Chapter 7 - The Shadow of the Past
Emily felt the comforting warmth completely drain from her body as the horrific news settled into her exhausted mind.
"How could a federal transport van be ambushed in the middle of Chicago?" Emily asked, clutching little Lily closer to her chest.
"Agent Harris believes Preston’s cartel contacts intercepted the convoy to prevent him from testifying," Liam explained grimly.
"But we don't know if they broke him out to save him, or to silence him permanently."
Emily stared at the hospital room door, suddenly feeling entirely exposed, trapped, and incredibly vulnerable.
"He knows we are here, Liam," Emily whispered, dark panic rising swiftly in her throat.
"I already posted armed private security contractors at the end of the hall, and the FBI has men stationed in the lobby," Liam assured her.
"Nobody is getting through those double doors without my explicit permission."
For the next four hours, Emily absolutely refused to close her eyes, watching every single shadow that moved across the hospital wall.
Lily slept peacefully in her clear plastic bassinet beside the bed, blissfully oblivious to the deadly danger surrounding her.
Just after midnight, the heavy rain outside began to lash aggressively against the hospital window with violent force.
A nurse dressed in dark blue scrubs and a surgical mask walked quietly into the room, holding a medical chart clipboard.
"Time to check your vitals, Mrs. Vance," the nurse murmured softly, keeping her head bowed to avoid the light.
Liam stood up immediately from his chair, blocking the nurse's path to the bed with his broad shoulders.
"I didn't authorize any medical checks until morning," Liam stated firmly, his hand resting near his concealed weapon.
The nurse looked up, and Emily instantly recognized the cold, venomous eyes glaring above the blue surgical mask.
It was Chloe.
Before Liam could react, Chloe pulled a high-voltage stun gun from beneath her scrubs and thrust it brutally into Liam's chest.
Liam convulsed violently, collapsing to the linoleum floor with a heavy, sickening thud.
Emily screamed in terror, trying to push herself up, but the spinal block had not completely worn off her legs yet.
Chloe stepped callously over Liam's unconscious body and walked slowly toward Emily's bed.
"Preston might be running for his life, but he paid me handsomely to finish his loose ends," Chloe sneered, pulling a large syringe from her pocket.
"This is pure potassium; it will look exactly like a massive heart attack on the coroner's autopsy report."
Emily looked around frantically for any kind of weapon, her hands desperately gripping the heavy metal water pitcher on her nightstand.
Chloe raised the deadly needle, lunging forward with terrifying speed to inject the lethal dose into Emily's IV line.
Emily swung the metal pitcher with all her remaining strength, smashing it directly into the side of Chloe's head.
Chloe stumbled backward, dropping the syringe, but she quickly recovered with a furious, ugly snarl.
She pulled a switchblade from her pocket, the steel blade clicking open with a terrifying, metallic snap.
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"Now I'm going to carve you up instead," Chloe hissed venomously, raising the knife high.
Suddenly, the hospital window behind Chloe exploded inward in an incredible shower of shattered glass.
