Chapter Nineteen Joan stared longingly at the large display for cigarettes behind the counter. "Is that all miz?" "Huh?" she shook herself and glanced at her purchase,"Yeah." "That'll be seven twenty-three." Joan threw a ten on the counter, gathered her items and ran from the convenience store before temptation overwhelmed her. "Good girl Jo,"she congratulated herself crawling into Jade's car. She'd left her sister's rental car in the parking lot of the police station. Won't Jessamyn appreciate that? Joan laughed in her mind. "Thanks,"Jade said, opening a soda. She allowed Joan to drive and they pulled away. "When will you tell me what's going on?" "In a minute,"Joan parked in a secluded area of Weston's Tiger Park. "Come on Joan. I'm exhausted and I'm pissed off. I'm scared and I'm nervous. Picking a deserted area of the park where there are no lights and no one could hear me scream is not helping my mood." "When did you learn sarcasm?" "I only bring it out on special occasions." Joan chuckled, but got serious,"Two things. When Delores heard about the attack, she went into cardiac arrest, she's back in ICU and is comatose. Nina was moved to an institution for surveillance." "You put her in the loony bin?" "No. Yes."Joan sighed,"It doesn't matter, she isn't there now." "What?" "She escaped, earlier. I wasn't alerted until I arrived at the station." "Where is she?" "We were hoping you could help us in that matter." "You guys don't know where she is." "Exactly. She climbed out of her window and jumped. There was a bin a glass clippings. The orderly that witnessed the whole thing is in the hospital." "Why?" "She beat him pretty badly. Really badly. His leg is shattered, internal bleeding, he's been coughing up blood from God knows where, and he's floating in and out of consciousness." "Nina did this?" "She basically killed the guy." "And now you think she's after me?" "No, I was just hoping you'd seen her. We need to know why she broke out." "You aren't telling me the whole story." "No one has seen her." "Tell me the whole story." "We checked with Marsha Dunkirk, she told us that Nina probably went to either Mark Dillion's apartment, or Carl Wordworth's. We checked with Carl, he hadn't seen her. Mark wasn't home, but we checked the apartment anyway. There was only one other person in the place, and she was dead. The girl had been showering, we found her in the bathroom, with the water running on low. Looks like she slipped and fell in the shower. Split her head open, brains and blood all over the places that the water couldn't reach. A really gross mess." "Thanks for that. I don't believe you think Nina would come after me." Joan shook her head,"Jade, you aren't listening. Nina is missing. She's a rape victim in our books, no matter what I think. We have no idea where she's going or what she's going to do next. The accepted theory is that she's gone stark raving mad is going to try to kill herself or someone else." "You sound like a bad cop drama,"Jade crossed her arms in front of her chest. "This whole thing is like a bad drama! Jade, do you know where Nina is?" "The house?" "Is she?" "How would I know? I didn't even know you checked her into the nut house!" "Calm down. There's something sinister going on and you're going to be part of it, you already are, whether you want to be or not." "Sinister? God, this is so ridiculous." "Jade I'm serious." "You would be." Joan threw her hands into the air. "You just don't get it, do you?" "I guess I don't-" Jade stopped short as the windshield shattered. Joan recovered from the initial shock and sped away from the park. A rain of bullets were hurled at the car. Jade slumped down in her seat. Joan screeched around a corner, Jade didn't respond. Joan glanced in her sideview mirror. It shattered, then the passenger side mirror exploded as well. "Do you believe me now?" Joan cried. Jade screamed,"Look out!" Joan slammed on the brakes and twisted the wheel wildly, trying to avoid a pedestrian. She missed the elderly man, a stray bullet from the vehicle chasing them did not. Falling to the ground the man clutched his arm and began to scream. She approached the Widow Maker, sixty miles an hour over the suggested twenty-five. A big van plowed into them from the left and Joan screamed as the tiny car went airborne, rolled down the embankment and landed on its top at the bottom of a hill. They were upside down in somebody's front yard. Joan's nose picked up a pungent odor that took only a moment to identify. Gas? Smoke? Oh God, we're going to die! She threw herself at the door, it was smashed shut. So was the passenger door. Joan pushed Jade through the broken window. Jade tried to get Joan out. She reached in with her hand and felt Joan's hair, sticky with blood. In seconds Joan popped free and they tumbled away. "My arm, I think it's broken,"Jade said a little too loudly. Bullets cascaded up on their general area. Joan felt a searing pain rip through her side. Then there was a huge clap of thunder and the sky flashed white. "My car!" Jade laughed hysterically as the flame that engulfed her precious Miata danced their Satanic ritual in the black sky. The cars above raced away, Aerosmith's Janie's Got A Gun, blaring. They sat in silence for a moment, waiting in agony for the EMT's. "Joan, I think I just got shot." "Me too. But don't worry, Delores got shot, and look at her." "Yeah, she's back in a coma and not expected to wake up." Chapter Twenty Delores opened her eyes and stared at the television. She'd had a long sleep, and was once again out of ICU. She began to sit up when a news flash came on. "We apologize for interrupting our regular programming. There is a report of a high speed chase involving Detective Joan Treece and an unidentified companion. Their vehicle, not belonging to Treece, has exploded, but the fire crews managed to extinguish the blaze. There are also reports coming in that a pedestrian, Mr. William Grosclove, was hit by a stray bullet as the race passed him. He is in stable condition at Weston Memorial. Vague counts of the gruesome tale unfolding in our fair city have both Treece and her companion, dead. But that is unconfirmed at this time... "More news for the Weston P.D. this evening. Officer Donald Henniger was assault by Maria Santez, strangely enough in a truck belonging to Detective Treece. Santez, who evidently reported herself to the police, is being questioned for the shooting of her aunt, Delores Santez, last night at the Weston Civic Center. No charges have been brought up against Santez as of yet. We'll keep you posted. Now you can return to your regularly scheduled show." "Maria?" Delores buzzed the nurse's station and fell back onto her pillows. "Ms. Santez, you're up. Good." A pretty young nurse said as she scurried in. "Maria, Jade..." "What?" "I'm too old for this,"Delores moaned, fingering the cross around her neck,"Oh mighty Lord, please let my nieces be all right. Please..." Chapter Twenty-One "Joan? Don't you die Joan! You're a survivor, I can't loose both of you! I can't. Joan, can you hear me luv? I know you can. Talk to be baby, look at mother, Joan. C'mon Joanie,"her mother prodded, standing over Joan's hospital bed,"Joan Treece you stupid cow! Wake up! You wake up this moment! You are driving your poor mother insane Joan Elizabeth Treece!" "Please Mrs. Treece, threatening your unconscious daughter with bodily harm will hardly-" "You stay out of this,"she smacked the elderly doctor,"Joan! Dammit Joan I hate to swear! You know I only swear when I am so made I can't see straight and by God I am seething! Joan, you hear this. Wake up right this moment!" The doctor, still reeling from the blow tried to bodily remove Mrs. Treece from the room. She brought her knee up and caught him the in the stomach. He doubled over, moaning in pain. Jessamyn rushed to his aid. "Mum, he's right. Joan isn't going to wake up with you screaming obscenities at her!" "Jess, when I want your opinion I'll ask for it!" "Your wrong Jessie. The only reason I came back is to make sure it was mom swearing." Mrs. Treece threw herself upon her daughter, kissing her. Joan whimpered and her mother jumped back. "Oh! I'm sorry." "Mom, I have to talk to Dr., uh, the doctor, alone." "But-" "Please?" Daphne Treece agreed reluctantly and Jessamyn lead her mother away, both of them looking back just to make sure Joan hadn't dropped dead as they walked away. "Shut the door,"Joan hissed, straightening herself in the bed. The doctor did. "Good, now, where is Jade Mackenna." "Who?" "Jade Mackenna, the girl who was brought in with me." "There was no girl." "What?"Joan cried, trying sit up. Immediately pain caused her to fall back. "You will be going nowhere, you are not in the shape." "Tell me then, exactly what shape am I in?" "You were shot here,"he pointed to his right side, then his left thigh,"They were barely nicks, but-" "What else?" "Three broken fingers on your left hand, many lacerations, mostly small ones, but a few were fairly deep. You mother said you'd rather have scars than stitches and since they weren't too serious, we allowed her to make the decision. You have many bruises and such, you'll be fine, but not today and not tomorrow." "Why?" "Miss-" "Ms. It's Ms. Treece and I am leaving!" She began to get out of bed. The doctor summoned a nurse who appeared with a large syringe, chock full of nasty sedatives that would hinder her judgment and render her useless to poor Jade. "Keep that stuff away from me! I'm not in pain. I have the right to decide when I take drugs and when I don't!" The doctor, who had learned the hard way to be weary of the violent reactions the Treece woman possessed, dismissed the nurse to stand just by the door. Joan put her feet on the floor and glanced around for her shoes. "Ms. Treece, you are not getting out of this bed so I suggest you calm yourself or I will have Nurse Dallen sedate you!" "Try it buddy!" "Nurse Dallen!" The huge woman approached Joan like an angry bull running at a Matador. She grabbed Joan's right arm. Joan lashed out with her free arm, knocking the needled across the room and breaking two of Nurse Dallen's false nails. The wound on her side burned unbearably. "Ms. Treece, stop there! Just stop there!" Joan glared indignantly at him, managing to conceal her agony. "I will be back with mother and sister. Perhaps they can talk some sense into you." "Somehow I doubt it,"Nurse Dallen said, picking at her ruined manicure. They left, locking the door behind them. Joan cursed and stood up, nearly collapsing from the pain. She stared at the walls and then the window. That could be her escape route, if it wasn't too high. Joan peered out, she could see above many of the buildings, and guessed she was about four stories up. Too high, she thought, besides, after Nina's escapade she didn't want to jump. If she went out, it would have to be through the door, but how would she open it? Then Joan noticed her apparel, it was drafty. She located her clothes in a pile in the tiny wardrobe. They would be pretty drafty too, Joan thought, cringing at the bullet holes and other assorted cuts. She was ready to give up when the door burst open. Maria and her brother, Cortez hurried in. "Joan, where is Jade?" "Shush, shut the door, but don't lock it!" Maria did so, and Joan took a good look at her brother. He was six three, built like a rock, and had a face that belonged to an angel. Joan was glad that he was there to carry her out of the hospital. "Joan, they think I shot Lola, even though everyone says I was sitting at the table when it happened." "Where's Jade?" "I don't know, we hoped you would know!" "You have to get me out of here so I can find her." "How?" "The doctor, Dr. Norton, I think his name tag said. He's a white hairdo old guy, looks like Donahue or Leslie Nielson, keep him and a big fat lady, Nurse Dallen, away from this room as long as you can. They'll have my mother and my older sister with them. They're probably coming from the direction of the cafeteria, so intercept them, ask about me, whatever. Just give me time to sneak out." "You know Joan, you really are a mess." "Thanks,"she said, glancing in the mirror. Her face was swollen and more of her exposed skin was scraped, bruised, or scratched. "Do you two have a car here?"she asked, pulling her badge and keys out of her jeans pocket. "No, we're in a cab." "Good, keep it waiting. I'll pay, Jade & I will be out in thirty minutes." "Okay, we'll wait until you're gone, and head down to tell the guy to wait for you. Maria didn't have to go far in her quest for Dr. Norton, Nurse Dallen and the Treece women, they were less than four doors away. Joan waited until Maria and Cortez had them captivated with her exploits in the precinct before she took off across the hall and down a long corridor. She didn't think about the flimsy, open air hospital gown until she was halfway to the security ward. She ducked into a room and smiled at the young woman who was lying in a bed. "Hey, do you have any clothes I could borrow?" "Why?" "I can't go around in this, now can I?" "I don't have anything with me, except my dress." Joan opened the wardrobe and extracted a wrinkled, torn black velvet dress that reached to the floor. "How did you end up in the hospital wearing this?" Joan asked, sliding it on. "There was a riot at the Nixon High School Homecoming Dance, I got caught in the middle of a fi- Hey, were are you going? How will I get my dress back?" Joan grabbed a pen from the girl's table and scribbled her name and phone number on the inside of the back cover of the girl's book. "Call me tomorrow, or whenever you get out." The girl nodded and Joan slipped out of the room. She hurried toward the nurse's station, pinching her right hand to keep her mind off of the pain that shot through the entire length of her body with each step. "Excuse me, ma'am, could you tell me which room Jade Mackenna is in?" "That's classified, police business." "Nina Smith?" "Just a moment,"the nurse consulted her computer,"No, she's checked out." "I know, she was staying at the institution. She ought to have been re-admitted only a few hours ago." "Sorry. She was not." Joan thanked the lady and made her way down the hall and after following a round-a-bout trail, she found the security wing, guarded by Hurst. She flashed her badge and went to open the door. "Hey Joanie, aren't you supposed to be dead?" "Not today. Is the Mackenna girl in there." "Yeah, but only family can get in." "Her family is dead. The only relatives she has are her aunt who is laying in a hospital bed on the third floor recovering from a bullet wound and her cousin who is acting as my distraction." "Don't get your panties in a bunch." "Let me in there." "I'm just following orders." "Hurst." "Okay, but if anyone asks, Henniger let you in." She shoved him away,"That's not funny Gene." Joan limped into the room, breathing hard.