Lincoln Hospital (Trauma #1) (21 page)

In the OR, he could barely contain his excitement to try out his new toy.  Liquid nitrogen was set up and ready for use.  His plan was to inject it into Damien and ultimately freeze him alive while he worked on him.  When everything was set, he stepped up to the table to begin.

Sixteen needles. Sixteen needles sunk softly into the flesh of the offending man. He moved to the side and reached across and pressed his thumbs over two of the ends of the needles.

He met the eyes of Damien, delighting in the terror reflected back at him. The drug would be injected into his system in three...two...one...

He knew exactly the second it hit his bloodstream as Damien’s entire body went stiff and his eyes widened even more if possible.  “Saw,” he ordered.  Once it was in his hands he leaned over so that Damien could get a good look.

“So, Mr. Lock, I hear that you like to torture innocent women.  Rape them, beat them, even murder the unlucky ones.  Then when they finally decide to make you pay for your despicable acts, you have them wiped out!  Well, that’s rather ungentlemanly of you, don’t you think?”

Damien could only blink, his eyes were the only part of his body that weren’t completely frozen solid.

“I think you need to be punished, Mr. Lock.  Fair is fair after all, and lucky for me, I’m very good at what I do.”

He walked to the end of the table and looked at his feet. “Hmm, wonder how fast you’ll be able to evade the law without these?” He lowered the saw, but instead of cutting off the entire foot; he started with a toe. It clattered to the table and he picked it up to examine it.  “Fascinating.  No blood at all.  No muss, no fuss, torture.  I like it.”

He removed two more toes before walking back up to Damien’s side. Damien’s eyes were scooting all around the room, desperate to see what was happening since he couldn’t feel a thing.

“Curious to see more, are you? Let’s see what we can do about that.” Using a scalpel, he obtained from Lorna, he set to work removing one of Damien’s eyes partway from it’s socket.  The only indication that he felt anything at all was the bugging out of his left that was still intact while he worked on the right.

The sick monster inside him had been released, the longer he tortured Damien, the farther he wanted to push himself past the point of no redemption.  The rage he still felt over Sebastian’s death, Hannah’s death, his role in Bianca’s death—it was starting to eat away at the last good parts of his soul that were left. It wouldn’t be long before his facade of being a respected professional was erased and the killer that he was destined to be was all that was left.

Disgusted with himself and finished with Damien, he gave the order to remove the liquid nitrogen.  He’d already cut the main artery, so once he was thawed, he’d bleed out like all the rest.  He’d feel every injury first though and that was what Cian wanted the most.  To have him suffer the way he’d made his victims suffer.

Turning to leave the OR, he ran smack into Athena who was just coming in.

“Oomph,” she said as they collided.  “Oh, good they sent me to get you.  There’s a case in the ER that needs you right away.  Hey, do they need help in there while you go?  I can stay.” She craned her neck to see around him and took in the scene.  “Is that guy alright?  What happened to him?”

Cian grabbed her arm and dragged her away as quickly as possible before she could see anything else and put things together.

“He’s fine. Reynolds is just waking him up now.  Why don’t you go see what they need from me in the ER.  Tell them I gave permission for you to take my report and I’ll be right there.”

Athena frowned at him, but obeyed, not wanting to do anything to upset him.  As she walked away, she replayed what she saw.  The man looked frozen?  And what was with that saw and no other medical staff in the surgery with him besides two nurses and Dr. Reynolds?  Something wasn’t right and all her instincts were screaming at her to leave it alone.  Of course, she didn’t want to do that and likely wouldn’t until she got to the bottom of what she saw.

Ever since Sebastian had passed away, Cian had been distant with her. Gone was the man who was dangerously attracted to her, and in his place was one that was cold and closed off.  He still treated her with respect and the sex was still mind-blowing; but there was something missing.  A piece of him died in that OR as well, a vital piece that she feverishly wanted to help him get back.  She had a feeling that without it, he would sink farther into the darkness she knew was within him and this time, he may never find his way back.

Arriving in the ER, she found Seth waiting for her, a bouquet of roses and a picnic basket in his hands.  He looked handsome and hopeful and she truly hated herself for what she was about to do.  He was such a kind man and she couldn’t continue to string him along when her heart was somewhere else.  He deserved better than that.

“Hi,” she greeted him warmly, accepting the kiss on the cheek he gave her.  “What’s all this?”

“I wanted to surprise you since our last date didn’t turn out as planned.  Thought maybe you could sneak away for half an hour—not off hospital grounds—and we could share some lunch together.”

He really was so sweet and adorable.  She truly wished she felt more for him than friendship, but the fact was that she didn’t.  A romance between them wasn’t meant to be.  He might have been the better choice, he definitely was the safer choice; but he wasn’t her heart’s choice and that’s what she had to follow.

“This is so wonderful of you, really.  But I really can’t sneak away today, I’m sorry.  We’re slammed in the ER as you can see, and I promised Sabine I’d have lunch with her if we get a break since things have been a little rocky between us.”

Disappointment fluttered across his face and Athena felt like scum.  Here he was trying to do something nice for her and she was weaseling out of it with a lame excuse.

“Seth.  I have to be honest with you.  I don’t see this going anywhere more than a friendship.  I think you’re a wonderful, kind man, but I don’t have any feelings for you that way and it isn’t fair to you for me to pretend that I do.” She tried to step forward to touch his arm, but he backed away.

“It’s that doctor, isn’t it?  O’Reilly?  He’s the one you’re hung up on?”

“It’s a lot of things, Seth. Starting with the fact that I’m an intern and my time is barely my own.  I’m not ready for anything right now except practicing medicine and becoming the best surgeon I can be.”

“Yeah.  Well good luck with that.” Hurt was all over his features as he turned and walked away, pausing to dump the roses in the trash.

Feeling like an asshole, she headed to the trauma room to let them know Cian would be right down and to see if she could help.

“You know; you did the right thing.” She turned to see Dick standing there, obviously having observed the scene with Seth.

“I know I did,” she replied, unsure where he was going with the conversation.

“He’ll be pissed for awhile, but he’ll get over it.  Good to see that maybe you aren’t just spreading your legs for everyone, Payne.” With that parting comment, he left her standing there, confused if he’d insulted or complimented her.  She shrugged it off, she had bigger things to worry about—like just what in the hell Cian was doing in that OR.

“P
LEASE, PLEASE LET me go home!” The girl’s terrified screams and pleas for help were the first thing Marcus heard when he opened the door to the basement and walked down the stairs.  They had five captives now that he was aware of, Dane sure had been busy.  Dr. Daniels was in his element, giddy and eager every time a new girl arrived at the house that he could run tests on.  He was determined to re-start the black market ring they’d lost several years earlier.  Marcus couldn’t blame him; it had been a very lucrative time for them indeed.

He, however, had different priorities.  Such as getting to know his sister and avoiding that annoying Gabe Thornton who seemed intent on finding him to exact some kind of justice.  So far, they’d been able to evade him as he was acting alone and didn’t have the best tracking skills.  Still, it was a worry they needed to keep an eye on, just to be safe.

Dane was working over the newest girl in the corner of the basement.  She was exposed from the waist up and her long, beautiful chestnut colored hair was in a messy array around her face.  Dane had made several gashes up her legs and was now starting to focus on her midsection, ignoring her screams and cries for him to stop.

“Dane. We need to talk,” he told him and without waiting for a reply, headed back up the stairs, ignoring the girls held in captivity. Dane was getting out of control with his abductions.  His work was sloppy and it was only a matter of time before he got them caught.  Marcus Drake was not a man that did jail.  It was time he knocked some sense into Dane once and for all.

“What is it?” Dane asked as he came upstairs, rubbing his hands together to spread the blood. Marcus motioned for him to take a seat at the kitchen table.

“You need to scale it way back.  You’re getting far too fucking careless and you’re going to get us all caught if you’re not more careful.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?  I’m careful.  I’m not the one who’s been caught before by the way, that’s you.  Like three times if I remember correctly.”

“That’s not the point.  The point is that you’re pissed off and it’s starting to show in your work.  So either smarten up, or get the fuck out.”

Dane sat back as though Marcus has slapped him.  Get out?  Where the fuck was he supposed to go?  Marcus knew what he was.  He knew what was inside of him and how he had to feed the craving for blood.  Hell, he’d made him!  Sold his soul to the devil and ruined any chance he would have ever had at a normal life.

“You’re a fucking asshole.  You’re just like me, if not worse, and I’m the one that has to get back in line.  Un-fucking-believable.”

“We were lucky we got away after that fucking disaster with Layla.  Do you really want things to get that close again?  To have the cops breathing down our necks and everything we’ve done and are planning to do be exposed?  Use your fucking head, Dane.”

Dane sat there seething, furious that Marcus was treating him like an insubordinate instead of a partner.  They were in this together, he had no right bossing him around and telling him how to run things. If he fucking wanted to take ten girls at once, that’s what he’d fucking do.

Shoving away from the table he got to his feet.  “If you’re done lecturing me, I’m going out.”

“Fine. Go.  But mark my words, Dane.  If you don’t start using some fucking sense, you’re going to bring this all crashing down on us.  Again.”

Dane slammed the door to the house without saying a word.  Getting in his car, he backed out of the driveway and tore off down the road, driving aimlessly.  He was keyed up; the blood wasn’t satisfying him like it usually did.  He needed to up his game.  Maybe he’d look into torture devices, see how far he could push the human body before it snapped.  That could be amusing.

He rolled to a stop outside Lincoln Hospital and spotted the dark-haired beauty he’d been following for a few days.  She was magnificent.  Black hair and pure white skin.  He longed to touch her, to bring her skin to life with a few crimson drops of blood.  He felt himself grow hard in his jeans and shifted to accommodate the bulge.  He didn’t just want that woman, he
wanted
her.  Maybe that’s the piece that was missing for him, completely claiming his victims as his.  Noting the deserted parking lot, he decided it was as good a time as any to make his move.  Marcus could kiss his ass.  There was no way he was stopping now when he was so close to discovering a new way to satisfy his urges.

He pulled his ski mask onto his head and left it rolled up, ready to pull down when he got close enough to her.  He approached from the left side, careful to stay a few steps back until he was ready to make his move.  She seemed to be pacing, no doubt waiting for someone to join her and if that was the case, he had to act fast.  He pulled the mask down and grabbed her from behind.  His strong arm went around her throat, cutting off her air; his other hand clamping down over her mouth, effectively cutting off any attempts she might make to scream.

“Hello, darling. I’d like you to come with me, please.” he spoke into her ear as he dragged her to his car and opening the back door, shoved her in.  It was an old-style cop car that only opened from the outside so all of her banging and crashing did her no good; she’d only tire herself out.

Just as he was about to climb into the driver’s side, a second brunette woman emerged from the hospital, looking around.  She must have caught movement out of the corner of her eye as she looked over and saw his captive trapped in the backseat, banging on the windows like they were drums.

“Hey!” she yelled and raced towards them.  He planted his feet and let her come, not worried in the slightest.  The second she got within arm’s length of him, his fist shot out and he clocked her in the eye, watching as she hit the ground like a ton of bricks, knocked out cold.  With a sigh, he picked her up and deposited her in the car as well.