Chapter 8 - The Siege at Lakeshore Medical
I threw open the door to the private family lounge, breathless and panic-stricken.
Ethan looked up instantly, his protective instincts flaring the moment he saw the look on my face. Ava was sitting on the couch drawing a picture with a set of markers Ethan had bought from the hospital gift shop.
“Maya? What is it?” Ethan asked, rising smoothly to his feet and stepping between me and the door.
“Eleanor,” I panted, struggling to catch my breath. “She called me.”
Ethan’s face hardened into a mask of pure, lethal fury. The temperature in the room plummeted.
“What did she say?”
“She knows about Ava,” I said, my voice trembling. “She threatened her, Ethan. She said accidents happen in Chicago every day. We need to get out of here, now.”
Before Ethan could reply, the emergency lighting overhead suddenly flickered and died.
The cheerful hum of the hospital was instantly replaced by the low, ominous drone of the backup generator kicking in. Down the hallway, the harsh sound of heavy boots echoed against the linoleum tile.
“Get down,” Ethan commanded in a voice that brooked no argument. He swept Ava off the couch in one fluid motion, shielding her small body against his chest, and drew a sleek, suppressed pistol from a concealed holster beneath his suit jacket.
“Dad?” Ava whispered, picking up on the sudden danger, burying her face in his shoulder.
“Shh, sweet girl, close your eyes,” Ethan murmured softly, his gaze locked onto the frosted glass door of the lounge.
The heavy oak door rattled as someone tried the handle. Locked from the inside.
A heavy thud shook the frame—someone was throwing their weight against it.
“Stay behind me, Maya,” Ethan instructed, his posture rigid, every muscle coiled like a striking viper.
Bang!
The lock shattered in a shower of splintered wood and metal shavings as the door kicked wide open. Three men in tactical gear stepped into the doorway, automatic weapons raised.
They didn't even have time to aim.
Ethan moved with terrifying, preternatural speed. Two sharp cracks echoed through the small room as his suppressed pistol found its targets with lethal precision. The lead operatives dropped instantly before they could even pull their triggers.
The third man lunged forward, but Daniel Pierce materialized from the hallway behind them, swinging a heavy steel oxygen tank with all his might, catching the intruder squarely across the jaw and sending him crashing to the floor unconscious.
“Clear!” Daniel yelled, breathing heavily, dropping the tank with a loud clatter.
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Ethan didn't lower his weapon until he scanned the entire hallway. He looked back at me, his eyes dark with absolute resolve.
“This is my mother’s inner circle,” Ethan said grimly. “They tracked me here. Which means Lakeshore Medical is no longer safe for either of you.”
