Chapter 3 - Ambush in the Dark
The hospital intercom hummed to life, a disembodied voice barking: "Code Red, floor one. Code Red, ambulance bay. All personnel secure your stations."
Detective Miller drew his sidearm in one fluid motion, pushing Sarah and me behind his back. "Stay low! Sarah, lock this door and don't open it for anyone without a badge!"
"Miller, wait!" Sarah yelled, but the detective was already through the doorway, his boots pounding against the floor as he headed toward the stairwell.
Through the heavy frosted glass of the consultation room window, I saw shadow figures moving down the hall. They weren't wearing police uniforms or doctor coats. They wore dark tactical gear, carrying short-barreled rifles. Julian Vance wasn't waiting for the legal process. He had bought off hospital security and sent his hit squad to recover the wheelbarrow and the children before the state police could reinforce the building.
"Emma, under the desk, now!" Sarah whispered furiously, dragging a heavy oak cabinet across the door to barricade it.
I crawled beneath the dark desk, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird. Outside, the muffled pop of suppressed gunfire echoed through the corridors, followed by the shattering of glass and screams from hospital staff.
Suddenly, the lights went out completely. The building was plunged into pitch darkness, saved only by the faint green glow of exit signs.
I heard heavy boots stop right outside our door. Someone jiggled the handle, found it locked, and kicked the wood with immense force. The frame cracked.
"In here!" a rough voice shouted down the hall. "Vance wants the girl alive! Find the twins!"
Sarah grabbed a heavy metal fire extinguisher from the wall, standing beside the splintering door with her face pale as ash. "Over my dead body," she muttered under her breath.
The door burst inward, splintering into chunks of wood. A tall, broad-shouldered man stepped through the dust, his rifle flashlight sweeping across the room. Before he could spot me under the desk, Sarah swung the fire extinguisher with all her weight, striking the man across the helmet. He grunted, stumbling sideways, but his partner immediately grabbed Sarah by her hair and slammed her against the wall.
"Where is the girl?" the second gunman growled, raising his weapon.
"Right here," a calm, firm voice spoke from the hallway darkness.
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A bright flash illuminated the doorway as Detective Miller fired three precise shots. The two mercenaries collapsed to the floor. Miller rushed into the room, blood trickling down his forehead from a shrapnel wound.
"They've compromised the lower levels," Miller panted, hoisting me out from under the desk into his arms. "The state police escort was cut off on the highway. We’re on our own. We have to get to the nursery, grab Lucas and Lily, and get to the roof before Vance’s men lock down the stairwells!"
