safe

Chapter 79

I watch as Jeremy as he walks through the hospitals quiet back corridors.

"We're on the floor below main, I'll collect you here in a second. Don't do anything too risky." He warns me nervously.

I hold my hands up and shake my head at him to indicate I wouldn't do anything in his absence even though we both know I will. It's inevitable.

Jeremy turns and being the total skeeze I am I very obviously check out his ass as he leaves, which he notices and smiles at. He's got a really good ass.

So does Glenn...

I mean... I love Glenn, but is it getting a bit boring... I'm getting a bit complacent...

No...

Well...

You have kids to think about...

Cut and run with Max?

But I fought so hard for Daisy and Glenn... Why would I give them all up again?

I struggle with my conscience, mulling the consequences of leaving verse the rewards.

He wants a family, a house, a life ignoring the fact they should attempt to re-take the world.

You are more concerned of losing your fight than losing him...

I shake my head hoping the thoughts I'm trapped in will fall out of my ears like water, spilling into my shoulders and soaking into my shirt.

They don't.

So I resort to my personal favourite calming technique; destroying a bunch of shit.

I swing my pack off my shoulders and grab what I need, a bottle of cognac I was saving, a box of matches, old t shirts and a bunch of cigarettes. The cigarettes are for me though, not going to destroy much with them.

I open the cognac and take a swig, relishing the burning sensation travelling down my throat, and start off down the corridor to a centre storeroom.

I open the door and look inside, hitting absolute jackpot.

I pull out from inside at least thirty full sheet sets for hospital bedding, pillow covers and all. I drag them haphazardly around the corridor towards the escape and douse them liberally in cognac.

Lighting a cigarette I use the last of the cognac as a douse for my old shirts, putting the liquor all over them and shoving them back in the bottle.

I take several long drags as I admire my handiwork, ignoring the walkie in my pack going off.

Suddenly I hear a muffled scuffling and see a little blonde mop in scrubs round the corner followed by Jeremy holding Carol bridal-style in his arms.

I put my cigarette out on the alcohol soaked shirt and chuck the entire bottle as a Molotov cocktail at the alcohol soaked bedsheets, which catch fire on impact. The satisfaction of a job well destroyed welling inside me.

"Come on crazy!" Jeremy instructs as he starts out the building and I follow close behind, this thing will burn to the ground.

We get to the final passage outside and go to where I first entered the facility via the gap between buildings and I hold Carol as Beth and Jeremy scoot through with their hastily thrown together packs, alerting me to the fact I have to check the walkie on my own.

I pass Carol through gently to Jeremy and grab the walkie off my pack by reaching around my bag.

"Rick, I've got Carol and Beth." I say clearly in the static pause.

I listen to the crackly nonsense in hopes off a response and get one almost immediately.

"One of the hostages attacked Sasha and we had to kill him. We're moving into the squad cars. Can you get a vehicle?"

I look up at Jeremy and point to the stationary ambulance behind me.

He shrugs and I motion for the three of them to stay put as I dash towards it, opening the door and finding the keys still in the ignition.

I start it up and reverse out and back towards the building so I'm facing the chain fences separating the ambulance and the outside world.

Jeremy shuffles Carol through the fence and Beth follows as closely behind as she can, and just as I watch Jeremy bundle Carol and himself into the car I watch Beth be dragged sideways by a a female cop with a tight brown bun that makes me feel an intensely deep anger.

I take out my glock and load it, opening my door and walking towards Beth just as she stabs bun cop through the chest with some medical scissors, resulting in bun cop blowing Beth's brains out.

"FOR FUCKS SAKE!" I yell loudly as I watch several other cops parade out the door worriedly.

I pop off a few rounds and incapacitate several of the officers.

"I'M TAKING HER, DON'T TRY TO STOP ME." I yell as a warning to any other possible threats as I make my way to little Beth's corpse.

I pick her up under the armpits with my left arm and keep my gun up on my right, in case someone tries something.

I deal Beth quickly to my side of the ambulance and push her over to the passenger seat as I close my door and floor it into the gates, breaking them easily.

"I got out, but Beth didn't make it." I whisper into the walkie solemnly.

All I hear back for a long time is static.