Chapter 6 - The Custody Threat
The revelation that Grant was running an illegal black market medical operation out of our hospital made my blood run cold.
He had not just chosen Rachel over Eli; he had chosen a massive illicit payday over his own son's life.
The blood meant to save Eli had been sold to the highest bidder in a shadow auction.
I immediately forwarded all the downloaded files to a secure cloud server, ensuring Grant could never delete the evidence.
I knew I needed to go straight to the federal authorities, but I had to secure Eli's safety first.
I walked to the nurse's station and begged the attending physician to arrange an early medical transport to a secure facility.
As the doctor was reviewing Eli's charts, two large men in dark suits stepped off the main hospital elevator.
They moved with the unmistakable authority of private security contractors, scanning the waiting room aggressively.
I recognized the taller man as Grant's personal fixer, a brutal ex-mercenary named Silas.
I ducked behind the tall medical supply carts, watching as Silas approached the front desk with a manila envelope.
He handed the envelope to the charge nurse, demanding to know the exact room number of Eli Whitmore.
I slipped quietly down the side hallway, slipping into Eli's room and locking the heavy door from the inside.
I gently shook my son awake, pressing a finger to my lips to signal for total silence.
"We have to play a quiet game of hide and seek right now, buddy," I whispered, lifting him carefully from the bed.
Eli nodded bravely, wrapping his small arms around my neck despite the pain radiating from his broken leg.
I heard heavy footsteps approaching down the corridor, followed by the aggressive rattling of the doorknob.
"Mrs. Whitmore, open the door immediately," Silas ordered in a low, threatening voice through the wood.
I carried Eli into the small bathroom, locking that door as well and huddling inside the narrow shower stall.
A loud crash echoed through the room as Silas kicked the main door off its hinges.
I held my breath, clutching Eli tightly to my chest as heavy boots paced across the hospital room floor.
"She isn't here, but grab her belongings," Silas muttered to his partner.
I heard the sound of my purse being emptied and my spare clothes being tossed aggressively around the room.
After several agonizing minutes, the men left the room, their footsteps fading down the main hallway.
I waited another ten minutes before I dared to open the bathroom door, finding the room completely ransacked.
On the center of Eli's empty bed, Silas had left an official legal document stamped by the family court.
I picked it up with shaking hands, reading the bold text printed across the top of the first page.
May you like
It was an emergency custody order granting Grant full and immediate physical custody of Eli due to my alleged psychological breakdown.
The signature at the bottom of the order belonged to Judge Thomas Palmer, who was Rachel's biological uncle.
