Chapter 3 - The Dark Room
Panic flared, sharp and suffocating, as Rachel slammed her hands against the steel door.
“Let me out!”
Silence was her only answer, thick and heavy in the pitch-black room.
She fumbled for her phone, her fingers slick with sweat.
No signal.
The archives were heavily shielded to protect sensitive patient data; they were effectively a Faraday cage.
She was trapped.
Rachel forced herself to breathe, to push the rising hysteria down.
Think.
She had the printed authorization document clutching tightly in her hand.
If whoever locked her in here found it, all her digging would be for nothing.
She felt her way along the cold metal filing cabinets, searching for a place to hide the paper.
She found a narrow gap between two heavy servers and shoved the folded document deep into the crevice.
Then, she sat on the floor, pulling her knees to her chest.
Hours bled into one another.
The air grew stale and cold.
She replayed the events of the day, the realization that Dr. Thorne was involved chilling her more than the temperature.
Why would the Chief of Surgery risk patients' lives with counterfeit equipment?
Money was the obvious answer, but it felt too simple.
There had to be a deeper connection between Thorne, Northshore, and Moretti Freight.
Suddenly, the electronic lock buzzed.
Rachel scrambled to her feet as the heavy door swung open.
The harsh fluorescent lights of the hallway blinded her momentarily.
A silhouette filled the doorway.
“Ms. Morgan.”
It was Daniel Moretti.
Relief washed over her so intensely she almost collapsed.
Daniel stepped into the room, his eyes scanning the darkness before settling on her.
“Are you hurt?”
“No. I’m okay.”
He didn't ask how she got locked in or why she was there so late.
“I got your message.”
Rachel nodded, pointing toward the gap between the servers.
“I hid it there.”
Daniel reached in and retrieved the folded paper.
He opened it, his expression unreadable as he studied Dr. Thorne’s signature.
“He’s the one who signed off on the Northshore contracts,” Rachel said, her voice hoarse.
Daniel folded the paper and slipped it into his jacket pocket.
“My men found the driver who delivered the monitors,” Daniel said quietly.
“He confessed that the shipment didn't come from my port facilities. It was loaded at a private warehouse owned by Dr. Thorne.”
Rachel stared at him.
“Thorne is using your company’s name to smuggle counterfeit medical supplies into his own hospital.”
“Yes.”
“But why Emma? Why put her in danger if he’s her doctor?”
Daniel’s jaw tightened.
“Because Emma discovered the discrepancies two days ago. She was coming to tell me when her car was run off the road.”
The pieces fell into place with sickening clarity.
The accident wasn't an accident.
It was an attempted murder.
And Rachel had just made herself the next target.
Daniel looked at her, his dark eyes intense.
“You can't go back to your apartment tonight. It’s not safe.”
“Where will I go?”
“With me.”
Rachel hesitated.
Daniel Moretti was dangerous, powerful, and deeply entwined in a world she didn't understand.
But right now, he was the only thing standing between her and the people who wanted her dead.
“Okay.”
They walked toward the elevator.
As the doors slid open, Rachel saw Lily Chen stepping out, her eyes wide with shock.
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“Rachel? What are you doing with him?”
Before Rachel could answer, Lily pulled a silenced pistol from her scrubs and aimed it directly at Daniel’s chest.
