Chapter 4 - The Power Grid
The terrifying reality of Chelsea’s televised announcement sent a massive surge of pure adrenaline directly through my veins.
If the beloved Mayor of Chicago died on an operating table at Harbor Grace, the hospital's reputation would be permanently and entirely destroyed.
Vanguard Corporate Acquisitions would easily buy the bankrupt, disgraced ashes of my father's legacy for mere pennies.
I threw a hundred-dollar bill onto the diner counter and sprinted out into the freezing, rain-soaked city streets.
I needed to completely shut down the hospital's primary surgical wing before the Mayor was wheeled into the operating theater at dawn.
I navigated the dark, slippery alleyways until I reached a heavily disguised, subterranean maintenance hatch located three blocks from the hospital.
My father had secretly built this underground tunnel network during the initial construction phase to ensure emergency access during city-wide lockdowns.
I climbed down the rusted iron ladder, plunging deep into the damp, echoing darkness of the concrete tunnel.
The heavy air smelled strongly of wet earth and old copper wiring, bringing back fierce memories of my father showing me this exact path.
I turned on my heavy tactical flashlight and jogged silently toward the primary power junction located directly beneath the hospital.
At exactly midnight, I reached the massive steel security door that guarded the hospital's central electrical grid.
I bypassed the electronic keypad using a physical override key I had kept securely hidden inside the wooden box.
The door swung open with a heavy, metallic groan, revealing a massive room filled with humming servers and towering electrical breakers.
I immediately located the massive red lever designated exclusively for the primary surgical wing's backup generators.
Before my hand could even touch the cold metal lever, the heavy steel door slammed violently shut behind me.
The bright overhead fluorescent lights instantly flickered and died, completely plunging the massive room into absolute, terrifying darkness.
"You really are exactly as predictable as your pathetic father was, Mara," a deep, chilling voice echoed from the shadows.
I instantly dropped to the concrete floor and rolled silently behind a massive, humming server rack for physical cover.
Three highly trained corporate fixers wearing heavy tactical gear and night-vision goggles stepped smoothly out of the dark corners.
They were heavily armed with suppressed submachine guns, and their red laser sights began sweeping frantically across the dark room.
"Chelsea sends her absolute best regards, and she wants you to know she is going to deeply enjoy spending your family's money," the lead fixer mocked loudly.
I pulled a small, compact taser from my pocket, fully knowing it was entirely useless against three heavily armed mercenaries.
I braced myself for the inevitable barrage of deadly bullets, closing my eyes and silently apologizing to my late father.
Suddenly, a deafening, explosive crash violently shattered the heavy steel security door completely off its reinforced hinges.
The three corporate fixers whipped around in absolute panic, wildly firing their suppressed weapons into the thick cloud of concrete dust.
Four massive men dressed in sleek, tailored black suits and traditional keffiyehs stepped smoothly through the ruined doorway.
They moved with terrifying, lethal precision, instantly disarming and neutralizing the corporate mercenaries in less than five seconds.
The leader of the royal guards stepped forward and offered me a heavily gloved, respectful hand to help me off the floor.
"Sheikh Omar Al-Rashid extends his deepest apologies for his slight delay, Ms. Hart," the royal guard stated perfectly.
I brushed the thick concrete dust off my blazer and looked entirely past him into the dark tunnel.
Two guards were currently dragging a heavily bruised, handcuffed, and completely terrified Grant Hart into the electrical room.
My disgraced husband fell to his knees in the dirt, looking up at me with tears streaming freely down his bruised face.
"I will do absolutely anything you want, Mara, just please do not let them kill me," Grant sobbed pathetically.
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I looked down at the man who had completely shattered my heart and felt absolutely nothing but cold, calculated disgust.
"You are going to help me break into the highly secured medical supply vault right now, Grant, or I will gladly leave you down here to rot," I ordered him.
