Chapter 7 - Shadows at the Hospital
The sterile hallways of St. Catherine Medical Center smelled of antiseptic and polished linoleum.
It was 2:00 PM on Tuesday. Victoria walked hand-in-hand down the private diagnostic corridor, flanked by two private security guards and Mr. Henderson. Julian and Tyler walked right beside her, their small hands squeezed together.
“Are we going to play a game, Mom?” Tyler asked softly, looking up at her with his big hazel eyes.
“It’s just a simple medical test, sweetheart,” Victoria smiled reassuringly, though her stomach was tied in knots. “They’re going to take a little swab from the inside of your cheek, just like they did with Julian, and then we’re going to go home and have chocolate cake.”
“I like chocolate cake,” Tyler nodded, a small smile finally breaking through his cautious exterior.
They reached Suite 402, the private genetics lab reserved for high-profile hospital benefactors.
Dr. Alistair Vance—Arthur’s cousin, the very doctor who had signed away Tyler nine years ago—was standing by the examination table, holding a clipboard. His face was pale, his eyes darting nervously toward the doorway.
“Ah, Victoria,” Dr. Alistair greeted awkwardly, forcing a stiff smile. “I wasn't aware you were personally overseeing the swab collection today.”
Victoria stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes narrowing as she studied the doctor’s nervous posture. “You didn't expect me to send my nine-year-old son here alone, did you, Alistair? Especially not after what your cousin Arthur has been up to.”
“Now, see here, Victoria, I am an independent medical practitioner bound by professional ethics—” Alistair began, backing away slightly as Mr. Henderson stepped into the doorway, blocking the exit.
“Professional ethics?” Victoria interrupted, her voice ringing with icy disdain. “Is that what you call falsifying stillborn certificates and smuggling newborns out of private delivery rooms for a paycheck?”
Before Alistair could stammer a reply, the overhead lights in the medical suite flickered violently.
Buzz.
The electronic door locks clicked shut with a sharp mechanical thud. The ventilation system hummed, then abruptly cut out, plunging the suite into an ominous, heavy silence.
“What’s happening?” Julian whispered, grabbing onto Tyler’s sleeve.
“Stay behind me,” Victoria ordered sharply, pushing both boys behind her back as she reached into her handbag and pulled out a panic alarm tethered to her mobile phone.
The security monitor mounted on the lab wall flickered on, displaying a live feed of the hallway outside Suite 402.
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Three burly men in black tactical gear without insignia were walking down the corridor, systematically disabling the security cameras one by one with portable EMP devices.
Arthur hadn't just planned to contest the custody in court; he was executing a snatch-and-grab operation right inside a hospital.
