Chapter 15 - The Dark Hospital
Emergency generators came on within eight seconds.
But eight seconds was enough to send Sarah's room into darkness.
She heard the monitor beep once, then silence.
A shadow entered.
Sarah grabbed the nurse-call cord.
A gloved hand reached toward her IV line.
She screamed and kicked hard with her left foot.
The figure stumbled into a chair.
Then the door burst open.
Hospital security flooded the room.
The intruder ran into the hall but was tackled near the stairwell.
He was the second fake medical transport worker from days earlier.
This time he carried a syringe.
The substance inside was magnesium sulfate mixed at a dangerously high concentration.
Used properly, magnesium could protect pregnant patients.
At that dose, given quickly, it could stop breathing.
Sarah stared at the syringe from her bed.
"Who sent you?"
The man said nothing.
Police found a prepaid phone in his pocket.
The last incoming message contained only six words.
Do not let the child arrive.
The sender's number traced to a phone purchased near Preston Hale's office.
Then Ethan received a text from Preston himself.
I can prove who ordered everything. Meet me alone.
A location followed.
Arthur looked at Ethan.
"You are not going alone."
"He'll disappear if police show up."
"Then let him disappear."
Sarah shook her head.
"No. We need him."
Ethan leaned over and kissed her forehead.
"I'm not losing you for evidence."
"Then don't make me lose you for it either."
He promised.
Two hours later, Ethan drove to an abandoned Vance warehouse with Detective Brooks tracking him from three blocks away.
Preston was waiting inside.
He looked terrified.
"Eleanor didn't order the hospital hit," he said.
Ethan stopped.
"Then who did?"
May you like
Preston swallowed.
"Malcolm."
