The thought made him shiver.
He walked out of the room and approached the nurses’ station. The woman on duty looked up as he approached. Although probably pushing forty, her Middle Eastern appearance gave her a sultry look that Lincoln found attractive. But attracting people of the opposite sex was the last thing on his mind. Besides, women probably wouldn’t look twice at a one-armed man with a less than bright future.
“Can I help you?” she asked.
“I need to see a doctor. I’ve asked before, but no one has done anything about it.”
“What’s the problem?”
“I want to talk to a doctor.”
“Well I’m afraid there’s not one available at the moment.”
“That’s bullshit. This is a hospital. Of course there’s a doctor around. The place is fucking full of them.”
“Calm down, Sir. Swearing won’t get anything done quicker.”
“Then get me a fucking doctor. Now.”
“Sir, if you continue to use that language, I will have to call security.”
Lincoln gritted his teeth. He felt like screaming. What little patience he had was worn thin. He wanted to know what the hell was going on, but it wasn’t going to happen unless he spoke to someone who might be able to help.
“Well thanks for nothing.” Lincoln turned and walked away.
He approached the swing door at the end of the corridor and reached out to push it open, realising too late that he had attempted to do it with his missing arm. Committed to the move, and walking too fast, his shoulder struck the door and a hand grenade exploded in the stump. He grimaced, shut his eyes, and grabbed the bandaged wound. Jesus, that fucking hurt.
He couldn’t understand how he sometimes thought the missing limb was still in place. Couldn’t understand how he could clench a nonexistent fist, and it still felt as though it was attached. If anything, it taunted him with its absence.
“What you looking at?” he said to an old man who stopped and stared at him.
The man turned and hobbled away as fast as he could. Lincoln watched him go and a wave of shame washed over him. It wasn’t the old man’s fault. It wasn’t anyone’s fault, but that didn’t make it any easier to accept.
He walked along the corridor, oblivious to everyone around him. Pain throbbed where he had knocked his shoulder, and he welcomed the feeling as it drove all other thoughts from his mind.
Well one thing was certain, he wasn’t going to fall asleep until he got some goddamn answers.
CHAPTER 24
The sight of the hospital made Joanna feel sick. They were walking straight into the devil’s lair.
What if the demon was expecting them? What if he had set a trap? It didn’t bear thinking about, but she couldn’t help it. Her nerves were in tatters.
“You sure you want to do this?” Stephen asked.
“It’s not a case of being sure; it’s more a case of having to. How else can I clear my name and let people know what’s going on.”
Stephen squeezed her hand. “Perhaps I should try to film them on my own, you know…” His tongue poked from the corner of his mouth.
Joanna shook her head. “There’s no way we’re splitting up. We’re in this together. I’m not going to wait out here, not knowing what’s going on.”
“I know, it’s just more risky for two of us.”
“Well we either go together, or not at all.”
Stephen sighed. “Okay.”
Joanna inhaled deeply, then exhaled. “Let’s do it.”
She opened the car door and stepped out. Light from the hospital bled across the tarmac. As she started walking, shadows danced on her periphery and her breath hitched in her throat. She spun around, staring at a patch of darkness to her left that her eyes eventually deciphered as being a small bush blowing in the slight breeze.
“What is it?” Stephen asked.
“Nothing. Just my eyes playing tricks on me.”
“There’s still time to back out.”
“No, there isn’t.”
They entered the hospital and made their way along the corridor towards the basement. Joanna just hoped they weren’t too late, and that the demons hadn’t already gathered.
Despite the late hour, people still wandered the hospital corridors. Joanna studied them all, looking for any sign of possession, ready to evade detection if she saw any indication of demon infestation.
She wondered how many people had already been taken over; how many more would succumb if she didn’t put a stop to it.
The overhead lights were too bright, made worse by her eyes, and she kept looking down to ease the discomfort.
Before long, they reached the door to the basement. Joanna eased it open and peered down the steps, ears attuned for any noise that would alert her to the demons presence.
Confident there was no one down there, she moved to start descending when Stephen gently pulled her back.
“I’ll go first, just in case,” he said, his expression grim.
Although she didn’t show it, Joanna was secretly pleased by Stephen’s chivalry. She stepped aside and watched as he started down the steps, water pistol drawn, then she followed.
She glanced at her watch as she walked. Less than an hour to go until the witching hour. She didn’t know whether her nerves – or her bladder – could stand the wait.
Once they reached the room where the meeting was planned, they settled into their hidey hole and made themselves as comfortable as they could under the circumstances.
Awkward as her position was, Joanna felt her legs going numb and she shifted to alleviate the discomfort. Each movement generated a noise that made her wince. If it happened when the demons were gathered, they would definitely be discovered.
The thought made her shake, which caused more noise as her foot knocked against the metal sides. Beside her, Stephen seemed calm as a Buddhist monk. Within such close proximity, they were virtually melded together and she could smell his aroma, an earthy smell, mingled with the coconut shampoo he used.
She wondered whether demons had a more acute sense of smell, whether they could sniff them out. Was that how they tracked them to the church? If it was, then they were in serious trouble.
“How you doing?” Stephen asked.
“Just great. How do you think I’m doing?”
“I’m only asking.”
Joanna thought the sound of their voices was too loud, and she winced. Even their breathing sounded amplified, as though rather than just the two of them, a whole congregation was hidden inside the cupboard, breaths roaring like a storm.
“Won’t be long now,” Stephen said.
That’s what she was afraid of.
CHAPTER 25
Malachi looked at the time and cursed. He was going to be more than 30 minutes late to the meeting. That wouldn’t look good to his brethren, especially as some of them were questioning his ability to lead. If it wasn’t for the fact that he was the only one that could bring them through from purgatory, he knew they would usurp him.
Although Lincoln had tried to remain awake as long as possible, he had eventually fallen asleep. The demon knew that the human’s physical body was still in shock, and that to recover, it needed rest. So whether Lincoln liked it or not, he was dragged into slumber. But this only highlighted Malachi’s Achilles’ heel – that he was at the beck and call of a human’s sleep pattern.
As soon as he had the opportunity, he would remedy the situation.
But for now, he had a meeting to oversee.
The chatter of his minions echoed along the corridor, but as Malachi entered the room, they fell silent and all eyes turned to look at him.