Waiting

Alex struggled to hold still as he crouched in the blackberry bushes. Without a shirt, thorns dug into his skin at every move. 

The siren continued wailing. It was enough to almost make him miss the song. Almost. 

Crazy and the guy circled the hospital for what had to be the fifth time. It was as if they knew he was hiding on the grounds. They had gone around together and separately, and were now back together again.

If they kept looking, it would only be a matter of time until they found him.

Everything went silent. The siren had finally stopped.

Alex held his breath. What did that mean? Were they going to give up their manhunt?

The two captors whispered to one another. 

Alex’s ears rang from the lack of noise. 

Crazy pointed toward the bushes. The man aimed his flashlight and rifle in Alex’s direction. 

The beam of light panned just over his head. Only a few inches lower, and they would see him.

He prepared to run. And to ignore the pain of rushing out of the thorns. Just the thought of it made him cringe. Scratches would only add to all his other injuries. But he’d made it this far. It was already more than he’d expected.

The two people spun around and headed back for the building.

Alex’s heart skipped a beat. Were they actually giving up? Or just heading around the grounds again?

A breeze blew by, and he shivered. His teeth chattered. Late October was not the time to be outside without a shirt or shoes. 

Alex recalled swimming in a lake the same time last year. He could do this, too. He had to. Continuing to shiver, he clutched his arms together as tightly as he could without bumping into any sharp thorns. 

He waited. And waited. Then waited some more. 

There was no telling how long it had been since the two had disappeared from sight. It was longer than their other trips around the hospital. 

Either they had gone inside or it was a trap. If they knew he was on the grounds, they were probably just waiting for Alex to make a move.

Then what? They’d shoot? Grab him and drag him back to the musical room? Beat him again, leaving him to suffer alone in the cold? The possibilities were endless, and he didn’t like any of them.

Other than escape. 

He eyed the gate. It was so far. If he ran and they were watching, he would be an easy target.

On the other hand, if they weren’t watching, he would no longer be trapped. He’d be far from home, but he’d be free.

His pulse raced through his body. The anticipation was enough to make him forget about being cold and sore. Almost.

He shivered again, and every bruise and cut ached. His teeth chattered harder.

It was time to make a decision. A move. If he remained in the bushes, he would probably freeze to death. Eventually. 

As it was, he could barely feel his fingers and toes. He could now see his breath in what little light the moon provided.

Alex closed his eyes and pictured Zoey and Ariana. He needed to do this for them. Ariana needed her dad. Zoey needed to know how he felt about her.

He drew in a deep breath and held it, preparing himself for the run. In his mind’s eye, he saw a bullet sailing through the air and hitting him. Sending him to the ground. 

It was a risk he had to take. He wasn’t going to freeze to death, hiding in blackberry bushes. No, if he was going to die, it would be taking a risk. At least he would go out a hero, trying to get back to his family, even if he’d done nothing else noteworthy in his lifetime.

Alex released his breath. He watched as it blew out like a puff of smoke. Then he scanned the area for any sign of his captors waiting for him. Watching in the shadows.

His heart thundered in his chest, threatening to burst through. He shook harder, but not from the cold. 

He was ready to face death if that was his only option. If this was his time, he would choose to go out running for freedom. It wouldn’t be inside the hospital. It wouldn’t be from a beating. 

It was time to make a move. To run.

Alex looked around again.

Nobody was within sight.

The siren hadn’t turned back on.

He pushed the blackberry bushes aside and stepped onto the grass. A few more thorns scratched him. His knee throbbed. One hip ached. His head pounded.

Alex focused on the gate. He narrowed his eyes and burst into a painful run.