been so dry. She didn’t realize she was crying until a tear fell onto her shaking hand as she finally inserted the key in the lock and pushed the door open.
Just as Chelsea turned into the hall, Shannon and John slipped quietly into the pharmaceuticals room. Hearing Chelsea’s rubber-soled shoes slap against the linoleum as she walked past, Shannon finally expelled a sigh of relief.
“Get plenty of painkillers.”
“Okay,” she said, stuffing the bottles into her purse. When she finished, she nodded at him.
There’s still hope we’ll be seen. If I can just get away from that gun so that if he did fire, the bullet would miss me, I could make a run for it.
Suddenly, the doorknob jiggled. Then there was a knock. “Shannon? Are you in there?” Chelsea asked.
“Yeah, I am.”
“I thought I saw you disappear in there. What are you doing? You’re not authorized to dispense medication.”
Stepping quickly behind the door, John kept the gun pointed at Shannon. Whispering, he said, “Get rid of her. Now.”
Nodding, Shannon choked back her fear, put on a plastic smile and opened the door.
Chelsea was clearly upset with the breach in protocol, and she liked throwing her weight around whenever possible. With Nancy gone, Chelsea was totally responsible for the floor. “What are you doing, Shannon?”
“We’ve only got a skeleton crew tonight so I thought I’d help you out by preparing the cart.”
Chelsea took two steps forward, obviously hoping to push her way past Shannon, but Shannon kept her hand on the open door and barred Chelsea from going any farther.
John glared at Shannon and cocked the gun. She saw the hard glint in his eyes. Though she’d never cared for Chelsea, she realized she could never live with herself if anything happened to her.
“You don’t even have a cart.” Chelsea tried to glance around her and into the room.
“Yes, I do.” Shannon turned her body, indicating the two-tiered metal cart behind her.
John’s hiss was a deadly whisper. “Get rid of her.”
“You better take care of Mrs. Raymond, Chelsea.”
“Yeah, I guess so. Thanks for your help, Shannon. But don’t you dare ever let it slip I allowed this. My ass would be in a sling for sure.”
“And I’d be in that sling with you.”
Chelsea’s eyebrow arched suspiciously over Shannon’s uncharacteristic camaraderie. “Yeah, I guess so. Thanks.”
Shannon sensed John’s finger squeezing the trigger. She shivered, thinking how close Chelsea had come to death.
When she closed the door, her knees were trembling so hard, she thought they’d give out.
John darted behind Shannon and took up his arm-hold on her. He pushed her toward the door. “Is the hallway clear?”
Cautiously, Shannon eased the door open. “Yes.”
“Let’s go.”
They raced around the corner and through the door to the stairwell. Shannon prayed no one was on the stairs while they made their escape down the five flights to the basement tunnel that led to the parking garage. Assuming the other floors were as quiet as the fifth, Shannon believed they’d be safe.
But just as they reached the first floor, they heard voices, both male and female, coming from the underground-tunnel stairway directly below them. John froze. Shannon listened to the conversation and realized the couple was having an argument.
John pulled Shannon back against the wall so the couple could not look up through the metal stairs to the landing where they were standing. His impatience over the couple’s loitering was clearly growing as his finger squeezed back on the trigger.
Suddenly Shannon slammed her foot down on the metal step. The thudding sound echoed down the stairwell. The noise startled the couple and they quickly left the stairwell through the tunnel door to the parking garage where the elevator was located.
Shannon and John quickly put the last flight behind them. Checking to make certain the couple was out of sight, John pushed Shannon ahead of him as they emerged into the parking garage.
“Where’s your car?”
“Up a half level. A15.”
“Let’s go.”
John followed Shannon as she walked up the incline, taking her keys out of her purse without missing a step. She walked up to the LeBaron and unlocked the door.
John slowly eased himself into the passenger’s seat. Wincing in pain, he ordered Shannon to start the car and head out.
“Which way?”
“West. Just head out 79,” John groaned, holding his sore ribs.
“To where they found you?” she asked too quickly and suddenly felt the cold gun barrel against her temple.
“You ask too many questions.”
“Sorry,” she breathed anxiously.
John slumped back in the seat and allowed his eyes to close.
Shannon drove up St. Vincent Street past Schumper Medical Center near the LSU campus, and turned west on I-20 doing just as John told her. As they passed the 220 beltway, John kept his eyes glued to the side rearview mirror. Shannon knew he was checking to see if they were being followed. She drove the speed limit but didn’t push the car any faster. She just kept her eyes on the road and drove.
“Slow down,” John ordered as they neared the Sabine River Bridge. “It’s so dark and I was so…” He looked around. “Drive to the other side, then park the car on this side of the road. Edge off a bit toward the embankment so no one can see us.”
Terror had exhausted her and the silence between them was more frightening than anything she’d known.
She drove the car just as he ordered. “Is this good?”
“Yeah.”
“No one will see us,” she pointed out as she turned off the engine.
“Give me the keys,” he said abruptly.
Does he have to think of everything? She shoved the keys into his hand.
“Now, get out and come with me.”
“I can wait here.”
He stuck the gun to her head. “I’d rather you didn’t.” He got out of the car, wincing in pain as he did. He kept the gun aimed at Shannon as his eyes scoured the area.
She couldn’t fathom what he was looking for. “They took the car away
