Chapter 6 - Bloodlines and Black Sites
“Grace,” Lauren breathed, the puzzle pieces clicking together with sickening clarity. “He didn't just stumble into the lobby tonight. He was waiting for them.”
Vance didn’t waste a second. He unclipped his radio. “O’Malley, grab Dr. Grace right now. Put him in cuffs. High-risk obstruction.”
Through the window, they watched as one of Vance’s harbor patrol officers moved toward Grace. But before the officer could cross the threshold, the hospital’s overhead lights flickered once, twice, and then snapped off entirely.
The ambient hum of the ventilation system died. The rhythmic beep of the cardiac monitors flatlined into sudden, suffocating silence.
For two terrifying seconds, the only light was the faint green glow of the emergency exit signs.
Then, the red auxiliary floodlights hummed to life, bathing the entire trauma corridor in a bloody, surreal wash of crimson.
“They cut the main line,” Vance cursed, drawing his service weapon from its holster. “They brought down the municipal substation.”
“The backup generators should have kicked in instantly for the trauma unit!” Lauren said, her medical instincts overriding her panic. She looked at Eli. The radiant warmer had lost power. The infant’s temperature was going to plummet rapidly, and his breathing was already shallow and ragged.
“They didn’t cut the power from outside,” Vance said coldly. “Grace had someone throw the transfer breaker in the basement. They’re isolating this wing.”
A heavy, metallic thud echoed against the secondary double doors leading from the ambulance bay. Then came the sound of an angle grinder cutting through the heavy security chain.
The men in the tailored coats weren’t pretending to be federal marshals anymore. They were coming in heavy.
“Vance, we can’t stay here,” Lauren said, wrapping Eli in three layers of dry, warm flannel blankets and tucking the glass ampoule and the flash drive into her inner scrub pocket. “Eli is hypothermic. If he goes into respiratory arrest in the dark, I can’t intubate him without power.”
“Where can we go?” Vance demanded, his eyes scanning the narrow corridor outside. “The front lobby is watched, the ambulance bay is being breached, and they’ve got the elevator banks shut down.”
May you like
Josie tugged hard on the hem of Lauren’s pants. Her eyes were bright in the crimson light.
“The laundry slide,” Josie whispered. “Mommy and I slept in the laundry room two nights ago when the rain started. The big metal chute goes all the way down to the old coal docks under the water.”
