Chapter 8 - The Fingerprint
Evelyn's voice was sharp enough to cut glass as she berated the exhausted ICU doctor in the sterile hospital hallway.
I pressed my back against the wall of the adjacent linen closet, keeping my face hidden beneath the brim of my paramedic cap.
"Mrs. Mercer, your son just survived a massive gunshot wound and severe blood loss," the doctor argued bravely.
"If I force him out of this medically induced coma now, the shock will undoubtedly kill him."
Evelyn stepped aggressively into the doctor's personal space, her eyes flashing with pure sociopathic rage.
"If you do not wake him up and get me this fingerprint, I will buy this hospital tomorrow and fire every single person in it," she threatened.
The terrified doctor finally relented, swiping his keycard to unlock the heavy glass doors of Damien's ICU suite.
I watched Evelyn march into the room, flanked by two massive private security guards who stood like statues outside the door.
My window of opportunity was rapidly closing, and I needed a distraction massive enough to clear the hallway.
I slipped into a nearby supply room and located the hospital's centralized oxygen control valve.
Taking a deep breath, I grabbed a heavy wrench and smashed the emergency pressure gauge, triggering an ear-piercing mechanical alarm.
The automated voice of the hospital's intercom system instantly declared a code red, warning of an explosive oxygen leak on the floor.
Chaos erupted instantly as nurses and orderlies sprinted down the hallway, frantically evacuating patients from nearby rooms.
Evelyn's security guards hesitated, looking nervously down the corridor before rushing away to find the source of the chemical smell.
I darted out of the closet and slipped seamlessly into Damien's room, locking the glass door behind me.
Evelyn was standing over Damien's unconscious body, violently trying to press his limp thumb against her digital scanner.
"Get away from him, Evelyn," I commanded, pulling a heavy defibrillator paddle from the wall unit and holding it like a weapon.
Evelyn spun around, dropping her scanner in pure shock as she realized I had escaped police custody.
"You pathetic little rat, how did you get out?" she snarled, stepping away from the hospital bed.
I did not answer her; instead, I moved swiftly toward Damien, pulling the small flash drive Detective Miller had given me from my pocket.
I gently placed Damien's thumb on my scanner, and the tiny device beeped happily, signaling that the biometric data was secured.
"The financial transfer is complete, Evelyn. You have absolutely nothing left," I said, my voice dripping with vindication.
May you like
Evelyn stared at me for a moment, her face twisting into a horrifying, triumphant smile.
"I may have lost the company, Mara, but my private jet leaves for Switzerland in ten minutes, and your twins are already buckled into their seats."
