Chapter 8 - The Fatal Error
The bullet shattered the glass paneling right next to my head, raining sharp fragments down onto my shoulders.
I used the deafening sound of the fire alarm and the darkness to mask my footsteps as I crawled toward the heavy steel door.
Nathan cursed violently in the dark, slipping on the wet floor as the emergency sprinklers continued to flood the server room.
I reached up, felt the cold metal handle of the door, and pushed it open just enough to squeeze my body through.
I sprinted down the emergency stairwell, my wet shoes squeaking against the concrete with every frantic step.
I burst out into the chaotic hospital lobby, blending in perfectly with the panicked crowd of patients and doctors evacuating the building.
I spotted Detective Reynolds' tactical vehicle idling near the ambulance bay and immediately ran toward it.
Marcus threw the passenger door open, and I dove inside, gasping for air as Reynolds slammed on the gas pedal.
I held up the silver flash drive, coughing up water as I told them we finally had everything we needed to destroy Nathan.
Reynolds smiled grimly and plugged the drive into the heavy tactical computer mounted in the center console.
The screen lit up, displaying the unencrypted master ledger that detailed every single crime the hospital board had committed over the last decade.
It contained indisputable proof of the insurance fraud, the stolen research, the forged loans, and the medical malpractice cover-ups.
Marcus pulled out his phone and immediately forwarded the entire database to the highest levels of the federal investigative bureau.
He also sent a copy to three major national news networks to ensure the corrupt local police could not bury the story.
We drove to a secure motel on the edge of the city, knowing the federal arrest warrants would take at least a day to process.
I finally allowed myself to rest, believing the hardest part of the nightmare was truly over.
The next morning, I woke up to the sound of Marcus frantically yelling my name from the motel parking lot.
May you like
I rushed outside to find him staring at his phone with an expression of absolute horror.
Nathan had not been arrested by the authorities, because he had just gone on live television playing the role of a grieving victim.
