Disclaimer: See other chapters.
A/N: New chapter! Yay!
Brennan flipped through the channels on the hospital television, not that there was much selection, with their total of eight channels. Brennan settled on the late night news, watching a replay of a car chase. His eyelids were just beginning to droop when something came on the news station that made his eyes snap open.
"Convicted murderer Shane Taylor escapes from the hands of the police escort chosen to take him back to the penitentiary that he had originally escaped from. Taylor is to be considered armed and dangerous. Anyone who sees him is advised to stay hidden then call their local authorities immediately."
Brennan's eyes flared with anger and fear. He knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt that Shane was going to come after Shalimar again. Brennan wasn't about to let that happen.
'I'm gonna kill that son of a bitch.' Brennan thought to himself, clenching his fists, ignoring the jolt of pain that seared through his arm and side. Brennan took a piece of paper and a pen from his bedside table and wrote a poorly coded note to Jesse and Lexa. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed, found his clothes in a mini- closet at his bedside, and dressed hastily, not bothering to put on his blood- stained t-shirt, only pulling on his leather jacket and zipping it up far enough to cover the bandages on his shoulder. He turned to Shalimar's still form lying on the other bed.
"I'm not gonna let him hurt you again. Not if I can help it." He whispered, smoothing the hair away from her forehead and kissing her brow gently. Brennan then ripped the heart monitor's wire from his arm and hid in a deeply shadowed corner as the machine started whistling shrilly. Several doctors came dashing in, looking around the room in confusion at the absence of their patient. Brennan leaned deeper into the shadows as they ran out of the room, searching for him, before easing himself out the shadowy corner, out to the hall, and crept down the hallway, past the nurses and doctors scurrying about, and out the front door. He chuckled, wincing at another small pain before running away down the street in search of his quarry.
Jesse lay asleep, which was understandable as it was almost two o'clock in the morning, when the phone rang. Jesse jumped in alarm before realizing it was the phone. He took deep breaths trying to calm his pounding heart. He picked up the phone on the third ring.
"Hullo?" He said groggily.
"Mr. Kilmartin?" An unfamiliar female voice inquired.
"Uh-huh," Jesse said, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"This is Jamie; I'm a nurse at the hospital where your friends are currently residing." Panic flared in Jesse at her words.
"Are they okay? Is it Shalimar?! Is Shalimar okay?!" He asked hastily.
"Ms. Fox is fine. It's Mr. Mulwray. He's gone missing."
"WHAT!" Jesse exclaimed as Lexa knocked and entered the room, having also been wakened by the ringing phone. "Are you people completely incompetent?! My instructions were very simple! You were not supposed to let him leave that room!"
"We're sorry; he just... disappeared. We had a guard on the door, but he never saw your friend leave. We're doing everything we can to find him."
"We'll be right over." He hung up the phone with a slam.
"What is it, Jess? What's wrong?" She laid a hand on his arm. Jesse stood and pulled on his jacket.
"Brennan ran out of the hospital, he must have heard about Taylor's escape. Come on, we have to investigate, try and figure out where they might be headed."
"We're so sorry, sir. We have no idea how he managed to escape." A nurse was saying to Jesse.
"Brennan has his ways. He probably hid in the darkest corner of the room 'til the coast was clear then made a run for it." Jesse replied with a small smile.
"He left this on his bed for you and Ms. Pierce." The nurse handed him a crumpled note, nodded, then walked away. Jesse looked at the note oddly for a moment before opening it hastily. His eyes scanned the page, his expression growing increasingly more bewildered.
"What the-?" He handed the letter to Lexa, who regarded the message with the same confused expression.
"Eye'm Gunner Kiln Hymn." Lexa read aloud. Jesse frowned. "Protect Shalimar." She read the last decoded line.
"Read that first part again." He requested. She did as he asked. His frown deepened. In his mind it was beginning to make sense.
"What?" Lexa asked him, still confused.
"Eye'm," he pointed to the first word. "That could be I am. Gunner..."
"Gonna," Lexa said, catching on. Jesse looked at her oddly. "Gunner equals gonna. Like: going to." She explained.
"Okay, I'm gonna... kiln... kill! I'm gonna kill... hymn. Him! I'm gonna kill him!" Jesse exclaimed, and then his face darkened. Their eyes met.
"Oh shit," They said simultaneously.
TO BE CONTINUED...
A/N: I know, the note was corny...I'm sorry...but they needed to know his intentions somehow, neither of them had seen the news report... Review, please and thank you. Saph