Chapter 9 - The Empty Hospital Bed
Police sealed every exit within minutes.
Officers searched patient rooms, supply closets, elevators, and underground corridors. No child matching Ethan’s description had been seen leaving the main entrance.
That meant whoever had taken him knew the hospital better than most employees.
Laura stood beside the empty bed, holding Ethan’s blue dinosaur against her chest.
“I only stepped into the bathroom,” she whispered. “It was less than a minute.”
Olivia shook her head.
“You weren’t responsible.”
Laura looked at Victor, who now sat handcuffed near the nurses’ station.
“He was.”
Victor leaned back in the chair.
“I was downstairs with them.”
“You arranged it,” Daniel said.
Victor looked almost amused.
“Prove it.”
Marcus placed the black box on the counter.
“We found documents connecting you to the foundation.”
“Documents can be forged.”
“We found Michael’s recording.”
“Dead men say many things.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“Where is Ethan?”
Victor stared directly at him.
“You made a promise about the dog. You should have stopped there.”
Buddy suddenly began sniffing Ethan’s blanket.
He moved toward the hallway, then stopped beside a laundry cart.
Olivia pulled the sheets aside.
At the bottom lay a hospital bracelet.
Ethan’s name was printed across it.
Marcus examined the cart.
“These are taken through the service elevators.”
A housekeeping worker named Nina Alvarez approached nervously.
“I saw someone pushing that cart.”
Everyone turned.
“Who?” Marcus asked.
Nina hesitated.
“Mr. Bell.”
Thomas Bell.
The hospital’s financial director.
Dr. Carter immediately called administration, but Bell’s office was empty. His phone had been disconnected, and security footage showed him entering the restricted service corridor ten minutes before Ethan vanished.
Victor’s confidence disappeared.
Daniel noticed.
“You didn’t know Bell would take him.”
Victor said nothing.
“You thought this was only about the box.”
Still no answer.
Daniel crouched in front of him.
“Bell is cutting you out.”
Victor’s jaw tightened.
Marcus leaned closer.
“If Bell gets the evidence and eliminates Ethan, you become the easiest person to blame.”
Victor finally looked toward the elevator.
“He won’t take the boy to the station.”
Daniel waited.
Victor lowered his voice.
“The note is a trap.”
“Then where?”
“There’s an abandoned rail clinic beneath the western platform. The foundation used it for storage years ago.”
Dr. Carter frowned.
“Storage for what?”
Victor looked at her.
“Things they didn’t want inspectors to find.”
Buddy pulled hard against the leash.
Daniel grabbed the black box.
Marcus shook his head.
“You’re not going alone.”
Daniel looked toward the empty bed.
“I told Ethan I would protect Buddy.”
Then he lifted the jar of coins from the pillow.
“But I think he was asking me to protect more than the dog.”
Victor suddenly called after him.
“Daniel.”
Daniel turned.
For the first time, fear appeared in Victor’s eyes.
“Do not let Bell open the blue container.”
May you like
No one had mentioned a blue container.
And Daniel knew Victor had just revealed that something even more dangerous was hidden beneath the station.
