Chapter 4 - The Empty Crib
The laptop screen went black as the video file ended.
My heart hammered violently against my ribs as the reality of the situation crashed over me.
My mother had not just poisoned Clara out of spite or cruelty.
She was executing a premeditated plan to kidnap my newborn son and hand him over to strangers.
I pulled my phone out with trembling fingers and dialed the hospital's pediatric ward.
The line rang four times before the same trusted nurse finally answered the phone.
"Please tell me my son is still there," I begged, my voice cracking with desperation.
There was a long, terrifying silence on the other end of the line.
"Mr. Davis, your mother came in ten minutes ago with temporary guardianship papers signed by a judge," the nurse said nervously.
"She took the baby and left through the east exit."
I dropped the phone onto the floor, the screen shattering against the hardwood.
I bolted out of the house, jumped into my car, and drove toward the hospital like a madman.
I dialed 911 through the car's Bluetooth system, screaming at the dispatcher to issue an Amber Alert.
I pulled into the hospital loading zone, leaving my car running with the doors wide open.
I sprinted into the east wing lobby, pushing past startled security guards and frantic patients.
The automatic doors leading to the alleyway were propped open with a medical waste bin.
I burst out into the dark, rainy alley just in time to see a black, unmarked van peeling away from the curb.
I ran after it, my lungs burning as I desperately tried to read the license plate.
The van turned the corner, its tires screeching against the wet pavement, and vanished into the city traffic.
I dropped to my knees in the rain, screaming my son's name into the empty night.
Suddenly, a heavy hand clamped down firmly on my shoulder.
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I spun around, expecting to see a security guard or a police officer trying to help me.
Instead, a massive man in a dark suit drove a stun gun directly into my ribs.
