I m here, she said, breaking into a sprint without a second thought.
As she ran, her phone buzzed with an incoming call, but in the heat of the moment, she couldn t stop to answer it. Unbeknownst to her, it was Collin trying to reach her.
Linsey raced through the hospital halls toward the Gynecology and Obstetrics Department. Even from a distance, she could hear panicked screams echoing from the examination room.
As she rounded the corner, she saw a crowd gathered at the entrance, their faces etched with fear and concern.
Has anyone called the police? They need to get here fast!
Security s on their way God, this is horrifying.
Is that nurse out of her mind? Holding a pregnant woman at knifepoint?
I don t think she s even a nurse here. Look, she isn t even wearing an ID badge.
There s already blood on the woman s neck. If that knife hits an artery, it s over.
Her pregnancy doesn t seem far along. If something goes wrong, the baby won t make it.
The chaotic murmurs sent a chill through Linsey s heart.
Excuse me, let me through, she said, her expression grim as she pushed past the onlookers.
Soon, Jeffery s desperate voice cut through the noise.
Joanne! Drop the knife! What do you think you re doing?!
As Linsey broke through the crowd, Joanne s raspy voice rang out with chilling clarity.
Isn t it obvious? I m here to take Alicia s life.
With that, she pressed the blade tighter against Alicia s neck.
Alicia let out a sharp, strangled cry.
L?t h? Ѧ ?r? n g l v?l?. o
Crimson streaked down her neck, stark against her pale, horrified face. But she couldn t afford to think about the pain. Her arms were locked protectively around her swollen belly, her entire body stiff with fear, every muscle frozen to shield the life within her.
In the dimly lit examination room, the door stood ajar, and a doctor lay unconscious on the floor Joanne s first victim.
Joanne, calm down! Linsey s voice rang out as she rushed to Jeffery s side, her tone taut with urgency.
Her wide, unblinking eyes were fixed on the blade in Joanne s hand its surface gleaming coldly under the fluorescent light. One careless twitch, and both Alicia and her unborn child could be lost in an instant.
Linsey s temples pounded as a wave of dread surged through her. So Joanne had infiltrated the hospital in disguise. She had posed as a nurse, bided her time, and struck with chilling precision. This wasn t an impulsive act; it was premeditated.
Joanne had crafted her plan after Hester publicly severed her engagement to Dustin. She no longer bothered to hide behind a mask of civility.
Linsey, you arrived faster than I expected, she said, arching an eyebrow in faint amusement. Her gaze shifted to Jeffery. So you were calling Linsey just now. The bond between you two runs deeper than I imagined.
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