Author's Note: Thanks again to BluCrayons. As always! Wonderful beta! And I'm sorry this is such a long story. I didn't intend it to be, it just is becoming that way! Hope you are all still enjoying it and haven't gotten bored with it! There's still a lot more I wanna do!
Chapter 42: Attempting Escape
"How do you feel?" Sarah asked Micky only a few days later while changing his bandages. Mike inspected the wounds himself. They still looked bad, but they were definitely healing. After showering him off, Rose and Sarah had dried and bandaged him before dressing him. Not long after Mike had carried him back to his bed, Micky had passed out for a few solid hours.
"I'm better," Micky said wincing a little as Sarah brushed the burn cream over the wounds lightly. "Just a little tender is all."
"Are you good enough to do this today?" Rose asked. "Cause we can wait a little longer if-"
"No," Micky cut her off. "I'm fine. The sooner we get out of here, the better we'll all be."
"I still don't like the idea of stealing," Peter grumbled. Their plan had been to try and steal one of the transport vans kept by the hospital in order to run for it. They weren't quite sure where they were going to go at first, but they planned on figuring it out based on how close Heather was to delivering the baby. Every day for the past week, Sarah had gone over the layout of the hospital over and over again with them until they all had it memorized and knew where every guard station was. She'd even guessed at where Heather's room would probably be in the staff quarters.
"It's like Robin Hood, Peter," Davy answered. "But instead of stealing from the rich and giving to the poor, we're stealing from murderous rapists and using it to stay alive."
"I was never really sure I liked Robin Hood either," Peter mumbled.
"Are you sure you're going to be able to fight?" Rose said. "We may very well have to."
"He will," Mike assured them remember the number of times Peter had indeed fought for their lives. "He'll just beat himself up for a while afterward. He'd rather that than see any of us hurt."
"Can you do what you have to, Rose?" Micky asked. "You can't hesitate. Not even for a second."
"Of course," Rose said walking over and grabbing two of the bed spring trident weapons firmly in each hand. "She raped me. She raped Sarah. And she may well have raped Mike. There's not a doubt in my mind that hesitating will not be part of the equation. I'll rip her goddamn heart out to get us the hell out of here if I have to." Peter winced a little at the statement and looked down at his hands.
"She won't, Peter," Mike said carefully knowing how much Peter hated this whole plan. Rose glanced at Mike as though to ask if Peter was going to be ok with all this and Mike nodded. Peter was a pacifist; he abhorred violence in any form or degree. But he loved his friends more. And he was strong. He would do what had to be done when the time came, even if it meant hating himself for it later.
"Let's do this then," Micky said pulling on a shirt. "Remember, we have to be fast. Everyone knows their job. Shirley should be here any minute." They all nodded silently and took their places, waiting for Shirley to bring them breakfast. Rose stood next to the door, gripping one of the weapons tightly in her hand and the other tucked into her waistband. Davy, Mike and Peter sat lazily, but ready to jump up on their beds. Micky and Sarah lay down on their bed, again ready to jump up when they had to. At glance, everything would seem normal, but Shirley wouldn't be able to see Rose until it was too late.
The second they heard the locks on the door, they all tensed. This was it. This had to work. If it didn't, they'd all die. Shirley walked in with the tray of food and looked around for Rose. Without hesitation, Rose stepped forward, wrapped her hand around Shirley's throat pinching it in just the right spot to cut off any scream and plunged the weapon deep into Shirley's back. Micky, Sarah, Peter and Davy jumped up and rushed to the bed to grab the rest of the weapons. Mike ran toward Shirley and Rose and dug around in her pockets for the keys. When he finally got them, he stared into her eyes.
He saw nothing there. They were empty; void of any emotion other than anger and hate. He didn't feel any guilt for what they were doing to her. What he knew, but the others didn't, was that she'd also raped Micky. She wasn't human in Mike's opinion. The number of people she'd hurt didn't matter, but the way she'd hurt Micky is what turned his normally soft heart hard. She'd used them against Micky; she'd hurt him while he was recovering. She and the others in this place were evil incarnate. And they deserved no mercy.
Rose pushed Shirley forward once Mike got the keys as Peter and Davy held the door to the bathroom open. Once Rose shoved her forward into it, they slammed it shut, hoping to at least keep her from screaming out further. If she didn't bleed to death. Peter, Davy and Sarah had each taken two of the remaining 8 bed spring weapons while Micky had grabbed both poles they managed to get off the bed and handed one to Mike as they darted from the room. Since Mike and Micky each had the longer ranged weapons, they stayed in the middle. Rose and Davy brought up the rear with Peter and Sarah leading the way.
When they got to the elevator, a man that Mike assumed to be a guard rounded the corner and came running at them. Rose and Davy quickly got the elevator open and slammed the doors shut just as they all got in. But a shot rang out and a hole was ripped through the door just as the elevator began to lower. Mike quickly pressed firmly to the side along with everyone else as they elevator sank even lower.
"Everyone ok?" Micky asked.
"Yeah," Davy answered. "Went right over my head. I felt it. I hope it didn't take out some of my hair…"
"That's what you're worried about?!" Mike said but he couldn't help a laugh.
"Guess it's a good thing you're so short, then, Davy," Micky laughed.
"Second floor," Sarah announced opening the doors as they reached the floor with the employee housing. Micky poked his head out and looked around quickly, looking for another gun-toting guard. He waved them on; the coast was clear.
"Let's hope we get the right room," Mike said softly. They didn't want to be heard before they got to Heather. They crept down the hallway knowing everyone else would probably be giving breakfast to the other "patients".
"Should be this one," Sarah whispered pointing at a door halfway down the hall. Mike nodded and positioned himself in front of it. He wasn't sure if it was locked or not and didn't want to take the chance it was by simply trying the knob, so he swiftly kicked the door open. Heather was in there, like they hoped, and was shocked when he barged in so forcefully. He quickly rushed over to her and pushed the bar against her throat before she could scream out. Sarah rushed in behind him and quickly grabbed Heathers hands and the rope they had made from the bedsheets.
"Hi, sweetie," Mike said sarcastically. "Be quiet and I'll move this. Don't scream. You scream and I cut off your air again."
"You can't kill me," she said when he pulled the bar away a little.
"No, but we sure as hell can disfigure your pretty little face," Sarah said tying her hands together.
"She's far along enough," Rose snapped. "We could just cut the baby out of her." Peter whimpered a little at the door he, Davy and Micky were guarding.
"Don't give us a reason to, Heather," Mike said quickly. "Be a good little girl for once in your miserable fucking life."
"You think I'm just gonna go with you?" Heather laughed.
"If you know what's good for you," Rose said. "Like I said, we don't need you alive to save the baby anymore."
"Get up," Mike said grabbing one arm once she was secured. Sarah grabbed the other and they both shoved her toward the door, holding tightly so she didn't run away. Micky walked up and placed a gag in her mouth that Mike didn't know he'd gotten from the bedsheets.
"I don't trust you not to scream," Micky sneered at her.
"Let's go," Mike said letting go of her long enough for Davy to grab onto her. They'd planned to have Davy and Sarah grabbing each arm and boxing her in between the rest of them. Micky went up front with Rose and Mike and Peter brought up the rear. They made their way back the the elevator without much of a fight from Heather. Mike wasn't sure if it was because she was afraid they really would hurt her or not. He knew he could never stand by and let someone cut the baby out of her. She was evil, but no one deserved that. That was too much. But she didn't need to know their threat was hollow.
Once out of the elevator on the first floor, they encountered the most guards. Micky knocked them out one by one as they made their way down the hall as quickly as they could with Heather dragging her feet, but none of them saw the guard come behind them as they reached the front door. None but Peter. All Mike heard was a gasp from Peter as he turned around. Mike turned to see the guard take aim at them, pointing the gun directly at Sarah first since she was holding onto Heather. Peter moved faster and pushed Sarah out of the way just as the muzzle of the gun lit up.
"Peter!" Davy exclaimed as Peter quickly fell to the floor. Mike ran for the guard as he took aim again and swung the bar, knocking the gun out of the guards hand as it went off a second time before swinging at his head to knock him out cold on the ground. Mike grabbed the gun off the floor and raced back to his friends. Heather had tried to run, but Sarah and Rose had caught her while Micky and davy knelt by Peter who was crumpled on the ground, groaning in pain. Blood pooled beneath him. He'd been shot.
"Oh my God, Peter!" Mike exclaimed dropping to his knees next to his friends.
"It's just a leg wound," Micky assured Mike.
"But he's bleeding a lot," Davy said, his voice cracking.
"I know, but we can't stay here!" Micky exclaimed. Mike could see the emotions battling inside him flash across his face. He wanted to help Peter, but was angry that he was forced not to; he was forced to go on. They all had no choice but to keep going. "If we stay here, they'll kill us all! Davy, go get Heather. Mike, give Rose the gun; she knows how to use it better than the rest of us and help me with Peter." Davy nodded reluctantly, tears welling in his eyes, but did as he was told. They all knew their only hope of saving Peter was to keep going. Keep moving. Escape.
Mike lifted Peter with Micky's help and they carried him outside. Peter was trying not to groan in pain too much, but Mike could tell he was really suffering. Mike felt horrible. Peter had been the one so against this plan and he'd been the one to take a bullet for Sarah. But Mike couldn't dwell on that; they had to get him to safety. They ran out into the neighboring orchard Mike and Micky had originally found Sarah in and only made it halfway to where the hospital shared a parking lot with the church before Peter nearly started sobbing the pain.
"Micky, we have to rest," Mike said as Peter's weight was starting to cripple him. "For a few minutes. Peter needs to rest. We're in the trees; we'll be safe."
"Fine," Micky said as they all stopped and they lowered him to the ground. Peter winced in pain and Micky knelt next to him.
"Peter, I know it hurts, but you have to try and keep quiet," Micky said. "They can't catch us."
"Too late," Cole said coming up behind Rose and grabbing her. One hand held a gun to her head and the other wrapped around her neck. Mike stood in shock, not knowing what to do. Cole had knocked the gun from her grasp when she wasn't looking. And the spring weapons were tucked in her waistband. Mike knew if they got any closer to try and help Rose, Cole would shoot her. Kill her. Mike couldn't think of anything to do to save any of them. Their plan was unfolding quickly.