Chapter 7 - The Hospital Siege
I ended the call immediately and ripped the battery out of the burner phone.
Preston knew we had been at the crash site.
He knew we had survived the encounter with the black SUV.
And worst of all, he knew exactly where Sophie was recovering.
Sarah and I ran through the sliding glass doors of the hospital lobby.
I ignored the receptionist calling out to me and sprinted toward the elevators.
When the doors opened on the pediatric floor, the hallway was eerily quiet.
I ran to room 412 and pushed the heavy wooden door open.
Sophie was still there, sitting up in bed and drinking a small cup of apple juice.
A kind-looking nurse was adjusting her IV drip.
I rushed over and wrapped my arms around my daughter, crying tears of sheer relief.
I told the nurse that we needed to leave the hospital immediately.
The nurse frowned and said Sophie wasn't officially discharged yet due to the head trauma.
Before I could argue, heavy footsteps echoed down the linoleum hallway.
Three men in dark suits stepped into the doorway, blocking our only exit.
They weren't hospital security guards.
They were my father’s private security detail, led by a man named Vance.
Vance held up an official-looking document with a gold seal stamped on the bottom.
He calmly announced that child protective services had granted emergency temporary custody to my parents.
Since I was facing felony charges, I was legally barred from coming within a hundred feet of my daughter.
He ordered the nurse to step aside so they could transport the child to my parents' estate.
I backed away from the door, shielding Sophie behind my body.
I told Vance that they would have to kill me before I let them take her.
Vance sighed heavily, reaching inside his tailored jacket as he stepped into the room.
Sarah quickly grabbed a heavy metal IV pole, brandishing it like a weapon.
The tension in the room was thick enough to choke on.
Just as Vance pulled out a set of zip-ties, the fire alarm violently shattered the silence.
Strobe lights flashed, and automated sprinklers suddenly erupted from the ceiling.
In the chaos of the freezing water, a hand grabbed my shoulder from behind.
I spun around to find a young doctor gesturing frantically toward a hidden staff stairwell.
May you like
"Your lawyer sent me," he whispered.
"Run."
