The Clinic: A Thriller($14.99Value)

Description

They each had their own demons to face, and none of them had much to live for. Malcolm was alone in the world, Darren might as well have been, and Eddie . . . well, Eddie wished he was. Crime wasn't a way out for them; it was just a way to survive. But the clinic was a job too far, a risk that didn't justify the reward. The isolated rehab clinic should have been an easy target. But this simple job would turn into a nightmare that none of the young men could have foreseen, unleashing an evil that was sown way before their time. The Clinic is a twisted, macabre, and chilling tale told from the perspective of three delinquents, young men who never had a chance and are forced to make their own ways in life. They set their sights on an out-of-town rehab clinic, hoping to pilfer the prized possessions of rich alcoholics and addicts. But the clinic is not what they thought it was. Their plan inevitably goes awry and their night of petty crime turns into a fight for survival. Can the boys make it out alive, and will their lifelong friendship remain intact once the truth is revealed? “ The Clinic is one of the goriest and most ruthless books I’ve ever read. A blood-spattered, hurtling assault across a landscape of nonstop chaos and anarchy. Destined to have readers squirming in their seats. Terrifying from beginning to end. If you like well-written bloodshed, then this one is for you.” —Willow Rose, international bestselling author of the Emma Frost series Praise for David Jester “A novel that is most definitely not for the faint of heart when it comes to gore.” —Dread Central on This Is How You Die “Jester has pulled off a rare thing here. He’s crafted a fantasy tale drenched in biting satire, fun, darkness, but also gives us a nice touch of the feels.” ?Mike McCrary author of Genuinely Dangerous and Remo Went Rogue on Forever After David Jester works as a freelance writer, that is, when he's not busy penning his next novel or short story. He has been writing for as long as he can remember, with his first short story published when he was eighteen and his first novel published a decade later. He's also the author of Forever After and This Is How You Die . He lives in Newcastle, England, with his wife and their pets. The Clinic A Thriller By David Jester Skyhorse Publishing Copyright © 2018 David Jester All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-5107-0437-4 CHAPTER 1 The rhythmic fluctuations of a heavy snore crept through the house like mist through a graveyard, interrupted sporadically by the chugging of a strained breath and spaced, almost melodically, between the mechanical machinations of a large grandfather clock. Inside the living room, a veil of dust hovered, its gentle flow caught in the moonlight that spilled through a hastily opened curtain. The living room had been overturned. The drawers were opened and emptied, their contents piled on the threadbare carpet. Ornaments had been hastily checked and repositioned, a box of painkillers had been studied and discarded, a box of papers, receipts, old newspapers and lottery tickets, had been skimmed and then rejected. Next to the living room, through a short hallway, the kitchen was still. The back door was ajar and rocking in the light breeze, the night outside peeking in. A large pan, an assortment of cutlery and a single plate were stacked in the sink; a half-eaten cake sat uncovered on the counter. On the other side of the living room, beyond the kitchen and through the disturbed sheet of dust, stretched a short hallway. Three sets of cautious footsteps skulked in the darkness, taking each stride with purpose, careful not to step on any of the worn and creaky floorboards that lined the L-shaped hallway. Scuffed jeans brushed the carpeted floor, threatening the silence. One intruder stopped at a closed door, waiting patiently as the sound of snoring punctured the otherwise silent house. A second stopped at a door that stood slightly ajar, eager to go inside. The final intruder paused outside an open doorway, through which, aided by a sliver of moonlight, they could see the noisemaker: a fat man lying on his back, his chest rising and falling with each chaotic breath. The first intruder opened the closed door, glided inside and shut the door behind, making sure it didn't click in place. They quickly moved around the room; opening drawers and wardrobe doors. There was little for the second intruder to find. They scuttled around the room, took an interest in a few objects and quickly left. The third intruder was slower, more cautious. They advanced slowly, opened dresser drawers and took the objects that glittered in the moonlight: rings, earrings, a diamond necklace. They took a wallet and a watch from the top of the dresser and a smartphone from a bedside cabinet beside the snoring man. The three intruders met in the hallway, paused and then broke away, this time heading in the same direction and moving with haste. They moved