Chapter 5 - The Lockdown
The heavy steel fire doors at the end of the hallway slammed shut with a deafening crash.
The hospital's automated intercom system blared a continuous, annoying siren.
"Attention all staff, the facility is under a Code Black security lockdown," a robotic voice echoed.
Marcus slammed his laptop shut and threw it back into his backpack.
"Dr. Thorne just realized we accessed the files, and he is using the security system to trap us inside," Marcus panicked.
I pulled out my cell phone to dial the federal emergency hotline, but the screen showed absolutely zero signal.
They had activated the hospital's localized signal jammers to cut us off from the outside world.
"We need to get to the intensive care unit right now," I told Marcus.
"If they know we have the files, they know Emily is the one who smuggled them in."
We ran through the deserted, dimly lit corridors, using the staff-only stairwells to bypass the locked elevators.
My heart pounded furiously against my ribs with every step we climbed.
We finally reached the fourth floor and sprinted toward the surgical recovery wing.
I burst through the double doors of the ICU, ready to barricade Emily's room at all costs.
The private security guard assigned to her door was lying unconscious on the polished floor.
May you like
I rushed into her recovery suite, my blood turning entirely to ice.
The heart monitors were disconnected, the IV bags were ripped open, and the hospital bed was completely empty.
