Chapter 8 - The Gate Without a Sign
The wheelchair rolled toward a service elevator that wasn't on the tour new arrivals received. Two officers followed, with Fitch waiting at the lower landing. A freight door stood open to a covered driveway. Beyond it idled a white van without prison lettering.
My heart hammered, but I kept my voice steady. "Is there a medical professional accompanying me?"
Fitch sighed. "You really are your sister's twin when it comes to being difficult."
"She's older than me by four years. You know that because you met her."
He didn't answer. I saw a plastic clipboard clipped to the van's dashboard. One sheet said SERVICE AUTHORIZATION: PO-24701.
"So it's a purchase order," I said.
Fitch's smile died.
"You're charging the state for treatment and using a contractor to transport women somewhere else. Where is Leah?"
He stepped close. "You want a lesson your sister learned too late? People who owe the government money don't make the rules about where the government sends them."
"People still have names."
Before he could reply, the elevator doors opened behind us. Officer Brooks appeared beside Lieutenant Harris, the shift supervisor, carrying an incident report.
"Sir," she said, "the medical transfer has no examination notes, and the destination facility isn't listed as an approved provider. I need a review before we move this patient."
Fitch's jaw worked. Harris checked the paperwork, then ordered the officers to take me back to the clinic. For a second I couldn't believe it had worked. One person had insisted on a signature and an answer. That was all.
Fitch leaned toward me as they turned the chair around. "Harris won't be on duty forever."
Back upstairs, Brooks walked close enough to whisper, "Your lawyer filed an emergency inquiry. Somebody outside has begun counting the beds."
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That night Rae sent a message through the attorney visit system: PO-24701 appeared on state invoices going back eighteen months. The first payment had been authorized by a signature matching Leah's.
But Leah had never worked for the contractor receiving the money.
