Chapter 2 - The Zombie Toxin
Midnight. The hospital was eerily quiet, but Elias’s private subterranean lab at the M.E.'s office was humming.
Sarah handed Elias a steaming cup of black coffee. Her hands were shaking. "Dr. Pendelton from Crestview called three times while you were at the hospital. He’s demanding Clara’s body be released back to their private mortuary."
"He doesn't know she's alive yet," Elias muttered, staring into the lens of the mass spectrometer. He was running the hidden blood samples himself. "Pendelton signed a death certificate for a living woman. He’s either the most incompetent doctor in the state, or he was paid heavily to look the other way."
The computer chirped. The toxicology results populated on the screen.
Elias leaned in, his eyes scanning the chemical compounds. His blood ran cold.
"What is it?" Sarah asked, stepping behind him.
"Tetrodotoxin," Elias whispered. "Mixed with a synthetic beta-blocker. It’s incredibly rare. In the right dosage, it paralyzes the nervous system and slows the heart rate down to one beat per minute. To a standard paramedic, or a corrupt doctor like Pendelton, she would appear clinically dead. No pulse, no breath, dilated pupils."
"Why not just kill her?" Sarah asked, horrified.
"Because a violent murder raises questions," Elias explained, grabbing his coat. "An accidental overdose of a wealthy socialite at a private rehab clinic? That just requires a quiet funeral and a closed casket. Julian wanted her buried alive."
Elias’s burner phone vibrated. It was Evans from the ICU.
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"Elias," Evans whispered, the panic evident in his voice. "Clara is stabilizing. But hospital administration just overrode my orders. They transferred her out of my ICU to the VIP wing. Julian Sterling’s private security detail is guarding the door."
"Don't let them administer any medications!" Elias shouted, sprinting toward the elevator. "I'm on my way!"
