like a hammer pounded inside his skull. He was running scared, but he knew he had to keep moving. He ran through the lobby doors and into the night beyond.
Twenty feet away from the hospital entrance he paused. He realized he had no idea where he was headed. Getting out of the building had been his only plan. After a moment's thought he realized his decision was made for him. He had nothing, so he had to make his way home. His wallet, phone, everything was there. Hamlin had told him they had taken his bags from the train to his family’s… his house while he was in a coma. Of course that’s also where the guy trying to kill him will expect him to go. Either way he couldn't stay standing in the middle of the hospital driveway. He ran off through the exit and under the Broadway Bridge trying his best not to jostle his shoulder too badly.
He decided he needed to get ahold of Hamlin. Let him know that he was heading home. It was a risk, but he had to trust somebody. This was not the kind of situation you can handle by yourself. And it wasn’t like he didn’t have proof now.
He walked a block down the street to a diner. He looked back a couple of times, but didn't see Cooper following him. Inside, despite the way he looked and the odd looks he got, they let him use their phone for a local call. In a few moments he was connected to Hamlin.
"This is Detective Hamlin."
"Your boy Cooper just tried to kill me," Christopher said.
"Christopher! Is that you? What the hell happened? I just got a call saying shots were fired at the hospital."
"Like I said, Cooper just tried to kill me. I had to jump out of the window and run over the roof."
"Where are you? Are you safe? I can send a car to pick you up," Hamlin said.
"Fuck that, I barely trust you at this point let alone random patrolmen. Did someone get Cooper?"
"Not yet, there is still a lot of confusion on what happened and nobody can find him. Look, we need to talk."
"Yeah," said Christopher, "but I can't stay here. And I have to at least stop by my house, I don't have any money or ID. I'll grab a cab. You be waiting outside my place so you can pay the driver."
Christopher hung up the phone and then asked the counter girl for the number to a cab company. Five minutes later he was in the back of a cab heading to his parents’ house—his house now. His shoulder hurt, he was freezing in the cool night air and he was heading into what might be a trap. He was scared as hell. What the hell had happened to him? How did this happen? It was like something out of a bad movie.
It all started the day he had met that thing in the basement of the school dorm. The memory suddenly became clear to him, like it had just been waiting for the right moment. He remembered everything. The crazy story, the book, the pocket knife. The memory made him shudder. Looks like he wouldn't be able to help whatever was in that basement, his father was dead now. But that thought gave him no relief. He felt as if the thing’s mission still lay heavily on him.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Christopher had the cab drive slowly past the house. He saw a parked car out front, but he could also see Hamlin in the front waiting. Nothing else seemed off or out of place. Still, Christopher crouched behind the cab door and took a long moment to see if anything was amiss. After he had satisfied himself that everything seemed normal, he had the cab pull over. Hamlin paid the driver and they went into the house.
Hamlin went in first with gun drawn. He told Christopher he needed to clear the house and make sure there were no surprises waiting for them. Christopher waited inside the foyer as Hamlin cleared the home. The detective went slowly and meticulously through each room, finally arriving back at the entrance to tell him it was all clear. In the living room with the shades drawn Christopher quickly told him everything about that night.
"Just to be clear," Hamlin said, "Cooper was new to me, and I had no idea he was on
Twenty feet away from the hospital entrance he paused. He realized he had no idea where he was headed. Getting out of the building had been his only plan. After a moment's thought he realized his decision was made for him. He had nothing, so he had to make his way home. His wallet, phone, everything was there. Hamlin had told him they had taken his bags from the train to his family’s… his house while he was in a coma. Of course that’s also where the guy trying to kill him will expect him to go. Either way he couldn't stay standing in the middle of the hospital driveway. He ran off through the exit and under the Broadway Bridge trying his best not to jostle his shoulder too badly.
He decided he needed to get ahold of Hamlin. Let him know that he was heading home. It was a risk, but he had to trust somebody. This was not the kind of situation you can handle by yourself. And it wasn’t like he didn’t have proof now.
He walked a block down the street to a diner. He looked back a couple of times, but didn't see Cooper following him. Inside, despite the way he looked and the odd looks he got, they let him use their phone for a local call. In a few moments he was connected to Hamlin.
"This is Detective Hamlin."
"Your boy Cooper just tried to kill me," Christopher said.
"Christopher! Is that you? What the hell happened? I just got a call saying shots were fired at the hospital."
"Like I said, Cooper just tried to kill me. I had to jump out of the window and run over the roof."
"Where are you? Are you safe? I can send a car to pick you up," Hamlin said.
"Fuck that, I barely trust you at this point let alone random patrolmen. Did someone get Cooper?"
"Not yet, there is still a lot of confusion on what happened and nobody can find him. Look, we need to talk."
"Yeah," said Christopher, "but I can't stay here. And I have to at least stop by my house, I don't have any money or ID. I'll grab a cab. You be waiting outside my place so you can pay the driver."
Christopher hung up the phone and then asked the counter girl for the number to a cab company. Five minutes later he was in the back of a cab heading to his parents’ house—his house now. His shoulder hurt, he was freezing in the cool night air and he was heading into what might be a trap. He was scared as hell. What the hell had happened to him? How did this happen? It was like something out of a bad movie.
It all started the day he had met that thing in the basement of the school dorm. The memory suddenly became clear to him, like it had just been waiting for the right moment. He remembered everything. The crazy story, the book, the pocket knife. The memory made him shudder. Looks like he wouldn't be able to help whatever was in that basement, his father was dead now. But that thought gave him no relief. He felt as if the thing’s mission still lay heavily on him.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Christopher had the cab drive slowly past the house. He saw a parked car out front, but he could also see Hamlin in the front waiting. Nothing else seemed off or out of place. Still, Christopher crouched behind the cab door and took a long moment to see if anything was amiss. After he had satisfied himself that everything seemed normal, he had the cab pull over. Hamlin paid the driver and they went into the house.
Hamlin went in first with gun drawn. He told Christopher he needed to clear the house and make sure there were no surprises waiting for them. Christopher waited inside the foyer as Hamlin cleared the home. The detective went slowly and meticulously through each room, finally arriving back at the entrance to tell him it was all clear. In the living room with the shades drawn Christopher quickly told him everything about that night.
"Just to be clear," Hamlin said, "Cooper was new to me, and I had no idea he was on
Similar Books
One Under
Graham Hurley
Jillian Hart
Lissa's Cowboy
The Mermaid Chair
Sue Monk Kidd
Royal Pain in the Ass
Heather Trudy
The Rise of David Levinsky
Abraham Cahan
Will & Tom
Matthew Plampin
Lawless
Alexander McGregor
The Green Leopard Plague and Other Stories
Walter Jon Williams
Beautiful Abyss (California Dreamers #3)
Dakota Madison
Hollywood Divorces / Hollywood Wives: The New Generation
Jackie Collins