As Dead As It Gets

There was no way out of Harmony Valley.

I fell sideways onto the bed and grabbed the corner of the pillow in my fist, twisting it tightly in my hand, my body shaking from the effort of not completely losing control of myself.

If only I had an ally. If only I hadn’t forced Lydia to try to stop Laina when she knew she couldn’t. Now she was in the gray void and I was completely alone.

“Lydia,” I whispered. “I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to kill you again.”

“What? Of course you didn’t, stupid.”

I sat up.

Lydia was sitting on my dresser. “Sorry I haven’t been around. I had something to take care of. I see your life’s going awesomesauce in the meantime.”

“Lydia—”

She raised her eyebrows. “Careful, Alexis, or I might think you’re glad to see me.”

I jumped off the bed and ran over to her, throwing my arms around her in a hug. I could actually feel her cold body in my arms, feel her hand awkwardly patting my head as I sputtered out apologies. The closer we got, the more solid she became to me. And maybe that went both ways.

“Shh,” she said. “Calm down. I’m fine. I just needed a little R and R.”

I took a step back, drinking in the sight of her—a familiar face.

A friend.

“She got Kasey,” I said.

Lydia frowned. “I know.”

“I have to save her,” I said. “But I don’t know how to get out of here.”

“And that’s why today is your lucky day,” Lydia said. “Because I do.”

Lydia—using memorization techniques from her years in the drama club—had learned the electronic access codes to all of the doors that led from the blue ward to the service exit on the side of the building. She could rattle off long strings of numbers to the tunes of songs from The Wizard of Oz.

So all I had to do was get myself to the doors and through them when no one was looking. Which was actually easier on the blue ward than it would have been on the pink ward. There was so much more security here, the nurses were almost complacent.

Plus, Lydia also knew the code to the supply closet, so I could change out of my blue pajamas into a pair of dark gray orderly scrubs. I snagged a pair during the confusion of a fistfight in the rec room and hid them under my mattress. There was the question of my white hair—but a lot of the orderlies wore scarves on their heads that matched the color of the ward they worked on. So I ripped a square from one of my blue pajama shirts and fashioned it into a little headkerchief.

But getting out was just the first part of my problem. I needed a ride back to Surrey. And even if there had been a steady stream of taxis or buses passing the mental hospital, I seriously doubted that any of them would pick up a random girl hanging out on the side of the road.

After lunch, I sat on the bed, twiddling my thumbs to expel my nervous energy. Lydia showed up, looking highly pleased with herself.

“The girl in 8A has a phone,” she said. “It’s in her bottom drawer, behind the clothes.”

So I waited until the call for afternoon therapy (which I didn’t have, since Agent Hasan’s long-term plans apparently included letting me die of boredom), and I sneaked into room 8A and dug through the girl’s drawer until I found the forbidden cell phone.

The first person I called was Megan. But there was no answer. I didn’t leave a message—I didn’t want her to have to deny anything if the police came to ask her whether we’d talked.

I sat staring down at the keypad, knowing there was one more number I could try.

But what if he didn’t want anything to do with me?

What if he was just disgusted that I’d gotten myself into trouble again?

And then I remembered how he’d said If you need anything—

If I’d ever needed anything, it was now.

So I held my breath and dialed. And he picked up with an unsure, “Hello?”

“Carter?” I whispered.

There was a pause. I was afraid he was going to hang up on me. “Lex?”

“Yeah, it’s me.”

“Your sister—”

“I know, I saw it on the news.”

“Where are you? I’ve been so worried—”

I took a deep breath. “I’m at Harmony Valley. And I need your help.”

My skin prickled continuously through di

No. I couldn’t believe that about Carter. I had to believe that he would keep his promise.

So after di

Lydia recited the code. I typed it in.

And it worked. I was through.

Getting to the second door was easy because the hall was empty. Lydia called out that code, and I put it in.

Through.

“One left,” she said. “Easy-peasy.”

But this one wasn’t so easy-peasy. I would have to pass the security desk, where a wizened old guard kept his eyes on everyone who passed. I hung back and watched him talk to people, questioning them. He knew everyone by sight.

“It’s not going to work,” I said through my teeth, as Lydia stood by and watched him.

“It will. Just be ready to move on my cue.”

She walked down the hall and through the counter that he sat behind. A second later, I heard a deafening CRASH!

“Now, Alexis!” Lydia called. “Go!”

Careful not to look like I was rushing, I strolled down the hall, past the desk. I glanced up from the corner of my eye to see that one of the shelves on the wall behind the man had totally collapsed, spilling office supplies, files, a coffeemaker, and other accumulated clutter all over the room. The guard’s back was toward me. He didn’t even look up as I passed.

As I reached the exit, Lydia caught up with me and recited the final code. When the little light on the keypad flashed green, I turned the handle and pushed the door open, feeling the rush of cool winter air on my face.

“Hey, wait!”

I froze.

“Stay cool,” Lydia whispered.

“Hold the door!”

I turned to see a guy in a pair of jeans and a blue polo shirt that read kaTz food serviCe hurrying toward me, carrying a box under each arm.

I held the door, and he gave me a smile as he walked through. “Thanks.”

“No problem,” I said.

The door closed behind us.

I was out.

I sat on a bench and leaned back, trying to look like any other employee just getting off work. It was dark outside, so the security cameras wouldn’t show my face.

“It worked,” Lydia said. “I can’t believe it actually worked.”

“I can’t believe you’re back,” I said. “I seriously missed you, Lyd.”

She turned away, but I could see the hint of a goofy, pleased smile on her face. “Stop it, Alexis. You’re such a drama queen.”

I kept my eyes peeled for Carter’s Prius, not letting myself wonder if there was a chance he wouldn’t show.

He did show. He pulled into the lot, drove right up to the bench, and paused long enough for me to jump into the car.

We sat there, both a little stu

I swallowed hard and looked at him. “Thank you.”

This wasn’t “Hey, since you’re up, can you grab me a Coke?” This wasn’t “Spot me twenty dollars?” This wasn’t even “Can you feed my cat for three weeks while I’m backpacking through Switzerland?”

This was busting someone out of a mental health facility.

This was major.