One Blood

Chapter Fifty

Chapter Fifty

 

Monday

Lake City, LA

 

Karen’s eyes shot open. After a moment of disorientation, she rolled onto her back, not at all surprised to find she’d been tied up again. She manipulated the knots around her wrists. Her neck throbbed from the Penguin’s rough choking.

If I make it through this I’ll have one hell of a career as an escape artist.

She coughed up more blood and peered out the window. Two men, wearing blue and yellow paramedic uniforms, lay prostrate in the middle of the parking lot.

Karen pounded her head against the window, to no avail. She was getting a headache from the head butts, so she refocused on her hands. There was one upside to having lost so much weight—it made it easy to escape most wrist bonds. Moments later, she opened the car door, emerging into the humid Louisiana afternoon soaked from head to toe.

Okay, Karen, now what?

Two unmarked black sedans galloped into the parking lot from a side entrance, coming to an abrupt halt in front of the ER. Four men in dark suits got out and conferred with one another. Karen flashed back to that day ten years ago when cars just like these pulled up outside of her house.

* * * * *

Karen was playing tea time on the porch with Abby. Two cars pulled up and a man with long silver hair and a thick gray beard got out of the lead car. He reached into the backseat and emerged with the limp body of her brother Kristopher. Kristopher’s head lay upside down in the cradle of the man’s arms. His shocking blue eyes were wide open, but even at the tender age of seven, Karen knew Kristopher wasn’t seeing anything anymore.

* * * * *

The memory dissolved as Karen observed the situation unfolding before her. After a quick huddle, two of the men ran inside the hospital. The remaining two stood sentry outside. They reminded her of her father’s security guards.

Karen didn’t know whether to hide from them or run. The roar of an engine caused her to whip around. A third black sedan was speeding into the parking lot.

Karen froze as the car sped toward her.