Chapter 3 - The Vestry Lockdown
The private vestry behind the cathedral altar was transformed into an emergency medical room within eight minutes.
Lucas sat on an oak bench, holding the little toddler—Maya—while a private pediatrician administered an IV line for severe dehydration and a high fever. Lily sat pressed tightly against Lucas’s left side, her small fingers holding his thumb so tightly her knuckles were white. She refused to eat the warm soup the staff had brought until she watched Lucas take a sip first.
"Her fever is dropping, Mr. Vance," the doctor said softly, adjusting the IV pole. "She has bronchial distress from exposure to cold and smoke, but she's going to survive. Another twelve hours on the streets without medical care, however..."
The doctor didn't finish the sentence, but he didn't need to. Lucas closed his eyes, pressing his lips against Maya’s hot forehead, his chest tight with a terrifying mix of relief and murderous fury.
The heavy oak door of the vestry clicked open, and Arthur stepped inside, holding a secure encrypted tablet.
"Mr. Vance, the cathedral exits are secured. The police chief is outside, but we have a complication," Arthur said in a low voice. "Eleanor Montgomery and Victoria tried to leave through the subterranean choir entrance. My men intercepted them, but Eleanor’s personal attorney has just filed an emergency injunction claiming you are holding them against their will."
"Let them file whatever they want," Lucas said without opening his eyes. "Did you sweep Eleanor's phone?"
"We intercepted her cellular transmissions the moment you gave the lockdown order," Arthur replied, tapping the tablet screen. "Three minutes after the child walked down the aisle, Eleanor made an encrypted satellite call to a private psychiatric facility outside Milwaukee."
Lucas opened his eyes, his hazel gaze sharp as shattered glass. "What facility?"
"St. Jude’s Sanatorium," Arthur read from the screen. "It’s a off-grid, high-security private asylum owned by a offshore holding company. The call duration was forty-two seconds. Eleanor gave a single verbal command to the director: 'Terminate Patient 402 immediately and burn the records.'"
Lily gasped, her small body shaking violently against Lucas’s arm. "Mommy! That’s where they put Mommy! In the big stone house with the iron bars on the windows!"
May you like
Lucas stood up slowly, carefully handing the sleeping baby to the head nurse. He walked over to Arthur, his face an emotionless, terrifying mask of absolute death.
"Get the helicopter on the roof of the medical center across the street," Lucas said. "We're going to Milwaukee."
