Chapter 16 - The Empty Room
Daniel grabbed the note.
Detective Brooks took it from him with gloved hands.
"Nobody goes anywhere alone."
"She's eight months pregnant and just had surgery."
"Exactly."
Sarah's IV pole remained beside the bed.
Her phone was still charging.
No patient in her condition could have walked far.
Hospital security locked the building.
Cameras showed a transport orderly pushing Sarah into a service elevator.
The orderly wore a mask and cap.
At the basement level, the camera angle caught his face.
Not Malcolm.
Graham stared at the screen.
"I know him."
"Who?" Brooks asked.
"Leon Mercer. Victor's driver."
They traced the transport chair to a loading bay.
A nurse found Sarah's hospital bracelet on the ground.
Daniel nearly lost control.
Then Dr. Grant came running down the hall.
"Stop."
Everyone turned.
"Sarah wasn't abducted."
Daniel stared at her.
"What?"
"She had a sudden internal bleed. The transport team rushed her for imaging through the service elevator because the main elevator was down."
Daniel looked at the note in Brooks's hand.
"Then who put this on her pillow?"
Nobody answered.
The imaging department confirmed Sarah was safe and already being moved back.
The kidnapping note had been planted to lure Daniel out.
Brooks swore under her breath.
"Someone wanted him alone."
Graham's face went white.
"Victor."
Daniel's phone rang.
Unknown number.
Brooks motioned for him to answer on speaker.
Victor Hale's voice filled the room.
"Daniel."
Daniel's hands curled.
"You sent the note."
"I needed five minutes without police and nurses."
"You get nothing."
"I can tell you what happened to Charles."
Arthur moved closer.
Victor continued.
"Meet me at the old Vance machine plant. One hour."
Detective Brooks silently signaled her team.
Daniel said, "Why should I believe you?"
"Because Eleanor lied to you about your father."
"Which father?"
A pause.
Victor's voice became softer.
"Exactly."
The line went dead.
Brooks looked at Daniel.
"You're not going alone."
Daniel nodded.
"I know."
Sarah was brought back upstairs minutes later.
She saw his face.
"What happened?"
He kissed her forehead.
"Nothing you need tonight."
"Daniel."
He looked at her.
She knew him too well.
"You're going somewhere."
He sat beside her.
"Victor says he knows what happened to Charles."
Sarah's eyes filled with fear.
"Then promise me something."
"What?"
"Don't go there to get revenge."
Daniel looked toward the NICU window where Grace slept under blue light.
"What do I go there for?"
"The truth."
He nodded.
An hour later, police surrounded the abandoned Vance machine plant.
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Daniel walked through the front door wearing a wire.
And somewhere in the dark, a gun clicked.
