Chapter 9 - THE MAN IN SCRUBS
The hospital alarm sounded thirty seconds later.
Not a fire alarm.
A security alert.
Tessa locked Genevieve’s room and moved Nora’s bassinet behind the bed.
Ortiz drew her weapon and stood beside the door.
“What’s happening?” Genevieve asked.
“Marcus used a stolen employee badge on the service elevator.”
Sarah looked at Genevieve. “He knows we have the ledger.”
Footsteps pounded outside.
Then silence.
The handle moved once.
Tessa backed away.
A man’s voice came through the door.
“Respiratory therapy.”
Ortiz did not answer.
The handle moved again.
Harder.
“Open the door.”
Nora began to cry.
Genevieve’s whole body screamed at her to get up, to stand between danger and her child.
Nothing moved except two fingers.
The lock clicked.
A keycard.
Ortiz raised her gun.
The door opened three inches.
A face appeared beneath a surgical cap.
Marcus.
Ortiz shouted, “Police! Hands!”
Marcus slammed the door shut and ran.
Ortiz chased him.
Security flooded the hallway.
Genevieve heard a crash, someone yelling, then the ding of an elevator.
Ten minutes later Ortiz returned furious.
“He got out through the loading dock.”
“What did he want?” Genevieve asked.
Tessa checked beneath the bed, then froze.
“There’s a bag taped under here.”
Security removed it.
Inside were two things.
A hospital gown.
And a preprinted discharge packet transferring Genevieve to Vale Recovery Center.
Sarah turned to the last page.
A physician’s signature authorized immediate transport.
Dr. Martin Kessler.
Genevieve stared at it.
Kessler had sworn he was helping them.
Then Sarah’s phone rang.
Kessler was calling.
She answered on speaker.
His voice was shaking.
“I didn’t sign that transfer.”
A sharp noise sounded behind him.
May you like
Kessler gasped.
Then the line went dead.
