Chapter 2 - The Man Inside the Hospital
I hit the floor with Logan under me.
The bullet went over my shoulder.
Glass burst from the cabinet behind Alessandro's bed.
One of his guards fired back.
The traitor spun and collapsed against the door.
Then everything stopped except the monitor alarms.
Logan's fingers dug into my scrub top.
"Mommy, I wanna go home."
"I know."
My mouth tasted like metal.
Alessandro was fighting for breath.
A doctor forced oxygen over his face.
This time he did not resist.
The dead guard's jacket had fallen open.
A hospital badge was clipped inside.
JOHNS HOPKINS HOSPITAL.
The photo showed an orderly named Peter Lang.
I knew Peter.
He worked nights in orthopedics.
The face on the floor was not Peter.
A security officer crouched beside the body.
"Badge is real."
I said, "Peter's been out with pneumonia."
The officer looked at me.
"How long?"
"Two days. Maybe three."
Alessandro's huge guard stepped over the body.
"Someone gave him access."
Nobody answered.
Then the trauma-suite doors unlocked from outside.
My supervisor, Denise Harper, walked in.
Too fast.
Too composed.
She took in the broken glass, the body, my son on the floor and Alessandro alive.
Her eyes stopped on me.
"Catherine."
I stood slowly.
"Where were you?"
"Trying to keep this floor from becoming a war zone."
Her gaze dropped to my closed fist.
The ring was inside.
I pushed my hand into my pocket.
Denise stepped closer.
"What did Romano tell you?"
Not are you hurt.
Not why is your child here.
What did Romano tell you?
I forced a blank face.
"Nothing. He woke up confused."
She stared at me.
"Nothing?"
"Nothing."
Logan tugged my sleeve.
"Mommy."
"Not now, baby."
He pointed at Denise.
"That lady opened my closet."
Denise went still.
I looked at my son.
"What?"
"When Captain Bear fell. She opened the door."
Denise's mouth tightened.
"He's three."
"He's also standing right here."
"Catherine, you hid a child in a hospital supply room during a shooting. Maybe this isn't the moment to treat everything he says as—"
"As what?"
She stopped.
The huge guard moved between us.
"Boss wants the woman and child protected."
Denise laughed nervously.
"This is a hospital. We don't take orders from—"
"Tonight you do."
Her face hardened.
I watched her leave.
Logan whispered, "She had a man."
I crouched.
"What man?"
"Silver bird."
"What?"
He touched his collar.
"Here."
A tie clip.
My stomach tightened.
David had owned a silver eagle tie clip.
He wore it to interviews.
He wore it the night before he died.
A nurse handed me a black phone.
"From Mr. Romano."
One message waited.
ASK WHO IDENTIFIED DAVID'S BODY.
I pulled up the death certificate on the hospital computer.
My eyes moved to the verification line.
FEDERAL LIAISON: SPECIAL AGENT MARCUS VALE.
I read the name twice.
Then my phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
A man's voice said, "Mrs. Winters? This is Special Agent Vale. We need to talk about your husband."
May you like
CUT.
