Grace Anne - By Kathi S. Barton Page 0,57

He was waiting for his chance, and the man who’d taken his blood pressure an hour ago said when it came, he had to be ready. The gun lying beside him made him feel that he’d be able to do just about anything. And the fact that the man had opened each of the cuffs before he’d left was amazing to Thomas. The fire alarm nearly startled him into a stupor. He pulled his hand free as soon as the cop stepped out of the room.

Thomas hid behind the door and waited. His arm was throbbing, but he was about to be set free so, he thought, as soon as he could he’d get himself something to take care of it and to help him deal with the stress of this shit. As soon as the door started to open Thomas tensed, ready to take out who ever came in. He was thrilled when he saw it was Michael.

He hit him three times with the gun, twice in the head. Michael was down after the second time, but he hit him again for good measure. The blood that was spilling from his stepbrother’s head made him giddy with power, so Thomas kicked him twice in the ribs because he could. Stepping over his body, Thomas moved to the slightly opened door to see the cop coming toward him. Instead of bolting like he wanted to do he pulled back into the room and waited.

As soon as the prick walked through the door Thomas hit him too. He didn’t want to waste any more time so he took the cop’s gun, phone, and radio and left the room. He was nearly to the elevator when he realized he should have put on something more than the stupid gown he had on. Thomas slipped into the first room he came to and was glad it appeared to be a man’s room. After going through the suitcase he’d found still laying on the bed, he went into the bathroom and changed.

The clothes were cheap and ill-fitting but so much better than the gown he’d had on. He tried to adjust them to fit him better, but he couldn’t seem to get it right. He was going to leave the name of his tailor, but decided that he’d better get moving. The shoes fit, but again were cheap and well-worn.

He was about to leave when he noticed that a purse was lying there alongside of a wallet and keys. Knowing that he had to get away before he was noticed, he grabbed up the wallet and the keys. While he was stuffing the wallet away he rummaged through the purse until he found cash. Seventy bucks was all he could find, but it was better than nothing. Going out the door, he was out of the building when he heard the alarms sound. Christ, he was finally free.

The car was just where the man said it was, but Thomas walked by it. He was actually a little nervous about accepting help from someone he didn’t know. Not to mention, every time he’d asked him why, the “nurse” would change the subject. He used the automatic unlock on the keys he’d stolen to find the other car. He heard the beep just as he saw the man who’d helped him.

Nurse was standing next to a lamp post with three other men. Thomas was beginning to think he’d been set up. Opening the gun for the first time, he found it was empty and that the clip in the boot of it held nothing more than air. Thomas leaned heavily against his new ride and thought of the implications of what had just happened.

Whoever “helped” him wanted him to get into some sort of shootout with the cops. And with the gun he’d been given they fully expected him to die. Taking out the cop’s gun, he checked it. Loaded and one in the barrel. Walking toward the car that had been provided for him to get away with, Thomas smiled at the men. By the time he was ten feet away he lifted his gun and shot all four of them with the cop’s gun. Hurrying over to them before anyone noticed the blood or called the real cops because of the noise he took each of their weapons and wallets.

Sitting in the stolen car he took all the cash he’d stolen and put it on the seat beside him. He now had just over