Chapter 9 - The Choice
Nathaniel froze in his tracks, keeping his gun aimed squarely at Vanessa's chest.
His breathing was ragged, and his shoulder burned with unimaginable agony.
"You are bluffing," Nathaniel said, his voice trembling slightly.
"Am I?" Vanessa taunted, holding her thumb over the detonator button.
"I had my people plant explosives in the ventilation shaft above Margaret's recovery room yesterday."
"Drop your weapon and let me walk out of here, or your mother dies instantly."
Nathaniel's mind raced as he stared at the red blinking light.
He heard frantic footsteps behind him.
Andrew had carried Clare to the loading dock.
Clare was incredibly pale, but her eyes were sharply focused on Vanessa's hand.
"Nate," Clare whispered weakly.
"Look at the remote."
Nathaniel squinted through the pain and the dim light.
The device in Vanessa's hand had a small digital screen displaying a heart rate graph.
"That is not a bomb detonator," Clare gasped, leaning heavily against Andrew.
"That is a long-range telemetry pager for hospital heart monitors."
"She stole it from a nurse's station to make it look like a trigger."
Vanessa's smug smile instantly vanished from her face.
She realized her final, desperate lie had been exposed by an experienced ICU nurse.
Vanessa raised her pistol to shoot Clare in pure, bitter spite.
Nathaniel did not hesitate for a single second.
He fired one precise shot from his left hand.
The bullet struck Vanessa in the shoulder, spinning her around and dropping her violently to the concrete.
Andrew's men rushed forward and kicked the weapon away from the screaming woman.
Nathaniel dropped his gun and rushed back to his wife.
Clare smiled up at him with immense pride.
May you like
Then, her beautiful eyes slowly rolled back into her head.
Her body went completely limp in his arms, and she stopped breathing.
