Page 188 of Sin Like the Devil

“We need barricades!” Hands cupped around her mouth and voice raised, Patient Three can be heard above the bickering. “Chains! Padlocks! Furniture! Every exit has to be blocked!”

Nodding, Rick waves his gun. “They’re worth more to us alive. We can use the guards as bargaining chips.”

“Why?” a patient calls out.

“Because if we don’t have leverage, they’ll kill us.”

“Like Noah!” another person screams.

“We’re animals to them!”

“I don’t want to die in here!”

Rick begins to bark off orders, waving that damn gun around like a lunatic. It’s the role he always wanted. A righteous mob at his beck and call. With growing horror, I realise they’re all going to get themselves killed.

Backing away from them, I inch towards Lennox. Patient Three quickly surrenders his right arm to me, preoccupied by instructing the horde of patients growing all around us.

“What are you doing?” Lennox groans.

“I’m not sticking around for this. We’ll tunnel out if we have to.”

“We w-won’t get far like this.”

“Then we’ll take our chances.”

“Rip—”

“No! We have to run. Riots only end one way.”

Tugging his other arm from over the male patient’s shoulder, I’m almost crushed beneath his weight. Lennox huffs, fighting to regain his balance, but he can hardly hold his head upright.

“Ripley,” he wheezes.

“Don’t start! I’m not leaving you!”

“We can’t run forever.”

“Fucking watch me.”

Half-carrying, half-dragging him, I manage two steps before my knees give out. We go down hard, hitting the ground in a pathetic tangle. Lennox tries to avoid smothering me, but his gargantuan body thwacks into mine.

I’m crushed beneath his bulk, staring up at the night sky with a war waging all around us. I don't even try to fight off the tears, turning cold by the time they drip into my ears. We’re never going to get out of here. Not like this. I’m not strong enough.

“Ripley! Hey, someone help me.”

Hands grab hold of Lennox then heave, dragging him to the side. I pull in a breath, my entire body wailing. Rae hangs over me, a couple of others helping her position Lennox into a seated position.

“Where are you going?” She kneels next to me.

“Leaving,” I cry out. “We have to run.”

Her mouth twists into a grimace. “You can’t, Rip. There’s a protest outside the front gate. We’re surrounded. This is our only shot.”

“They’ll kill us all, Rae!”

“We’re as good as dead anyway,” she replies tersely. “Come on. We need your help.”

“I don’t help people,” I admit shallowly, pain overwhelming me. “I hurt them.”

---