.

In the instant that recognition came, instinct spurred Swaylo into action a nanosecond before bullets excavated his skull.

The entire emergency room began to scramble about in fear. People were racing for cover like rats in a strawberry patch, being chased by a dozen cats.

Swaylo lunged across the counter, in one leap of desperation. Bullets stitched across the wall above his head.

A symphony of terrified cries could be heard resonating in his wake.

Everyone in the emergency room began to dive for cover, as Kirkwood Kenny began to chase Swaylo like a lion in pursuit of its prey.

Behind the nurses' station there was an area that resembled a stock room, that was also used for general observation of superficial injuries.

There were cabinets filled with examination tools and an assortment of supplies.

Over-the-counter medications stacked in organized rows behind their glass partition.

Beyond this area, there was a hallway that leads into a rear corridor of the hospital.

Swaylo made a mad scramble to avoid being shot as he ran through the stock room.

Bullets shattered the glass of several cabinets and sent shards cascading across Swaylo's path as he ran.

As he reached the threshold of the stock room's rear exit into the hallway, he heard the assault rifle fire onto an empty chamber.

Kenny dropped his rifle and pulled out his pistol.

Swaylo glanced over his shoulder and saw Kenny leap across the counter.

His momentum carried him sliding into a gurney, parallel to the stock room exit.

The feel of a bullet striking his back propelled him to his knees.

Swaylo looked up and saw Kenny coming to finish him.

He tried to summon every ounce of energy in his body to get back to his feet, but his legs were not responding.

He could feel the bubble of blood begin to saturate his shirt, stream down his arm, and drip to the floor.

Immersed in a multitude of thoughts that surfaced to the center of his focus, Swaylo was laid against the wall like a deer before the path of an oncoming train...

Death came bearing down with the rush of an avalanche.

"Freeze! FBI... Drop your weapon!" Agents Price and Wainwright had their weapons drawn as Kenny emerged from beyond the stock room, locked in on Swaylo.

Kenny was caught by surprise but responded like a bona fide desperado.

In the fraction of a second that it took to process his situation, and instinct kicked in, Kenny spun to the threat and began firing shots at them.

A desperate exchange of gunfire reverberated through the hallway. Kenny took a bullet to his shoulder and staggered back through the doorway of the stock room

Both agents saw Kenny make his move, but when the shooting started agent Price faltered.

Wainwright tried to take a shot, and a slug tore through his neck. He slumped to the floor gurgling blood.

Price saw his partner fall and scrambled next to him.

"Carl... Come on, Carl. You can't do this..."

His eyes were desperate. He pulled his partner into his arms, trying to will the blood stop flowing.

"Get me some help over here!" he bellowed across the corridor, tears brimming in his eyes.

Within moments Special Agent Carl Wainwright lay still and died.

The sudden release of life from the body had Price grieving over the loss of his partner until he heard the bark of gunfire coming from the direction in which the shooter, dressed as the Grim Reaper, ran.

With the circle of apprehension closing in around him, Kirkwood Kenny did not incline to turn himself in.

He chambered in a fresh clip into his pistol, staggered to the exit doors, and came out holding his left shoulder.

One of the agents had scored a hit with their volley of bullets, but there was no surrender...

Kenny had decided that he would not be taken to prison.

He would die with his guns blazing before he allowed the police to arrest him.

He emerged from the emergency room exit in a rush to make it to his vehicle.

With the circle of capture closing in on him, Kenny changed the old clip for a new one, set his mind to die with his gun blazing, and staggered out of the automated doors.

If death came calling, he decided that he would not be the only one to die that night...

When he staggered out through the automated doors of the emergency room and emerged out from beneath the concrete canopy, two hospital security guards were approaching the entrance.

Three police officers were moving behind them.

Without a moment of hesitation, Kenny began shooting...

The first two fell from being shot. The other three police officers dove for cover.

In the heat of battle, Kenny ran through the parking lot and made it to the rented Tundra.

Karen was nowhere to be found. Kenny was furious.

As a fugitive on the run for his freedom, there was no time to procrastinate. He dug the keys from his pocket and sent the Toyota screeching from the lot and into a cluster of traffic.

Car horns erupted in his wake, to mark the direction in which he was traveling.