Prescription For Murder

Jack's eyes slowly opened, darkness lifted as he found himself, lying on a stretcher in an emergency room. He stared up at a young blond nurse, show smiled at him. Her light blue eyes staring at him with such compassion. Wanting to speak, yet he found himself unable to do so. His heart raced wildly as he tried to figure out how he got there.

"Well, I'm so glad to see you're awake, Mr. Parker."

"Where…. Where am I?" he tried to ask in a raspy voice.

He slowly tried to sit up, but the agonizing pain within his head made it impossible for him to do so. Instantly, he fell back onto the hard mattress. His eyes closed briefly then opened, staring at the blond once again.

"How are you feeling Mr. Parker?" she asked.

Jack thought that question seemed idiotic to ask, considering where he was. And the expression on his face would have told her everything.

"Fine…that would be if I knew where I was?" he replied.

"Lorenz hospital. You are lucky someone found you in that alley. You would have died, laying there, your face and clothes covered in blood. Do you remember anything, Jack?"

He couldn't believe that anyone in this city would stop to help him out, even if he was dying. They would probably take his wallet and then walk away, saying that they didn't see a thing. For some reason he could feel his veins burning like molten lava was flowing through them. Trying to figure out what could have happened. The last thing, which he remembered, was racing down a dark alley with Angel, saving her from Eddie Framton, a psycho who had a thing for brunettes Mainly carving them up and leaving them somewhere for the police to find. He had thought he had killed him. Six bullets in the chest should kill anyone; it wasn't like he was Michael Myers or something. The nurse kept her eyes on him, waiting for him to say something.

"Who found me?"

It was me Jack." a woman's voice said as her silhouette appeared a couple feet from the stretcher.

"Who are you?"

Jack knew exactly who it was just from the sound of her voice. But in the condition he was in, he couldn't be sure of anything. Slowly, the figure made its way into the light. The long amber hair, those eyes sparkling with excitement and sultry curves of her body would make it difficult for any man to forget her. It was Angel the woman who had been with ever since he had saved her from a murder rap. Just to see her standing there brought a smile to his lips, while a tear ran down her cheek.

"What are you crying about, babyface?" he whispered.

"O Jack, how could you risk your life like this?" she said as the tears started to flow.

"That psycho was going to kill you back there at The Bump and Grind I couldn't let that happen. You know that." Jack said as he sat up.

Jack got to his feet; the pain was surging through him, yet he ignored it. At least for a little while. She moved towards him, her hand raised up and gently touched the side of his face. When he looked at her, he could see her smile, like she given him so may times before.

"Jack, I can't believe that you could have died. I have no idea what I would do without you." she said "Promise me that you won't let it happen again."

The look in her eyes showed such seriousness, which sent a chill down his spine. Jack wasn't the type who made a woman become emotionally attached to him. But Angel was different; there was something about her, which he couldn't understand. She moved closer to hi, then she kissed him. Even though the pain screamed through his body, he still pulled her closer to him. The taste of her lips felt so wonderful to him. Then she pulled way slightly, her eyes continuing to stare at him.

"Why Jack, why did this have to happen to you?"

Jack knew what he wanted to say, yet wasn't sure if it was the right thing. 'How in the hell can I tell her that I love her.' he thought. That was the one thing, which he couldn't figure out to do. He could feel her fingers running through his short brown hair, as he longed to tell her everything, which he had been keeping from her. She held him close to her; the smell of her perfume seemed so intoxicating to him. Jack knew that the would he got was minor and that he would find the bastard who did it.

"I can't promise you anything, Angel. You know that I'm going to get Vinnie for what he tried to do to you and me." he whispered in her ear.

"I know Jack…. I know." she whispered.

Angel pulled away from him, her hand still holding his as she smiled. For a moment she didn't say anything, but she didn't have to, her eyes said everything. The pain which was feeling and the sorrow too. He sat back up on the stretcher, as his hand reached inside his jacket and felt his 38. in its holster. He already had the operation to remove the bullet, then got dressed again. Even though the hospital didn't allow firearms, Jack was going to make an exception to that rule. For he never knew when he would need to use it.

Later, an orderly pushed Jack in a wheelchair down the silent hallway. There was something in the air that didn't feel right, yet he had no idea what it could be. His eyes glanced around him, noticing the nurses and other staff that seemed to have a worried expression on their faces. As if they knew something that they were trying to keep a secret which haunted them. And because of that, Jack found himself more interested in fond out what that could be. His eyes looked over at Angel, who walked beside him. She glanced over at him ever few seconds as she walked. The expression on her face made it obvious that she felt there was something happening around them too. But what? That was the one thing, which he wanted to find out. That was if he would be able to get the information from someone who would be willing to talk.

"Are you alright, Jack?" she asked.

"Fine. I just wonder what is going on around here? Do you notice how everyone is acting?"

"Yeah, it's almost like they're afraid of something. No one is smiling or even talking to one another. And if they are, they look around as if to make sure that no one is watching." she replied.

"I don't like. I don't like it at all." Jack replied as his hand reached into his jacket and touched the handle of his 38.

Jack had been in hospitals before, but never seen employees that looked so lifeless and dismal. Something was happening here and he was going to make sure that he got to the bottom of it. The one thing, which he worried about, was that Angel was with him. He didn't want to see her get into any kind of danger, for he didn't know what to expect. But to tell Angel to back away from something was almost impossible to do. She had the attitude so tough that no one could ever talk her out of doing anything. That was the one thing, which he like the most about her. That she was so much like him. Right now though he had to stay alert for whatever it could be that was happening in this hospital. Because whatever it was, he knew it would come to them, just like it did to everyone around here. As Jack sat there, he started to think about the name of the hospital, for it sounded familiar to him. He knew he had heard about something, which had happened that involved this place. The only thing was he wasn't sure what that could be. He figured that when he got the chance he could call Detective Johnson of the fifth precinct and see if his feeling was right. Either that he would have Angel call him. For Jack wasn't to well liked with the police, since he had solved the case of the Black Widow murders. But that what he was paid to do.

"Angel, make sure that you call my wife and let her know what happened." Jack said.

Angel just nodded, for she knew that it was a code to call the precinct and get a hold of his contact.

"Do you want me to tell her what hospital your at?" she asked.

"Of course. And let me know what she says. You know I always listen to her advice." Jack replied with a smile on his lips.

It was obvious that the orderly had no clue to what they were saying. Which in a way was a good thing for him, for there would be trouble if he did. Jack knew that Angel was the only one he could really trust. For in his line of work, trust was one thing, which was hard to find. His eyes stayed focused in front of him, as he prepared himself for whatever would come. That gut feeling, which he had before, suddenly became stronger as he felt tightness in his chest.

The orderly pushed the wheelchair into a room where a bed sat in the middle of it and another door was on the other side of the room. Jack stood up, feeling the pain surging through his body once again. He didn't know why he was feeling this way? He had been shot many times before and never experienced anything like this. His head burned with such pressure that he couldn't take it much longer. Angel grabbed his arm and guided him to the bed. When he sat on the edge of it, the orderly left the room pushing the empty wheelchair in front of him. The look on his face was that of stone, the same look a crazed killer would have. The one thing which Jack was used to seeing way too often.

"Talk about your hospitality." Angel said in a joking tone.

"Yeah, any nicer and this place would be a morgue." Jack replied.

He kept thinking about how he had heard about this hospital before. That was the one thing, which Jack couldn't figure out. He looked at Angel, seeing her staring at him with the same seductive expression, which he had grown to love. She knew that Jack couldn't resist her. The way her amber hair fell over her shoulders, resting on the silk fabric of her blouse. Those hazel eyes staring at him, tempting him even more. Slowly she moved closer to him, her hands resting on his shoulders.

"You know Jack, we haven't had the chance to be alone in a while. Who knows when we'll have the chance like this again." she said in a playful tone.

"What are you getting at?" Jack said, acting as if he didn't know what she was talking about.

Of course he did know, because he felt it too. How he wanted her so much, but knew that he couldn't, for he had to figure out what the hell was going on in this place. And why they were left in a room that looked like some sort of experiment. She moved closer to him, her lips hovered centimeters from his, her hot breath hitting the flesh of his face.

"We're not alone. There is a hidden camera in the far corner of the room and someone is watching us." she whispered.

Before Jack could ever say anything, her lips pressed against him. He knew that she was trying to put on an act for whoever was watching them. And brother, Angel was one to go to all measures to fool someone. Her breasts crushed against his chest, as he held her close to him. Even though he knew this was just an act, there was part of her that wanted him, as much as he wanted her. He couldn't resist her womanly charms, what man could? Jack kissed her deeply, as he felt her hands move up and down his back. His lips moved down to the side of her neck, while from the corner of his eye, he noticed the door they had entered suddenly open.

"We have to cool it, baby doll." he said.

Angel turned around as they saw a heavyset nurse walk into the room. She looked at them with a serious expression on her face, as she moved toward Jack. The woman had medium length strawberry blond hair and skin was so pale.

"Mr. Parker, I am nurse Terri, I'll be taking care of you today. Is there anything I can get you?" she said in such a lifeless tone.

"Why am I being admitted into the hospital? The doctor in the ER told me that my injury wasn't that serious." Jack replied.

"I'm not sure. All I know is what I am told. And the information I have, says that you are supposed to be admitted for a twenty-four hour observation. If there us anything that I can get you please don't hesitate to ask." the nurse replied.

The nurse left as Jack watched her closely. There was something going on here all right, Jack was sure about it now. The only thing, which he had to do, was to find out what it could be.

"Boy, that woman was creepy." Angel said suddenly.

"Yeah, she sure was." Jack replied and then hesitated for a moment. "Have you ever heard of someone getting a minor injury and then being admitted in the hospital for no reason?"

"No, I haven't." Angel replied.

"Neither have I. There is something going on here." Jack said as he motioned for Angel to step away from him. "Come on, we're going to find out what is going on around here."

"And how are we going to do that?" Angel asked.

"We'll start with nurse Terri. There is something about here, which doesn't seem right. She give me a bad feeling in my gut, and I hate that." Jack said as they made their way to the door.

He had no idea what they would be walking into, only that he knew he had to find out what was going on. The look, which the nurse had given him, was cold as ice, as if she was trying to scare him. But why? That was the one thing, which he hoped he would be able to ask her. They stood in front of the opened doorway for a moment, unsure if they should go in or not. Jack knew that someone was aware of what they were doing because of the security camera at the corner of the wall. But that didn't matter to him, he rather have a straight out fight than have someone be playing some childish game with him. The one thing he made sure of was that Angel wouldn't get herself harmed ion any way. In the back of his mind he wished that she wouldn't have come here because of his injury. But that was something which he couldn't worry about anymore. All he could do was to watch over her and make sure that she would be safe.

It was then they heard the sound of a woman scream and then there was silence. Jack knew that it came from the other side of the doorway. He pulled his gun out of his jacket and then raced through the doorway, not sure what to expect. He knew that Angel was following right behind him, which was the way he liked it. If something were going to happen, he'd rather have it happen to him first. They got into the hallway and saw a young woman with long blond hair lying in the middle of the hallway. They weren't sure if this woman worked at the hospital or not, because she was naked. When Jack reached the woman's body, he stood next to it. The body rested on its side, eyes opened with a frightening expression on its face. In between her breasts was a scalpel that had been shoved into her flesh.

"What the hell happen to her?" Angel asked.

"It is obvious that someone killed her for some reason. The only thing that we have to figure out is why? Why did this woman have to die?" Jack said.

"And why was she left naked?" Angel added.

Jack had figured that whoever did this, probably raped her before they killed her. He had seen many women's corpses found naked in some dark alley or dumpster. But now that he thought about it, it did seem odd to him. He knelt down next to the body, making sure not to touch it. For he knew that the Chicago PD would be called and they would have a fit if he touched the body. Still, there had to be something that could give him a hint of what happened. He looked around him, then up at Angel.

"Give me a towel or something." Jack said.

"Sure." Angel replied, then turned and went to a laundry dart and picked up a towel.

Angel had no idea what Jack was up to, but knew that she couldn't stop him even if she tried. She handed him the towel, then stepped back. Jack held it so that it would be covering his fingers and palm. Then touched the dead woman's body and lightly pushed her onto her back. The woman's body lay there, her eyes staring up at Angel, while her chest and stomach was covered with deep cuts in her flesh. Jack slowly stood up; his eyes staying focused on the dead woman's body. Then he made his way to Angel, who stood there horrified.

"Angel, are you alright?" he asked.

"Yeah, I guess I'm still not use to seeing death as you are." she said giggling slightly.

The thing was Jack had never really gotten use to it. For it was something that a person wasn't suppose to do. For if he did, he would be as crazy as the psychos that he went after. He knew exactly what Angel was feeling, for he could feel it deep in his soul. Of course he hid it, so that was Angel wouldn't be scared. Jack looked back at the body, studying the way she had been murdered. The deep cuts in her stomach, so random as if done be a wild man, also on her thighs and arms. It almost seemed as if the killer was trying to cut off her flesh, yet he had no idea why. Mainly because the pain inside him made it almost impossible for him to think. He figured he wouldn't say anything to Angel yet, until he was sure about it.

"What's wrong Jack?" Angel asked.

"Nothing. I was just trying to figure out who she could be and why she ended up like this." Jack said.

Angel just looked at him unsure if she could believe what he said. For some reason she knew there was something more that he wasn't telling her. Yet asking him about it would be useless. For Jack wouldn't reveal what was going on in his head, at least not yet. All that she could do was to wait for him to reveal it, when he felt the time was right.

"So, what do you think?" she asked.

"I think this is a cop cat killing." he said. " This one is just like the way this psycho I had went after a year ago.

"How do you know it isn't him?" Angel asked.

"Because I killed him." Jack replied.

Right at that moment nurse Terri had turned the corner, further down the hallway, then made her way towards them. When she had seen the body of the woman, a terrified expression appeared on her face.

"My God, what happened? Who did this to Gloria?" she said.

"So, I take it you knew this woman?" Jack said in a calm voice.

"Yes, she was a patient on the fifth floor. Sometimes she would escape and wander around the hospital." she explained.

"What's on the fifth floor?" Angel asked.

"The psychiatric Ward." Terri answered,

"What happened to her clothes?" Jack asked.

"This is the way she would be when she would escape. No one knows why she does it, she just does. She was admitted because she would self mutilate body when she was depressed. But I never thought that she would do something like this." Terri said.

For a brief moment they stood there in silence as Jack tried to make sense of it all. What the nurse said made some sense, but he knew that there was no way that the woman could have killed herself with the scalpel. Because it was shoved to deep inside her chest. It had to have been done by someone else, someone who had a lot of strength to do that. Still, he couldn't understand why someone would kill a woman that was in the psyche ward? Especially a young woman with a body like hers. It just didn't make any sense.

"Was there any other murders that happened around here in the last few days?" Jack asked.

"Yes, two. One employee, a male nurse named William Dresher and a patient by the name of Veronica Johnson." Terri said.

"What about new admissions? Anyone came into the hospital that's been acting strange?" Jack asked with a serious intense look on his face.

Terri stood there in silence, her eyes gazing down at the dead body of Gloria, then back up at Jack. He could tell that seeing this woman's body laying there terrified her. But there was something else which she seemed to be hiding. Something, which made Jack, feel uneasy.

"Except for you, there hasn't been any." she said in an nervous tone.

"I find that hard to believe. I mean a hospital that doesn't admit patients on a regular basis." Jack replied.

" I meant on this floor." Terri replied, her eyes glaring with such rage.

Jack knew that he hit a nerve with her, which was what he meant to do. Now he waited to see what she would do next. With her being upset she might just slip up and say something that would reveal what was going on around here.

"Where were you when this woman screamed?" Jack asked.

"I was in the medication room. I had to do inventory on the narcotics." she said.

"And you didn't come running when she screamed?" Angel asked.

"The door was closed, so I couldn’t hear it." Terri said defensively.

To anyone else the excuse which nurse Terri had given him would be believable enough. But to Jack there was something else which she was hiding. He would have to wait and see what she would do next. No matter what that would be, Jack was sure he would be ready for it. In a way though he really didn't trust her to begin with.

"If you excuse me, I should call the police." Terri said as she started down the hallway, then stopped and turned back to them. Are you a patient her, Mr. Parker?"

Jack just looked at her in disbelief. He knew that she was aware that he was a patient, even though he really didn't want to be. But, why would she have asked that? Could it be that she had forgotten because of the shock of seeing the dead woman's body? Or maybe she was just dense when it came to logical thought and remembering. He wasn't sure, but he wasn't going to make it any worse than it was by telling her the truth.

"I guess I am." Jack said.

"Then you should go back to your room. I wouldn't want anything to happen to you. You are in room 313." she said.

Then she continued down the hallway and disappeared around the corner. They just stood there for a moment, as Jack tried to figure out what the nurse was up to.

They made their way down the hallway and into room 313. Jack had no idea what the nurse or anyone else had planned for them. Now that nurse Terri knew who he was, the killer would surely make their move on them. That was what he hopes would happen. The only thing, which Jack wasn't sure about, was who the killer could be. It seemed no matter where he would go, death would always follow. But that was what someone would find in the back streets of Chicago. He only couldn't believe that he would find a murder in a hospital. Jack sat on the edge of the hospital bed, his eyes glancing over to Angel.

"What are we going to do?" Angel asked, coming closer to him.

"I want you to get on the phone and call Captain Johnson and find out about this place. I can't help thinking that there is something about this place that really bugs me." Jack said as he got to his feet.

While Angel got on the phone to call detective Johnson, Jack made his way over to the door. In a way he wanted to see if anyone was around, probably waiting for one of them to come out. He couldn't hear any type of movement in the hallway, but to him it didn't seem to satisfy him. His hand raised up for the door handle then pulled it open. Slowly he made his way out of the room and into the silent hallway. The first thing, which he had noticed was that the body of the woman, had vanished. All that was left was the smeared blood on the floor. In a way he figured that someone would do that, just to get rid of the body. So that way the police wouldn't be called. The only sound he could hear was his own footsteps on the linoleum floor. That uneasy feeling which he had felt before was now stronger than ever. It seemed almost as if he was going to regret leaving the room to snoop around. Still he knew he had to keep going, to find out what nurse Terri was up to. That was if she was somehow involved with this bizarre situation. Right at that moment a young woman with short black hair came walking around the corner. She wore a hospital gown, her eyes opened wide as she looked around her, while her body shook uncontrollably. To Jack this woman looked like a junkie that was desperate for her high. But, there seemed to be something familiar about her, as if he had seen her somewhere before. She had an almost innocent quality about her, the kind a small child would have. When the woman saw Jack, she instantly raced toward him. A smile appeared on her lips, which made her seem threatening than innocent. The only thing, which Jack could do, was to stand his ground and hope he wouldn't have to shoot her.

"Mister… Mister, please help me. You have to get me away from here, before they find me." the woman said in a frantic voice.

"Before who finds you?"

"The nurses that work here. They are all involved with it. They are the ones that bring certain people to him. To the one that so many whisper in private about. For if you were to say his name aloud, they will make you disappear." she said.

"Who? Who is this person that you are afraid of? Tell me and maybe I can help you." Jack said as he grabbed her arms.

"You can't help me, no one can. He is going to get me… Going to kill me… That is what eventually happens when you are the next one brought to him. Or maybe the nurse will do it. Take a scalpel and just slice you up." she explained.

Jack wanted to believe that she was crazy, but what she had said about the nurse killing someone hit home to him. Gloria. That was the name of the woman that nurse Terri had called her. Maybe it was Terri after all who had killed her? That was probably why he had such a bad feeling about her. He had a feeling that this woman wouldn't be able to tell him much more. Still he had to try. Especially about how she had said that one of the nurses was responsible for killing some of the patients. All he needed was for her to mention Terri's name and then he would have something to go on. But what about this stranger that she was afraid of? Why is he here doing that and who is he?

"First off, why don't you tell me who you are." Jack said in a calm voice.

"My name is Daphne Monaeo and the nurses here are keeping me here against my will. They drug me and keep me locked up in my room. But, I was able to escape when they weren't looking." she said.

Jack had heard of Daphne before, mainly because she was one of those women a man could never forget. She was a famous model who was suppose to be on her way to starting an acting career. That was until she had mysteriously disappeared a month ago. Normally, Jack wouldn't have cared about the news of the rich and famous. But the news of Daphne had also appeared on the regular news casts, besides the entertainment ones. The only question which he had was what she was doing here, and why were they keeping her here?

"Daphne, why are you here? There has to be a reason you came to this hospital." Jack said.

"That's just it, I was never suppose to be here. The last thing that I remembered was sitting in this hotel room after one of the magazine shoots I had to do. There was a funny smell in the air and then I passed out. When I woke up I was here." she said.

It seemed like the typical style of kidnapping case that he normally had dealt with before. And putting her in some room in a hospital where no one would ever think of looking for her was probably the best choice. Still, there had to be some reason they had put her here. The one thing was, Daphne looked like she wasn't able to tell him anything about it. It was mainly the frantic way she was acting that gave Jack that impression. Her hands ran through her long amber hair as she took a deep breath. Just looking at her, made him realize why so many men adored her. Even though Daphne was good looking, Jack knew he had to keep his mind on what was important. Which was finding out who this mysterious man was. She looked incapable of telling him anything more about this man she was afraid of he had to try.

"Do you know anything else about this man that you can tell me. Anything at all." Jack said.

For a moment she just stood there in silence, her eyes looking at him in such terror. It was almost as if she started to believe that he was this man she was afraid of. All that he could do was to wait and see what Daphne would do next. His hand reached inside his jacket and touched the handle of his revolver. In a way it was a way for him to make sure that it was still there. And also some superstitious belief which he had for the longest time, to bring him good luck. Jack didn't know what sort of luck it would bring, but it always felt good to have the reassurance that it was there.

"I… I don't want to talk about him anymore. If I do, then he will find me." Daphne said, then looked around her franticly.

Then she looked at him as if she was going to say something to him. Yet, she remained silent as her body began to shake in slight convolutions. Jack had no idea what was happening to her, but knew there was nothing that he could do for her.

"Tell me. I know that you know something else about this man. Tell me about it so I can stop him from doing this. You have to trust me, I can make these killings stop." Jack said in a forceful voice.

"No, you can't! No one can stop him. He'll just keep on killing and no one will be safe." she said, then slowly started to back away from him.

"Daphne, where are you going? Daphne talk to me." Jack said.

But it was no use, for she turned around and raced down the hallway. Jack wanted to go after her, but he had Angel to think about. If what Daphne said was true, then Angel's life would be in danger, just like the others. The only thing, which he could do right now, was to make sure that she was alright. He made his way back to the room, hoping that she would have discovered something that would help end this bizarre visit. When he entered the room again, Angel had her back facing him, while she talked on the phone. He wanted to ask her what she found out, but figured he would find out soon enough. Jack made his way over to the window, while what Daphne had said to him stayed trapped in his mind. None of it made any sense to him, but he was still determined to figure it out. When he reached the window, he stood there staring out at the empty double lane road in front of the building, watching as a drunk staggered across it to a bar on the other side. On the street corner, two young women stood, scantily dressed, as the streetlight shined down on them like a spotlight. The ladies of the evening, waiting to please any man, if the price was right.

It was then he heard Angel hand up the phone. Jack turned around to face her, hoping she would tell him something that would give them a clue. She walked over to him, her face showing such a serious look. In a way he had a feeling that it would be bad news, yet he didn't want to jump the gun on it.

"So what do you got?" Jack asked.

"Something very interesting. Actually a couple things I found out. First off, the reason you thought this place was so familiar is because it was where a large rash of murders had taken place a couple years ago. The police discovered the bodies of children that had been poisoned. The nurse in question was arrested, but then found innocent of the charges…"

"That's the way the judicial system is. Always letting people go who are guilty and sending the innocent up the river." Jack thought as Angel continued to speak.

"… The thing is, this nurse is involved in a lot more things than just taking care of patients. She had came close to being convicted of stealing narcotics, and also is the sister to someone we both know." she said.

"Vinnie the psycho! And his sister is that nurse named Terri!" Jack replied without thinking about it.

"You got it. So what is our next move?" Angel said moving closer to him.

"I think we should take a closer look at Nurse Terri. If Vinnie is here, she will lead us right to him." Jack said.

"Are you sure you are up for it?" she asked.

"More than you could ever know." Jack replied, then thought. "There is no way I am going to let you face Vinnie alone. Even if I feel pain, I'm going to make sure that nothing happens to you."

Jack started to move away from the window, making his way over to the bed. His thoughts still seemed to be on what Daphne had said to him in the hallway and the terrified look she had on her face. Now at least something is starting to make sense. If Vinnie is the one who is murdering the patients here, it could be possible that Angel would be putting herself in danger. For he would definitely go after her again, knowing that he didn't accomplish what he had set out to do. When he reached the bed, he turned and looked at Angel who seemed to have her own ideas of what they should do. Even though she didn't say anything, it was just the way she looked at him that made him believe that. The look of such seriousness and determination. Whatever it was, Jack knew that he wouldn't want to agree to it.

"What are you thinking about?" Jack asked.

"I think that I should go and trail nurse Terri. You are in no condition to do it. Anyway, they are probably expecting you to do something like that. And because of it, they probably will have a trap waiting for you." she said as she moved toward him. "But they wouldn't suspect me, because they are to focused on you."

He knew there was no way he could really argue with her, for she was right. Still, he didn't like it. As he sat there thinking of how he should answer her, he could feel him wish that he had a cigarette right now. But of course, that was probably the first thing which they took away from him what he was brought in. The craving for it burned through him, but he knew that he had to handle it, so he could think straight.

"So, what do you think Jack?" she said with a smile on her lips.

That same smile which she would always give him, when she knew that she was right. In a way he sort of got a kick out of it. Yet, this was not one of those times. He knew that there was a chance Vinnie could be walking around the hallways, waiting for the chance to make his move on either of them. And with Angel following nurse Terri, could make it so easy for him to get her. Of course then, if he were to leave her in this room alone, the same thing could happen. So what choice would he have? The nurses here would probably wonder where he was, if he were to disappear from the room. But no matter what they would do, there was still the camera in the room, which was watching their every move. So whoever was watching them would know exactly what they would be up to.

"You know that you're right. But what do you think we should do about big brother over there?" he said.

"Well, when I find someone looking in on my private business, I would probably poke them in the eye." she said.

"You mean like this." Jack replied as he turned to the camera, while pulling out his pistol.

The first shot he fired had only grazed the camera, but the second had been a direct hit. Making it explode as fragments of it fell to the floor along with brief sparks with it. Then he turned back to Angel, with a cocky expression on his face.

"You know that you just had to pull the cable wire from the camera to disable it." she said.

"And where would be the fun in that?" Jack said joking around.

Angel just smiled, knowing there was nothing that she could say to him about that. She knew that Jack had his own way of dealing with things and that he would never change. She had a feeling that there was something wrong with him that he refused to tell. Even though she could spend all day trying to get the truth out of him, there were more important things that they needed to focus on.. If someone were to follow nurse Terri, it should be her. Jack probably knew the truth about that, but wasn't willing to say it. There was something else about the way he acted which caught her attention., It was as if he was trying to hide something from her. She had always known that he wasn't the type of person who would be able to express his feelings, without him saying a word.

"I'll be back. I think it's time to find out what that nurse is really up to." she said, then turned away from him and made her way to the door.

"Angel, wait a minute." he said as he moved toward her.

Angel stopped, then turned back around to face him once again. She could see the brief expression of concern on his face, before the stern look returned once again. She wanted to smile, knowing that she caught that expression. But, that would be something, which Jack would probably question. The only thing that she had to wonder about was, what he wanted from her. When he stood in front of her, he remained silent for a brief moment.

"What do you got to tell me?" she asked.

"I… I just want you to be careful. If Vinnie is somewhere in this hospital, you could be in serious trouble." he said.

"You really care about me, don’t you?" she said as she smiled.

"Of course I do. Why would you even thing that I wouldn't." Jack said.

He slowly moved even closer to her, his eyes showing such seriousness. her arms wrapped around him, longing for him to kiss her. To feel that act of tenderness that they had been neglecting because of the cases he took. Just one kiss would satisfy that urge which she had for him. That was until they would be able to be alone again. She stood there waiting to see what Jack would do next.

"Do you have something to protect yourself with?" he asked in a whisper.

"Of course I do. You know I never go anywhere without my little pet." she said softly.

Her little pet, as she always calls it, was a small police issue revolver, she had picked off of a dead cop, when they were on a case. Jack could have told her not to have taken it, but he knew she wouldn't listen to him. She needed it to protect herself. After all, a young woman like her going through the mean streets of the city needs something to protect herself with.

"Be back in a half hour. If you aren't back by then, I will know that something has happened to you. And I will find you, no matter what I will have to do." he whispered.

"You will?" she asked.

"Yes, I will." he said pulling her closer to him, then he kissed her.

He held her close to him, feeling her breasts being crushed against his chest. For that moment, they no longer cared about the dangers, which waited for them, for they didn't exist. The only thing that did was them, as they shared such a sweet moment of tenderness. Jack found himself not wanting to let go of her, even though he knew that he had to.

Slowly she tilted her head back, taking a breath as her eyes remained closed for a second. He could feel her fingers running through his hair as her head lower and she looked at him.

"I thought you would never get around to doing that." she whispered.

"Yeah, now I wished I would have done this a long time ago with you." he said.

"Well… after I get back, we could continue where we left off." she said in a seductive voice.

Jack agreed, then loosed his grip on her. Even though he didn't want to let her go, he knew that he didn't have any choice. They had to find out what was going on in this place and Angel would be the one who no one would expect to be sneaking around. Or at least, that was what Jack was hoping. As she slowly started to push the door open, she looked back at him with a loving smile on her lips.

"Be back in a little while, lover." she said in a playful voice, then blew him a kiss.

Angel made her way out into the hallway, noticing that the body of the dead woman was gone. Even though Jack had told her that, she had to see in for herself. As she walked down the hallway, she tried to act as if she wasn't up to anything. That way she wouldn't be drawing any unwanted attention to herself. Especially to Nurse Terri. She knew that there was something about her that made Angel feel strange. But she hadn't been able to find it out until now. Now she would find out what it was that was going on. Her hand reached into her black leather purse and gripped the handle of the gun. She was going to make sure that no one was going to get the drop on her. When she reached the corner of the hallway, she stopped and leaned against the side of the wall, to make sure that no one would see her. Then she slowly peered around the corner to see if anyone was there. When she did, she saw Nurse Terri sitting in a chair behind the nurses' station, with her back facing the front. The woman didn't move, as if she had fallen asleep while on duty. To Angel that would be no surprise, for most of the nurses that she knew who worked the night shift would find a way to do that. She figured this was her chance to see if there was anything suspicious at the station that was not suppose to be there.

She made her way over to the desk, trying not to make any noise that would wake Nurse Terri up. For if that happened she would have to think of a reason for her being there. Luckily the nurse didn't wake up. Her heavyset body just sat there in that chair, motionless. Angel wondered how any woman could let themselves get that way. But figured it was none of her business how someone lived their life. She made her way into the station then looked over at the nurse, now being able to see her face. For a brief instant she stood there, unable to move as a sudden wave of fear ran through her. Now she was wishing that she had listened to Jack and stayed with him. For Nurse Terri sat within that chair, her neck had been ripped open, as if a wild beast had attacked her. Her face frozen with an expression of terror with her mouth open as if she had tried to scream for help. But of course, that was something which she never got the chance to do.

"Well, it looks like you got yours you cow. That's what you get for being so arrogant to people." Angel said as she moved closer to the dead woman's body.

On the desk was a file with a patient's name on it. At first she didn't seem to make out what it said, but when she picked it up she was able to read it. "Vinnie Caponize" was written on the top of the folder. Then she opened it and looked at the doctor's notes, which were inside. In them she found out that Vinnie was suffering from a mental disability, bi-polar.

"That could be why he is so crazy. The idiot belongs locked up in a mental institution." she muttered to herself.

It was then that she read something in the file, which made her heart, beat even faster. Something which neither Jack, her or even the police department even knew about. She knew that she had to get this to Jack so that he would know about it. For this was something which she knew that he would have to see. But before she could even turn around, someone grabbed her from behind. A hand came around her and covered her mouth and nose with a cloth, while as arms wrapped tightly around her waist. She could smell the strong odor of alcohol on the person's breath as she felt herself becoming dizzy. Within a second everything became dark as her limp body fell backwards.

Jack sat in the room, looking at his watch, wondering what could be taking Angel so long. He had said for her to be back in thirty minutes and now an hour had passed. He could feel himself becoming worried that something had happened to her. In a way he knew that it did. Angel wasn't the type of person to break a promise to someone, especially when it was to him. He held his gun in his hand as he reached into the pocket of his jacket for his bullets to reload it. He didn't have to worry if there was a gunfight, for he had three speed rollers on him if he found himself needing them.

"Come on Angel, where are you? I know that you are going to come back any second right now." he said, then thought. "If she doesn't I'm going to rip this hospital apart till I find her. And whoever it was that has her is going to answer to the barrel of my gun."

Right when he felt he couldn't wait any longer and started to make his way to the door, he saw an envelope slide from underneath it. Now he knew for sure that something had gone wrong. He could feel his rage growing even stronger as he bent down and picked up the envelope. Opening it, the note inside had only two sentences on it. "Come to the operating room on this floor" and "No funny business or the bitch dies". There was nothing that he could do but follow the instructions. In a way though whoever wrote this didn't know Jack that well. He never believed in funny business, the forward approach was his way of doing things. And that was exactly what he was planning on doing.

"Alright you son-of-a-bitch, lets see who you are. So that way I'll know who I'm going to kill." Jack said in an angered voice.

He knew that he was suppose to bring the crooks in alive but this was one of those times when he really didn't care. All that he wanted was to get Angel out of there safely. And that was exactly what he was going to do.

A couple minutes later, Jack came to the door of the operating room. Through the window he could see the dark room with only one light on. That one shined on the table where Angel lay strapped down to it. Obviously whoever this person was, wanted to make sure that he saw her before he came in. Probably thinking that he wouldn't try to rush in with his gun blazing. Or he would run to her, trying to get her out of there. To many times he had found himself in that situation and to many times he had made the wrong decision. Jack only hoped that this time he would be doing the right thing so Angel would come out of this alive.

His hand reached up and pushed the door open, then walked inside. As walked into the darkened room, he could hear the sound of someone breathing. It was close, coming from somewhere to his side. The only thing was, he couldn't figure out exactly where. His eyes stayed focused on Angel as he moved toward her. Trying to make the captor believe that he was going to save her.

"Alright Jack, just stay calm. Don't do anything to sudden, because you don't know what this person is going to do." he thought.

When he reached the table, his hand touched Angel's chest, feeling it rise and fall in a slow easy pattern. He could tell that she was still alive, now he had to deal with the person who brought her here.

"I'm here, isn't that what you wanted? Turn on the lights and show yourself. Come on Vinnie, I know it's you that has been up to the murders in this hospital. And your sister, the nurse has been covering up for you, while you have been hiding out here." Jack yelled.

Right at that moment the light turned on as he heard the sound of a voice coming from behind him. Instantly Jack turned, his hand gripping his gun, ready for whatever would happen. When he did, he found himself shocked by what he saw.

"What's wrong, Mr. Parker? Were you expecting someone else?" Daphne said as she approached him, holding the revolver that Angel had been carrying.

"So it was you all along." Jack said. "Why did you do it? You have a promising career and you decide to flush it down the toilet and start going around killing people in this hospital. It doesn't make any sense."

Daphne stopped a couple feet from him, while she looked at him smiling. For a moment she didn't say anything, as he noticed her eyes staring beyond him. Jack turned quickly to see Vinnie making his way over to the table where Angel lay.

"I'll tell you why she did it. Because she wanted to protect her baby brother. You see she couldn't watch you arrest me for what I did, it would break her heart. And anyway she is just like me. A ruthless killer, that doesn't want anything to get in her way." Vinnie said with a cocky grin on his face.

Jack started to move to the side, so that way he could keep an eye on both of them. When he saw Vinnie standing at the side of the table, looking down at Angel, his rage became to strong for him to control. He knew that he had to get him away from her.

"Leave her alone you slimy grease ball! You touch her and I swear I will send you straight to hell." Jack yelled.

"You know, I should have finished her off when I had the chance back at the Bump and Grind. But no, I wanted you to see me do it. I wanted to make you suffer. Since I couldn't do it back there, I waited in the alley till you passed me by. I was really aiming for her, but the bullet got you instead. I thought that you were dead, but that bitch made sure that you would live. It was just coincidence that the paramedics brought you here." Vinnie explained.

"I guess I'm lucky they did." Jack replied in a cynical tone.

"Yes you are Mr. Parker. Now we get to kill both of you. And the best part is no one will ever know that you were here." Daphne said as she moved closer.

She stood in front of a large oxygen tank, smiling so wickedly as her thumb pulled the hammer back. Jack knew that he had to think quickly, before they had the chance to do anything.

"Well… there is where you are wrong. You see I have a friend who is a cop in the fifth district. I called him from my room and he knows that I'm here. So, if I end up dead, this is the first place he is going to look. And he will make sure he turns this hospital upside down to find you two. He already knows about your brother, it's only time before the black and whites come here to pick both you up." Jack said calmly.

"He's lying. Don't listen to him! It's just one of his tricks to throw you off, so that way he can get you!" Tony said in an angered tone.

"If you don't believe me, then check out to see if I made any calls from that room. I'm sure you were monitoring that the whole time I was in there." Jack said. "Didn't you."

Daphne just stood there, not knowing what to think. The whole time she pointed the gun at him, an expression of confusion appeared on her face. Jack knew that he was getting to her, that she was becoming afraid.

"Vinnie, what if what he said is true. I mean you did say you saw that bitch calling someone on the monitor while I kept him busy." Daphne said.

"It doesn't matter. Because by the time they get here, both of them will be dead. And we will be miles away from this place." Vinnie said, then turned to Jack. "Face it Jack, you lost. There is nothing you can do now about it. Both of you are going to die and we are going to be free of you forever."

"That's what you think." Jack said then fired a shot to the ceiling.

The bullet cut through the brace which held the large light that was over Vinnie's head. Then Jack turned and fired again at Daphne. The shot missed her and hit the oxygen tank. Instantly it blew up, sending Daphne's body hurtling across the room. Breaking the observation window and landing on the floor in the other room. Fragments of the window stuck in her body as it shook in wild spasms then stopped. Jack went over to the table and took the restraints off of Angel's arms and legs. Right as he was doing that she was waking up.

"Jack? Where am I?" she said in a groggy voice.

"No time now to explain, I have to get you out of here." Jack said.

As they made there way to the door, a single shot rang out, as Angel was thrown to the floor. Before Jack could say anything, he turned as saw Vinnie laughing as he staggered to the door on the other side of the room.

"I didn't miss this time. See you later Jack old boy. Next time the bullet will be for you. But for now we are even." he said as he raced out the door.

Jack wanted to go after him, but knew that he had to take care of Angel. He knelt down beside her, then held her in his arms.

"What… What are you doing? Go after him, he's getting away." she said in a weak voice.

"No, I have to take care of you. I have to get you down to the emergency room so they can save your life. You're not going to die on me! You hear that! You are not going to die on me!" Jack said in a panicked tone.

"Jack… Jack, there is nothing… you can do. I'm dying. But before I do I just wanted to tell you… I… love… you."

"I love you to, babyface. I love you too." he said.

"I always knew that you did. You… could never hide… a… any…"

But before she could finish what she was saying, she was gone. Her body went limp in his arms, as he held her close to him, rocking her body back and forth. He could feel both the sorrow and anger flowing through him, overpowering him.

"Damn you Vinnie! I swear to God that I will find you wherever you go! And when I do, you will pay for this! You will pay! I promise you!" Jack said a tears started to run down his cheeks.

It was one of the few times that he ever cried. But he knew this was one time that it was appropriate to do so. But after this, not another tear would ever be shed for anyone else, ever again.