Jack Beale 00 - Dangerous Shoals

the clerk and returned to his car, where he devoured the hot meatball sub. He was hungrier than he had realized. For dessert he washed down several more aspirins. The pain in his hand was increasing and the aspirin was having less effect. Before too long he would need something stronger, but first he had some shopping to do.
    It had finally stopped raining by the time he found a parking spot closer to his destination. He got out of the car, removed his canvas messenger bag from the trunk, and double-checked its contents. Satisfied that what he needed was inside, he slung it over his shoulder and closed the trunk. Because of the dark storm clouds, night was arriving faster than it normally would. Good. He looked up at the building. He could see that some lights were on, and it looked like a few rooms were in use. Since it was mid-summer, there were fewer night classes, which meant fewer people who could interfere with his plan.
    Walking toward the building, he inhaled the clean smell that comes after a hard rain. He was struck by how peaceful the evening was. The air was still warm, and he could feel the humidity returning. The relief provided by the rain was temporary at best. Already he could hear rumbles far in the distance.
    His luck was holding. The entrance to the building was still unlocked. Inside, he checked the directory and saw that there were labs on several of the floors. “Shit,” he thought to himself. The first floor that had a lab was the third, Room 323. He got into the elevator, pressed the up button, and waited.
    When the doors opened he stepped out into an empty hallway. His luck was holding. He could imagine how busy it must be during the school year or even during the daytime. But now, he practically had the place to himself.
    He looked right and then left, noting door numbers. Six doors down to the left he found Room 323, which was locked. He stood in front of the solid door and read the name plaque beside it: Room 323, James P. Chase Chemistry Lab. Kurt reached into his bag, took out his lock pick set, glanced from right to left again, and went to work on the lock. It clicked open just as he heard the ding of the elevator coming back. Turning the knob he disappeared into the room just as the elevator doors opened.
    The room seemed pitch black after the bright lights of the hallway, but as his eyes began to adjust he found that he could see remarkably well. The wall opposite the door had several windows, and there was enough light remaining from the day for his purposes. There were many benches with stools all around and lab equipment on each one. The wall to his right had a large blackboard and next to that was another door.
    He crossed the room to that door and tried the knob. It was locked, and he could see that something was written on the door, but he couldn’t quite decipher it. He took out his small flashlight and flashed the red beam on the door. Supplies . He could tell that his heart rate had increased from the throbbing in his hand. “Bingo,” he thought and he took out his lock picks for a second time. In only seconds the lock clicked. He opened the door and shined his flashlight around the room. There were shelves covered with bottles, cans, and boxes.
    He went in, allowing the door to close behind him. He picked up the first bottle he saw. It had a skull and crossbones on the label, and followed by some long word he didn’t recognize. This bottle wasn’t what he was looking for, but this room was clearly where it would be. He began searching the shelves.
    On the last set of shelves, at eye level, he found it. The quart-sized can’s label read Sodium (Na) . Several warning symbols confirmed what he already knew. He placed the can into his bag and smiled at the thought of what he had planned.

CHAPTER 85
    JACK HAD JUST finished telling Courtney what he knew when Max and Patti returned to the bar. No one spoke, and then the silence was broken by the order printer’s chikka-chikka-chunk. Max tore off the slip and made the drinks.
    Patti looked at her. “Max …”
    Max turned and faced Jack. “I’m sorry,” she said in a barely audible voice. Jack couldn’t hear what she said, but it didn’t matter. He stepped toward her, put his arms out, and pulled her in. She slumped against him and he could feel her shudder as she hid her face against his chest.
    “Max, everything will be okay. You know I won’t let anything happen to you. Tom will get him,” he whispered into