Chapter 5 - The Locked Ward
The tactical officers swung their heavy batons, striking Thomas brutally in the ribs and shoulders.
Thomas groaned in agony but refused to release his iron grip on the stretcher.
One of the officers pulled a taser from his belt and drove it directly into Thomas's back.
Fifty thousand volts of electricity ripped through the father's body, forcing him to collapse violently onto the linoleum floor.
Dr. Jenkins watched the horrific display of police brutality and decided she had seen enough.
She ran to the emergency control panel on the wall and smashed the glass cover with her elbow.
She pulled the heavy red lever, initiating a Code Black military lockdown across the entire pediatric wing.
Massive steel fire doors instantly dropped from the ceiling, sealing all the exits with a deafening crash.
The electronic locks engaged, completely trapping Richard, Evelyn, Thomas, and the medical team inside the hallway.
Richard turned toward Dr. Jenkins with murderous fury burning in his eyes.
He proved that he was much more than a corrupt prosecutor by reaching under his tailored jacket.
Richard pulled a concealed, unregistered firearm from his holster and pointed it directly at the surgeon's head.
He screamed at her to enter the override code and open the doors immediately.
Dr. Jenkins stared down the barrel of the gun with icy calm, refusing to negotiate with a terrorist.
Evelyn began to panic, realizing that her fiancé had just escalated a custody dispute into a federal hostage situation.
The heavy tension in the room was suddenly broken by a soft, raspy cough from the stretcher.
Lily slowly opened her eyes, blinking against the harsh fluorescent lights of the ceiling.
She looked around the chaotic room and saw her father bleeding on the floor.
Her terrified gaze then shifted to Richard, who was still holding the gun.
Lily pointed a small, trembling finger directly at the prosecutor's chest.
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She croaked out a single sentence that echoed loudly in the silent hallway.
Lily told everyone that Richard was the man who had punched her in the stomach right before the 911 call.
