8th July 2014
I stayed at the chapel late last night. I almost wish I hadn’t. But then again, I wouldn’t have been here to help those poor souls seeking refuge. Three volunteers came running into the chapel. I have never seen such distress. They could barely string a sentence together. I am horrified. Their arms are covered in black veins. Their fingernails like claws. They looked like they were dying. My head is still reeling from what they told me. Another drug trial had gone wrong. This confirms what Danny had told me in confidence. Middleton is running some kind of illegal drug tests in the old part of the hospital. I had no choice but to help them. I fear their life is in great danger. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to get them past the security guards at the gate but I acted as a distraction. With all the commotion going on in the hospital, most of the guards had gone inside – looking for the volunteers I can only assume. I kept the guard at the gate talking while the volunteers slipped past. I have prayed to the Lord for their safety. I hope they take my advice and go to the bishop. I’m afraid for the young lady – Sylvia, I think her name is. She looked the worst. If the drug inside her doesn’t kill her, then her mental state will. I can still see the terror behind her eyes.
I will go now. I have to go to the police in Holly Tree. I can’t keep this to myself any longer. If it stops these dreadful drug trials from happening again, then it will be a blessing.
“The police,” scoffed Max. “No wonder he’s lying dead under that pew. I bet Inspector Cropper had something to do with his death.”
“Maybe,” I whispered. “We still don’t know if one of those volunteers is your brother.”
“Keep reading,” urged Max. “I need to know.”
I held the journal up and turned the page. I hoped for Max’s sake that we would find some hope or clue that his brother had been one of those volunteers that Father William had helped to escape.
9th July 2014
I am scared. Scared for the volunteers. Frightened for my life. My visit to Holly Tree police station has left me alarmed. Warning bells are ringing inside my head. I don’t understand. I told Inspector Cropper everything I have heard and seen at Cruor Pharma. He looked at me like I was nothing but an old fool. He tried to reassure me that Doctor Middleton was a great man – one to be respected. When I pushed him about the volunteers coming to the chapel, he told me I’d had a lucky escape. Said they were infected – they could have killed me. I told him they were infected with some drug but they weren’t dangerous. He laughed. Told me they were wanted for the murder of seven other volunteers. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I told him they needed help – his help. They aren’t murderers – I know that. They’re innocent. He wouldn’t listen to me. I could tell he was getting angry. His voice almost broke when he shouted for me to leave the station and stop wasting his time. Now I am at a loss as what to do. I didn’t tell Inspector Cropper that it was me who had helped them escape. I fear I will be in a lot of trouble if he finds out. What if Middleton finds out? What if they play back the tapes from the security cameras and see me at the gates? I must write to the Bishop. He will give me guidance.
I turned to the next page and carried on reading.
10th July 2014
Middleton confronted me about the escaped volunteers. He is evil. I am sure of that. When I say evil, I don’t just mean a bad man. I mean evil as in some kind of dark force lives within him. He changed before my very eyes. The voice that spoke from him was not his. It was menacing. It told me things – personal things it couldn’t possibly know about me. I am petrified. Never in my time as a priest have I seen such horror and wickedness. Never have I heard such hideous thoughts and threats. I held up my cross to him. Middleton’s body jerked in front of me like he had been electrocuted. His face changed shape – he threw himself to the floor like he was fitting. I ran from his office. I was chased. Not by Middleton. I don’t know what it was? A black shape – a dark mass. It followed me across the grounds. I prayed I would make it back to the chapel before it reached me. I didn’t. The pain through my body is excruciating. I don’t know what it’s done to me? I feel as though my insides are burning.
God gave me the strength to crawl back inside the chapel – my sanctuary – they cannot follow me in here. I will recite the bible – it will give me comfort. I know now what evil lives amongst the walls of Cruor Pharma. I know what resides within Doctor Middleton. He is possessed. A demon has taken him.
I feel I have failed. I must have faith. I must pray for Sylvia, Alex, and Robert. I will speak to God – pray my letter reaches the bishop and hope they reach the safety of his parish. Maybe someone will find my journal and do the right thing for the volunteers.
I think I’m dying… I am in the chapel… I believe these will be my last words…
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
I closed the journal. “Demons,” I whispered. “Father William describes Middleton just like Carly had been in that room.”
“And he mentioned Robert,” smiled Max. “My brother did escape. But where is he now? Why didn’t he come and find me?”
“Perhaps he’s on the run,” I said. “He would’ve needed to get away from here as quickly as possible. Inspector Cropper told Father William that the volunteers were wanted for murder. No one’s gonna hang about when they’re wanted by the police. It’s just the same as what’s happening to us now. We’re getting framed for the murders of Nurse Jones, the other volunteers, and now Fred Butler.”
“I guess,” sighed Max. “At least I know he got out of this hell-hole, but where do I go from here? How am I gonna find him? Did he make it to the Bishop?”
“I don’t know?” I whispered. “I have no idea where the bishop lives. We know Sylvia didn’t make it. She’s locked up in some mental hospital. We can’t look for Robert until we get out of here, but when we do, I’ll help you.” I looked down at my hand and wondered what Robert looked like now. Had he turned into some kind of monster? Is that why he hadn’t come back for Max?
Max smiled. “Thanks, Kassidy.”
“Poor Father William”, I murmured, “He must have felt so helpless, so alone. So scared.”
“If he couldn’t deal with demons, I don’t fancy our chances against them,” said Max, standing up. “I’m gonna check on Jude, it must be time for us to go soon.”
I sat quietly on the pew. If Middleton had a demon inside him and so did Carly, then Ben must be the same. But there were differences. Carly had seemed so out of control, whereas Middleton and Ben seemed able to come across like any other men, until you scratched deep enough and saw what really lurked under the surface. Could I trust Ben? Was it the real Ben who had helped me, or was it the demon in him? I had no idea.
I placed Father Williams’s journal back inside the satchel. I would take it with me. If I didn’t, I couldn’t ever imagine anyone coming across it. It would lay undiscovered – slowly rotting with Father Williams’s body.
“Hey, Kassidy,” called Max from the doorway. “Jude’s outside, he’s feeling a little better.”
“Good,” I stood up. “I’ll wake Raven.”
I tapped her on the shoulder. Raven opened her eyes slowly and stared at me in a trance-like state.
“You won’t be you,” she hissed, backing away from me. “You’re gonna change… I feel sick.”
She pushed past me and stumbled out of the chapel. I followed after her, anxious to know what she meant.
“Raven, what do you mean…?” I stopped. She had her hand up against the chapel wall and was throwing up.
“Not another one sick,” groaned Max. “I thought we were good to go, what with Jude feeling better now.”
“She’ll be all right,” said Jude. “A bit of fresh air will do her good. The smell in the chapel probably got to her. What the fuck was that stench?”
“The priest,” I said. “He’s dead. His body is rotting under one of the pews.”
“Shit,” said Jude. “This place really likes its corpses. How many more a
re we gonna find?”
“No more, I hope. I’ve seen enough,” I said, placing the strap of the satchel over my shoulder.
Raven straightened up. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Her eyes wandered from Max to Jude, then stopped on me.
“Something horrible is gonna happen to you,” she spat, her finger pointing accusingly at me.
“What the fuck are you going on about now?” snapped Jude. “Nothing horrible is gonna happen, we’re gonna get out of here, get my car, and get pissed.”
“Pissed?” said Max shaking his head.
“Yeah, I need a fucking drink after this vacation,” huffed Jude. “This has been one hell of a night. I feel like I’ve been here for an eternity.”
“We all feel like that,” I said. “But getting pissed isn’t gonna help us.”
“We need to stay sharp. Once we get to your car, we have to get away from Holly Tree as quickly as possible,” said Max.
“Fine – fine,” said Jude, holding his hands up as if to surrender. “We can get pissed later – I can wait.”
“Do you feel all right now, Raven?” asked Max. “We can’t hang around any longer. We need to start heading toward the gates if we’re leaving with the staff.”
She nodded her head, peering out from under her black, straggly hair.
“What’s the plan then?” she asked.
“We go out in twos,” said Max. You go with Jude, I’ll go with Kassidy. We’ve got two I.D. badges. Jude will hold his up and I’ll show mine. When we get out of the gates, we head down the path on Strangers Hill toward Holly Tree.”
“Hang on, Max,” I interrupted, “We can use the money we found in the bottom of Father Williams’s satchel. There’s enough for us to catch the bus. We can save a lot of time if we do that.”
“It means travelling with the rest of the staff from Cruor Pharma, I don’t know if that’s such a good idea,” said Max. “What do you two think?” He looked at Raven and Jude.
“What are they gonna do to us?” said Jude. “Even if they do suspect us, we’re all stuck on a bus. And besides, it will probably be full of just porters, kitchen staff, and lab techs. Security won’t be leaving here until they find us, so we don’t need to worry about them.”
“I think we should do it,” I said. “As long as we act natural and spread out, then we’ll just look like staff travelling home.”
“I don’t care how we do it,” shrugged Raven, “I just want to get out of here. I’m not gonna feel safe until we’re inside Jude’s car and leaving Holly Tree.”
“Okay then, the bus it is,” agreed Max. “You’d better sort out the money now, Kassidy. We won’t be talking to Jude or Raven when we get to the front of the main building.”
“Ask for a single ticket to Holly Tree bus terminal,” I said, handing out the coins. “Me and Max will follow you two when we get off the bus.”
“Make sure you hide that love-bite that Carly gave you,” winked Jude, taking a handful of my hair and pulling it over my shoulder. “And don’t forget to keep your claws hidden.”
I looked down at my nails. I would have to make sure I kept my hand tucked into the pocket of my jacket. At least it was still foggy and there was no wind to blow my hair away from the bite-mark. I still had dried blood down my legs, although much of it had come off now. I bent down and spat onto my hand, scrubbing away at my skin. There was so much to remember. That feeling of dread was creeping through me – eating me up. I could feel that nervous tremor gorging on my insides. I didn’t want to walk through those gates, but there was no other option.
“Okay, I think we’re all ready to go,” said Jude, turning toward the path in the direction of the hospital.
“We’ve just got to hope that the security guards won’t bother to ask you two for your I.D.,” said Max, running his fingers through his hair.
“What if they do?” asked Raven.
“We run,” I whispered.
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
We walked in silence. The fog had become patchier, allowing us snippets of what lay ahead. Our footsteps crunched on the gravel path as we followed it back up the side of Strangers Hill toward the main building. The lights from Cruor Pharma shone through the fog giving the early morning an eerie tone.
Up ahead, I could see the first dribble of staff leaving the main entrance and heading toward the security gates. Panic filled me. How would we mingle amongst such a small amount of people? I had hoped there would be large groups of staff all desperate to get home that we could hide amongst. This wasn’t how I had envisioned it.
“Just hold back for a minute,” whispered Jude. “We need to time; this just right.”
We crouched down under the canopy of a small tree. Watching. Waiting. The security gates started to open, screeching through the fog on dried-up hinges. A line had formed by the gates with staff waiting to be cleared to leave. I strained my eyes trying to count how many security guards were manning the gate. I could see four. Two were checking I.Ds of staff leaving, and another two were letting the day shift through. A second gate had been opened allowing staff arriving by car access through to the car park. Each car was stopped, I.D. checked by another four security guards.
“There’s more staff leaving now,” whispered Max. “Come on, let’s go.” He pulled me up. “It’s now or never.”
I looked back at Jude and Raven.
“See you on the other side.” Jude winked at me. “We’ll hang back, give you a few seconds’ head start.”
My heart was racing. I stumbled forward. “Slow down, Max,” I said. “We need to act casual. Keep the same pace as the rest of the staff.”
He nodded his head. “Sorry,” he breathed. “I feel like I’m gonna shit myself.” He tried to smile but it looked more like a grimace.
“Me too.” A nervous giggle slipped through my lips. I breathed deeply, every part of me on edge. Checking over my shoulder, I could just make out Jude and Raven. They had stood up and were now walking slowly toward the main entrance, just a short distance from us.
A large group of people stepped out from the doors in front of me and Max. It had started to get busy. The staff on day shift had started to crowd up outside the doors, pushing their way through the exiting staff. Max and I shoved through the crowd, positioning ourselves in the middle. I kept my gaze to the floor, fearful of making any eye-contact with the staff, just in case they looked at me and didn’t recognise me to be one of them.
Keep your right hand hidden in your pocket – hair over shoulder to cover bite-mark – keep to Max’s left – away from the security guards – act natural. I kept telling myself this over and over again. I couldn’t fuck up. There was so much to remember. I could feel the heat creeping through me as I started to sweat. My hands felt sticky. Clammy. My neck damp. Fear started to overwhelm me. Act natural. Act natural the voice inside my head kept shouting.
“Did you hear what happened to Fred Butler?” a man in front of me asked the lady walking beside him.
She nodded her head. “They still haven’t found those volunteers, the ones who killed him.”
I glanced at Max. His eyes briefly met mine and then looked away.
“Better not let security on the gates hear you talking about it,” piped in a man dressed in grubby overalls, the word Maintenance printed across the back of his uniform. “What goes on in here stays in here – remember?”
The lady nodded her head and carried on walking. I glanced up. How much further until we reached the gate? I couldn’t see past the staff in front of me. I wanted to look behind. How far back were Jude and Raven? Had anyone stopped them? Just keep your head down and keep walking, that voice ordered inside my head. I nervously played with the coins inside my jacket pocket. My left hand gripped the satchel with such force my knuckles had gone white.
“Excuse me.” I felt a tap on my right shoulder. Shit. Keep walking. Don’t stop, I told myself.
“Hey.” Another tap to my arm. Someone leant in between me an
d Max.
I turned my head a little, afraid to catch their gaze. Afraid I had been caught.
“You dropped this.” A young man with ginger hair waved a folded piece of paper in front of my face.
The photo of my dad flapped open. I snatched it. Then started to panic when I realised I had used my hand, the one I had been desperately trying to remember to keep hidden. Shoving the photo into my pocket, I looked ahead.
“Thanks,” I mumbled and continued to follow the crowd.
“Are you all right?” The ginger-haired man lightly gripped my arm. “You don’t look well”.
“I’m fine,” I nodded my head. Please go away. Stop talking to me. Leave me alone, the voice inside my head pleaded.
“Long shift, eh?” he continued to talk to me. “These night shifts are killers. What department do you work in? I don’t think I’ve seen you before.”
“Look, mate,” Max turned on him suddenly. “She’s my girlfriend. She ain’t interested in you, now fuck off and leave her alone.”
“Hey, sorry, man, I didn’t realise.” He held his hands up and stopped walking, the crowd swallowed him up.
“Come on,” whispered Max, pulling me nearer to him. He let out a big sigh, the stress getting to him.
The crowd suddenly came to a stop. We had reached the gates. The staff stood in a large bundle, all trying to push in front of one another.
“Come on,” shouted a member of staff. “I’ve got a bus to catch.”
I stretched up on tip-toes. Were they checking each I.D. badge individually? It looked like it.
“They’re gonna ask me for my I.D.,” I whispered, looking at Max. “What do I do?” My voice trembled. I felt sick.
“Blag it,” whispered Max.
“And say what?” I mumbled, afraid that someone might hear me.
“Tell them you’ve lost your card,” hushed Max. “It might work.”
I stretched up on tip-toes again. Twelve more people in front of me. It would be my turn in just a few minutes. I felt faint. My heart beat like it was on a life support machine on speed. I chewed my lip. Swallowed down the scream that wanted to escape my throat. Ten more people to go. The line was getting shorter.
Drug Page 14
