Page 27 of Blood Lust

There was some writing scrawled on the back of the sketch, in Bruce’s jagged handwriting: “She’s dancing on the moon.”

I turn it over, my thumb brushing the words. “Dancing on the moon?”

Bruce exhales, rubbing his charcoal-stained fingers like he’s trying to erase the vision. “Don’t ask me what it means. The words just… came to me.”

“Right.” I fold the drawing carefully, tucking it into my pocket. “Thanks. I’ll keep it close.” People think Bruce’s picturesreveal the future. I’m not going to doubt that. If he feels like this woman is important, then she is.

The four of us go over all the details when we’re in the yard the afternoon before.

As far as all are concerned, the plan is a go tomorrow morning.

The following morning is showtime. Our goal isn’t to kill anybody in our escape, but if it means one of them or one of us, it’ll be one of them.

Before the four of us know it, the escape is on.

Fulton County isn’t smart enough to replace the guards that’ll be missing that day. The complacency of this place will get the best of them in the end.

We have one guard to deal with. And simply, we just let Kevin distract him by acting the way Kevin usually acts. Within seconds, I pull the gun from the guard’s holster while Kevin is in mid-episode.

Now, it’s seriously on. I have a firearm. Kevin knocks out the lone guard with his tray during his fit, hitting him directly on his temple.

It’s complete chaos in the cafeteria as Bruce, Richard, Kevin, and I hold everyone hostage. I grab the guard’s Fulton-issued wristwatch so I can know exactly when to expect Cassandra’s arrival outside in the yard. I toss his keys to Bruce so he can get into the guards’ room.

The wing is then immediately locked down from the inside by Bruce. Having been there the longest, he knows where all the controls in the guard room are and how they work. It only takes him a few minutes to have the area sealed off without setting off any alarms. He grabs the spare jackets for us.

Richard and Kevin hold a camouflage-painted nectarine in each hand, making it easy to keep the other inmates seated calmly on the floor below the buffet line. Bruce paints the fruitthe night before to look like grenades and the two of them fully convince the others they’ll blow them up at the bat of an eyelid.

I keep my eyes on the exercise yard door and the sky around Fulton. We wait until eight-thirty comes and… nothing. I start to feel nervous about our escape vehicle arriving before anyone finds out we’ve taken command of the cafeteria. I refuse to let the others see me sweat… It’s crucial that I maintain a calm demeanor and keep the others at ease for as long as I can. Three more minutes pass and then, I hear chopper blades cutting the air as the helicopter speeds toward the hospital.

“Right on time!” I call out to the other three as smiles spread across their faces. Richard and Kevin leave the fake grenades on a nearby table and start to put on the jackets and gun belts taken from the guard room. Bruce throws me one of the jackets and I pull it on quickly, along with a tactical belt and pistol. I draw the weapon and ensure it’s loaded. I also check the belt for additional magazines.

“Bruce, we need more ammo!” I shout. Immediately, he heads back to the guard room to retrieve more loaded mags. He gives everyone two more, which we stuff into our jacket pockets.

Standing by the door to the exercise yard, I watch as Cassandra brings the chopper around and hovers over the clearest part of the yard. She brings the helicopter to a steady hover about four feet off the ground, likely not wanting to make a full landing and risk the engine powering down. It’s our cue to make a run for it.

“All right, guys, let’s go!” I shout.

Kevin throws his two remaining nectarine grenades at the group huddled on the ground and watches them all cringe in fear as they burst open and splatter upon the floor. I swear one of the patients pisses himself when one of the nectarines covers him in juice. As he runs past me out the door, Kevin is laughing like a hyena.

I’m the last man out the door. What I see at the end of the ramp in the yard makes my stomach fall. The chopper attracts the attention of three guards from the adjacent wing and they make a mad dash for the yard. One has Kevin in his grip while Bruce and Richard are running madly for the chopper. They’re being chased by the other guard. I see Bruce pushing Richard in through the open helicopter door as Cassandra shouts instructions wildly at them. The guard drops to one knee, draws his firearm and fires, hitting Bruce in the back of his leg. With his last bit of strength, Bruce gives Richard one last push, then falls to the ground. Remarkably, he then stands up on one leg and dives into the chopper. Bruce is in.

Below me, at the end of the ramp, Kevin is grappling with the two other guards. One pushes past him and heads straight for me. Before I can pull my gun, I hear another shot and the guard falls dead at my feet. When I look up, I see Richard. He’s seated at the edge of the seat in the chopper, lowering his gun. He motions for me to hurry.

I lower my eyes to the end of the ramp again. Kevin has the guard in a headlock from behind. I run toward them to punch the guard and hopefully daze him long enough for both of us to make it to the aircraft. Just before I reach him, Kevin lowers his head to the guard’s neck and bites through the man’s jugular vein. Blood spurts everywhere and Kevin roars inhumanly. He drops the dying man at his feet, grabs me by the arm and we run for the helicopter.

I suddenly feel as if I’m waking from a terrible nightmare. My feet feel instantly fluid and strong, and I pump them hard across the yard and jump up into the chopper’s cabin. I pull Kevin in by the arm and slam the door shut.

Immediately, the helicopter rises and, in seconds, we leave Fulton behind.

Chapter Twenty-three

I leave Richard and Kevin to recover, and soon sit beside Cassandra in the cockpit.

She’s yelling orders to Kevin. “The first aid kit is strapped under your seat. Grab it and clean up his leg. Use an ice pack to help stop the bleeding and keep pressure on the wound. I have a friend who can come take care of it when we get where we are going.” She turns her attention to me and smiles brightly.

“You did so great, babe!” she cries when she sees me. I pluck the headset from the dashboard and fasten my seatbelt.

“You did pretty great yourself,” I reply. “So, where are we headed?”

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