Without stopping to consider ramifications or consequences, Rose zips around the wall. Grabbing the back of the nurse’s office chair with both hands, she yanks it back. Wheels squeal their protest on the plastic chair mat.

The phone receiver drops, clattering against the desk.

“Holy mackerel!” Marion is shouting.

The beefy nurse turns sideways, reaching out for Rose, and toppling the chair in the process. Rose jumps back, but not far enough. One of Karen’s long arms flaps to the floor like a landed tuna. Her fingers close around Rose’s ankle.

Movement abruptly arrested, Rose loses her balance and falls hard on her rear end, wig flying, glasses smashing into her face on the end of their beaded chain.

The nurse stares at Rose. Her eyes are slits, the pupils nearly invisible, mere pinpricks of black in the pale blue eyes.

“You!” the nurse spits out the word.

CHAPTER 18

“I nearly lost my job over you,” Karen mutters, eyes bleary, mouth barely moving.

“She’s got me!” Rose cries out to Marion.

“You bet your ass I do,” the nurse growls, pulling Rose in.

“What’s happening? Damn it! I can’t see!” Marion screams.

“Let me go,” Rose begs. “I never meant to drug you. Okay, I did, but it’s not what you think—oh, shoot—that’s some grip you’ve got. How about I give you back your keycard? It doesn’t work anymore, but—let go, doggone it—aaah. Let’s discuss this like civil—yaaah!”

Rose babbles and screeches as quietly as panic will allow, her fingernails vainly trying to gain purchase on the tightly woven carpet.

Slow with drugs, but sure as the tide, the muscular Karen is reeling her in like a fish. Kicking desperately, Rose tries to get the nurse’s hand loose from her ankle. Her soft-soled Toms are woefully inadequate against the iron-hard fingers. Karen’s grip is so powerful, it cuts off the blood to Rose’s foot. Years of changing bedpans and lifting old people have given her titanium muscles.

Karen drags. Rose slides. The nurse gets her other arm free from where it was pinned under her. A ham-sized hand joins its mate on Rose’s ankle. Two-fisted, Karen jerks. Rose bumps half a foot closer.

“Whoa!” Rose yelps.

“What’s happening?” Marion wails.

The cola nurse looks up, her face presenting a perfect target. Rose draws her free leg back to smash her foot into the woman’s nose, break it, maybe take out a couple of her front teeth, bust her jaw, hit her in the throat, crush her esophagus. That will stop her.

Stop a nice health care professional, whom Rose has robbed and drugged.

Twice.