Page 187 of Sin Like the Devil

“Following your l-lead, Rip.”

He slams his eyes shut as the two patients tow him onwards. I don’t know how we’ll manage to run let alone walk with Lennox in this state. We have to try, though. Bancroft won’t let our escape go unpunished when the dust settles.

Blazing, bright-white lights temporarily blind us as we’re greeted by the night air. Floodlights have been turned on, illuminating the perimeter fence and the manor itself. As we stumble through the trees to reach the quad, the racket intensifies.

“Holy shit,” Rick exclaims.

It’s chaos.

Violent, deadly chaos.

In all directions, patients run wild and free. Some armed with weapons, others battering the living daylights out of any remaining guards. It goes beyond mere beatings. They’re being incapacitated and restrained, then dragged into haphazard lines.

“What is this?”

Lennox lifts his head. “Hostages?”

“What?”

“They’re taking the guards hostage.” Rick’s head swivels as he gapes at our surroundings. “This is like a fucking prison riot.”

The five of us huddled together in astonishment, we spend several seconds taking it all in. The still-blaring alarm only adds to the havoc unfolding. With a smile blooming, Rick pulls the gun he stashed in his ragged waistband.

“This is it,” he proclaims. “This is how we take them down. If we have hostages… we can make demands. The world will have to listen.”

“They’re just going to send reinforcements in and kill us all!”

“Not if we barricade the doors.” The male patient holding Lennox speaks for the first time. “Secure every entrance and exit.”

“We can toss them scraps of dead guards if they dare break our perimeter,” Patient Three chimes in.

Looking between the three of them, I’m trying to summon a response when my name rings out. Rae’s face is covered in splattered blood, her auburn hair in disarray as she runs towards me.

I warn her off with a raised hand, fearing I won’t survive the collision. I’m barely remaining upright as it is.

“You’re alive!” she squeals.

“Rae.” I lock eyes with her. “What’s happening?”

“We’re taking over.”

“Who is?” Rick interjects.

“All of us.” Rae eyes the gun in his hands. “Is that real?”

He nods, clutching his weapon possessively.

Noticing our presence, a handful of other patients have gathered to gawk. We must look like we’ve swam through a vat of blood. Spotting Rick’s gun, a few more converge.

“We’re gonna kill the bastards!” Taylor is one of them, a ragged slice marring her brow line.

“No!” someone else protests.

“They deserve it!”

“But we aren’t killers!”

Everyone is shouting and arguing, violence still unfolding all around us.

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