The Deadliest Institution Collection Read online

“Evening, Jameson,” she said with little enthusiasm. She paused in the hallway, despite her eagerness to press onward. “Are we secure?”

  “Everyone’s tucked away on the second floor,” he replied with a boyish smile. “I was just about to get some coffee before I patrolled your floor.”

  Jameson was a relatively handsome man who looked particularly good in his security guard’s uniform. His outgoing personality gained plenty of female attention throughout town. Kate showed little interest in the handsome security guard despite the interest he showed in her.

  “Take your time,” she replied. “I have some research to do in the archives anyway.”

  “Don’t be too long,” he announced. “Nearly time for you to go home.”

  “Well, I may be a few minutes late,” she said simply. “I’ll page for you when I’m ready to leave the building.”

  “Certainly, Mrs. Asher.”

  Kate continued along the corridor and paused just outside a room with a frosted window over metal pigeon wire. Written on the window was the word, “Archives”. She entered the dark room and turned on the lights. There were shelves of books, filing cabinets, and boxes of old documents. She proceeded down the first row of filing cabinets with a particular mission in mind.

  †

  11:30 P.M.

  Roseanne sat behind the cluttered counter while chewing on her nails and documented in one of the thick charts. Asher approached the nurse’s station on the first floor of the east wing and stood by the counter. He appeared puzzled while looking at the young nurse.

  “Good evening, Rosy,” Asher said to the nurse behind the counter.

  Roseanne looked up and her smile brightened. She dropped her pen and immediately sprang to her feet. “Good evening, Asher,” she breathed almost romantically as her eyes swept over his distinguished features.

  More than good looks, Asher was possibly the most charming man in all Stony Ridge. He was definitely not local, and the women appreciated his refined personality and undeniable charm. He pointed down the hall in the direction he had come.

  “Are you aware there’s no guard at the front door?” he asked while looking curious and possibly concerned.

  “That would be Roy,” she replied cheerfully. “He’s never at his post.”

  “Kind of dangerous to leave the door unlocked and unattended in this sort of place,” Asher remarked.

  Roseanne shrugged while smiling warmly. “What could possibly happen in this hick burg?”

  He leaned on the tall counter and smiled charmingly at her. “I suppose you’re right. How are you?”

  Roseanne blushed slightly to his charm. “I’d be better if I didn’t have to work tonight. It’s such a beautiful, warm evening,” she announced with an almost lustful grin. “Perfect night for lovers.” She seductively leaned on the counter, allowing her cleavage to be clearly displayed before him. Her smile was almost devious. “You’re a little early for Kate. She just started her last rounds. She’ll be another twenty minutes, I’m sure.”

  “I don’t mind waiting,” he replied simply. “The poker game wiped me out early, and I didn’t see the point to making the trip home just to turn around and come back here.”

  Roseanne giggled inappropriately with a lustful look in her eyes. “Lost again, huh?”

  He shrugged. “I’m not much of a gambler, I suppose.”

  Roseanne gave her dark hair a flirty toss from her shoulder. “Could I get you some coffee while you wait?”

  “That’s kind of you, Rosy, if it’s no trouble.”

  “None at all.” She flashed a smile. “Don’t go away. I’ll be right back.”

  “Actually, I think I’ll sneak over to the second floor lounge for a quick cigarette,” he announced then smiled deviously. “Katie doesn’t appreciate it when I smoke in the house. She claims it kills her plants.”

  “Kate and her plants,” Roseanne replied warmly with a shake of her head.

  “Yes, our sunroom looks more like a greenhouse these days,” he replied with a soft laugh. “But as long as I don’t have to touch them, I suppose they can stay.”

  “I’ll get us some coffee and bring it to you in the lounge,” Roseanne offered a little too quickly. “Maybe I could bum a cigarette off you.”

  Asher tilted his head thoughtfully and hid his smile. “You don’t smoke.”

  “Sure I do,” she replied and shifted as if being caught in her lie. “Just not often.”

  “Alright,” he replied pleasantly to her admission. “I’ll meet you in the lounge.”

  Roseanne watched Asher walk away from the nurse’s station. She gently bit her lower lip then smiled deviously. She hurried into the back and lifted the empty coffeepot. Roseanne groaned with frustration.

  “Damn it, Jameson,” she snarled and set it down.

  Roseanne picked up the empty coffee can and peered into it with the disgust evident on her face. She tossed it in the garbage and approached Kate’s locker. She opened Kate’s locker, removed an unopened can of coffee, and then noticed the envelope Kate had placed in the front pocket of her purse. She stared at the envelope and appeared curious.

  †

  Kate stood before a large filing cabinet toward the back of the filing room and rummaged through several files. She slammed the drawer shut then sighed with disgust. She looked around the room while strumming her fingers on the cabinet.

  “It couldn’t have disappeared that quickly,” she muttered softly to herself.

  Kate randomly opened each file drawer and rummaged through every file. Her frustration increased with each drawer. As she slammed the last drawer, she heard an unusual thump from the front of the file room. The sound of the door closing followed. Kate looked across the filing cabinets in the direction of the door. It seemed odd anyone else would be in the filing room this time of night. It was the shift change and most of the other nurses were making rounds and documenting in charts. She walked through the aisle of storage shelves filled with boxes of old documents and toward the closed door. She stepped out of the aisle, approached the door, and turned the knob. The door wouldn’t open. She appeared surprised and gave it a firm tug. It still didn’t budge.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something move from the next aisle. Before she could turn, a hand slipped over her mouth from behind. She was forcibly pulled backward and against her assailant. Kate clutched the latex-gloved hand over her mouth and attempted to scream while thrashing with her body. She dug her fingernails into the latex glove, as her head was held immobile against her assailant. She saw the scalpel appear before her face. She again attempted to scream. The scalpel pierced her neck and slashed across her throat. The scalpel was sharp and the cut so quick, she was bleeding profusely before she even felt the pain. As the blood spilled from the gaping wound on her neck, she began to sink. Her assailant swiftly released her, allowing her to collapse to the floor.

  Chapter Two

  Dr. Talbert’s office was located on the second floor of the east wing in Stony Ridge Institution. It was rather lavish compared with the rest of the facility. After all, he was in charge. An elegant, carved desk was proudly displayed toward the back of the large office near the wall of glass overlooking the front grounds. Lights from the quiet town could be seen in the distance. One wall was lined with bookcases displaying every medical book imaginable, while the opposing wall proudly displayed framed degrees. It would appear Dr. Talbert was a very intelligent man. In the middle of the opposing wall was a small fireplace, which added that extra touch of elegance. Dr. Talbert, a distinguished man in his late thirties, poked at the embers in the fireplace then straightened and replaced the poker to the rack. He looked around his office with a deep sigh then glanced at his watch. He scratched his slightly gray hair then approached the large, antique desk. The desk was mostly in order except for several files lying scattered about the top. He sorted through the files, stacked them neatly, and then picked up the vacation request paper near the desk calendar. He stared at Ka
te Asher’s name and appeared deep in thought. Talbert picked up the desk phone and dialed an in-house number. He straightened and stared at the framed degrees on the wall alongside the fireplace. Someone answered the phone on the other end. He appeared surprised by the voice.

  “Hello? Roseanne? I didn’t know you were in already. Is Kate there? I’d like to speak to her please.” There was silence as Roseanne responded. “Oh, yes, of course.” He sighed and set down the paper on his desk as the woman continued to talk. “No, don’t bother paging her. Just ask her to give me a call when she returns.” He then laughed softly at something she said. “Yes, Roseanne, it’s about her vacation request. Just give her the message, okay?” He hung up the phone and smiled with a look of relief.

  †

  11:50 P.M.

  Jameson walked along the first floor of the east wing swinging his large, baton flashlight and whistling a lively tune. He shined the light into each locked room through the small slide windows as he passed. He finally approached the file room at the end of the corridor and noted that the lights were still on. He appeared amused while smiling slyly.

  “Ready when you are, Mrs. Asher,” he chirped and reached for the doorknob. It didn’t open. He removed his keys with a gentle shake of his head. “Of course it’s locked,” he muttered lowly. Jameson unlocked the door, stepped inside, and looked around. “Mrs. Asher?”

  There was a long, bloody streak along the floor that led down the first aisle of shelves. A bloody scalpel lie on the floor at the opening of the nearby aisle. Jameson’s eyes widened with a look of horror. He uncertainly looked around, appeared apprehensive about entering the file room, and then cautiously took several steps toward the aisle containing the blood.

  “Mrs. Asher?” he gasped softly and clutched his flashlight in a deadly fashion.

  He uncertainly peered down the aisle and saw a redheaded woman in a nurse’s uniform lying in a bloody heap on the floor. There was blood surrounding her lifeless body and covering her white nurse’s dress. A blood-soaked, white mound lie suspiciously just before her body.

  “Oh, my God,” he gasped then looked nervously around the narrow aisles.

  He set his flashlight down on a nearby shelf and quickly drew his nightstick. He hurried for the dead woman then stopped and stared at the blood-soaked straitjacket. The fear was evident in his eyes. Jameson carefully stepped over the dead nurse to reach the phone on the wall. There was a metallic scraping sound behind him. As he spun around with a startled gasp, he was struck on the head with his baton flashlight. Jameson staggered a moment, unable to focus. His nightstick dropped to the floor as he fell against a filing cabinet with a dull, metallic crack. He leaned heavily on the filing cabinet and looked down the aisle. His attacker was gone! The file room door was heard as it slammed shut. Jameson pulled himself along the filing cabinet as blood streaked his face and fell against the wall near the mounted phone. He fumbled with the phone in his trembling hand.

  †

  Dr. Talbert sat reclined in his large, leather chair with his hands folded peacefully across this abdomen. His head rested against the back of the chair and his eyes were closed. His faint snores were barely heard. The ringing phone abruptly woke him from his nap. He leaned forward with a soft groan, glanced at his watch, and picked up the ringing phone on his desk.

  “Dr. Talbert here,” he announced in a weary tone. There was a loud chirp from the other end. Talbert held the phone away for a second then abruptly sat up straight in his chair. “Damn it, boy, call a security alert!” Talbert launched back. “The wing must be sealed. He can’t be allowed to escape!”

  Dr. Talbert slammed down the phone, appeared alarmed, and ran his fingers through his thinning hair.

  “This can’t be happening,” he said under his breath.

  He looked at the phone and was about to pick it up when he heard the dull sound of bare feet running in the corridor outside his office. Dr. Talbert looked at his office door with wide eyes then opened his right hand desk drawer and removed an old revolver. Talbert stood and cautiously approached the office door and paused when he heard another door open. He cautiously opened the door and peered into the second floor hallway. The fire door to the stairway closed at the end of the hall. Dr. Talbert clutched his gun and hurried along the corridor.

  “Security to the east wing first floor, stat,” came Jameson’s voice over the intercom system.

  Dr. Talbert paused near the fire door. He was about to open it when smoke lingered into the hallway from behind him. He quickly turned and looked around the hallway. Smoke billowed from the nearby linen closet. He hurried for the closet door and threw it open. Flames engulfed the entire closet. Smoke now poured into the hallway. Dr. Talbert ran across the hall and pulled the fire alarm. Nothing happened. His eyes widened and his mouth fell open.

  “God, no,” he gasped then looked to the ceiling at the sprinklers. “Damn it, turn on!”

  Nothing happened. Dr. Talbert attempted to close the closet door, but it was too late. The flames were already at the doorway. He shoved the gun down the back of his pants and ran along the hall.

  †

  11:55 P.M.

  Roseanne walked along the second floor hallway and headed toward the lounge while carrying two cups of coffee. She glanced at the ceiling and appeared curious by Jameson’s intercom page. It was more his tone then the page itself.

  “Security?” she questioned with a dreary sigh. “Wonder who flipped out this time?”

  It wasn’t uncommon for security to intervene with a typically docile patient. Their actions were often erratic and to be expected. Roseanne entered the lounge with the coffee and her sweet, innocent smile returned. As she looked around, she saw that the lounge was empty. On the coffee table alongside a magazine lie a pack of cigarettes.

  “Asher?” she questioned and looked around with apparent confusion.

  Jameson’s voice once more came over the intercom, this time with the sound of panic. “Code red, east wing, first and second floor.”

  Roseanne suddenly looked up at the intercom in the ceiling, gasped with alarm, and threw both cups of coffee to the floor. She ran for the nearest fire extinguisher.

  †

  12:05 P.M.

  Asher ran along the corridor on the first floor as smoke filtered throughout the halls. Several guards and nurses hurried into rooms and evacuated the patients. Some wore straitjackets while others didn’t require them. Several patients broke free in the chaos and ran amuck through the halls. One patient plowed into Asher and threw him against a nearby wall. Asher regained his balance and now coughed from the thick smoke.

  “Katie! Katie,” he called out while looking at each nurse he passed.

  “Where’s the fire department,” one of the nurses could be heard screaming hysterically as she battled with one of the unruly patients in a straitjacket.

  The patient slammed her into the wall with his shoulder, causing her head to strike the wall and knocking her to her knees. The patient ran back the way they had come, straight into the smoke. She clutched the wall for support and remained dazed a moment. Asher ran to her side and helped her to her feet. She had a freely bleeding cut on her forehead from where she’d struck the wall. Her eyes met his for a brief moment.

  “Oh, my God, Asher,” she suddenly gasped with panic in her eyes. “They’re all going to die! Where’s the fire department? The alarm never sounded. The entire wing is on fire!”

  “Where’s Katie?” he demanded to know while clutching her shoulders. “Have you seen her?”

  She slowly shook her head while dabbing the blood. She chattered softly in near hysterics. The flames were now visible just twenty feet up the hall. The screams of patients echoed throughout the floor. Asher turned toward the frightened, babbling nurse and gave her a firm shake.

  “Listen to me,” he said firmly and attempted to jolt her back into reality. “Get out of the building. Direct the fire department to this area. Do you hear me?”

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sp; She uncertainly nodded. “Yes,” she said more firmly. “I’ll get them at once.”

  The nurse unsteadily ran along the corridor for the exit. Asher continued to cough. He removed a handkerchief from his pocket and placed it over his nose and mouth. He hurried deeper into the smoke-filled hallway. Dr. Talbert assisted a panic-stricken patient, who cried out profanities. His eyes met Asher’s concerned gaze only briefly.

  “It’s gone,” he cried out while shaking his head. “No more can be saved. Save yourself!”

  “Where’s Katie?” Asher shouted out with more determination. “Did she get out?”

  Dr. Talbert stopped and stared at him with a blank expression on his face. The patient pulled away and ran down the hallway for the exit. Dr. Talbert jerked and watched the patient a moment. He looked back at Asher with the same blank expression.

  “Oh, Asher,” he gasped softly. “One of the patients--”

  Asher suddenly grabbed Dr. Talbert by the shirt with such force and vigor; he nearly pulled him off his feet. “Where is she?”

  Dr. Talbert’s eyes were wide with horror. He pointed down the hall just before the fire itself. “The archives.”

  Asher released him and charged down the hallway. He skidded to a stop just before the door, held his handkerchief to his mouth, and bolted inside. Flames were now seizing boxes of old documents at a tremendous rate and the smoke was so thick, he could barely see. Asher looked at the floor to his left and saw the blood. His look was horrified. He quickly followed the blood and looked down the first aisle. For a moment, he stood paralyzed and stared at the blood surrounding the redheaded nurse. He dropped his handkerchief, took two slow steps toward the dead woman, and then sank to his knees alongside her. Asher began to sob uncontrollably as he slowly touched her shoulder. He gently rolled her over and stared at the familiar face void of life. The large, gaping slit across her throat glared back at him as blood saturated her white uniform. She appeared to stare back at him, but there was no life in her eyes. There was an odd symbol carved into her neck just below the deep gash. Asher sobbed as he pulled her into his arms and cradled her face to his chest. He brushed his cheek to her red hair and stared at the burning filing cabinets while gently rocking Katie in his arms. He kissed the top of her head.