Chapter 7 - Shadows in the Corridor
The preliminary hearing was set for two weeks later, but the aftermath of Caleb’s arrest revealed the true extent of his desperation.
Emma and I were moved to a secure, undisclosed suite on the top floor of the hospital’s rehabilitation wing. The room had private security stationed outside twenty-four hours a day, paid for through an emergency asset freeze order that Elena Vance had successfully secured against Caleb’s remaining accounts.
Every afternoon, physical therapists worked with me to rebuild my strength. The heavy plaster casts were finally replaced with lighter, removable fiberglass boots. The pain was still excruciating, but every time I stood up between the parallel bars, I visualized stepping into freedom.
On a Tuesday evening, around 9:00 p.m., the hospital was quiet. Emma was fast asleep in the folding cot beside my bed, holding her stuffed rabbit.
The dim nightlight cast long shadows across the floor.
Suddenly, the overhead lights in the hallway flickered twice, then went completely dark.
I froze in my bed.
A second later, the red emergency backup lights clicked on, casting a blood-red glow through the frosted glass panel of my door.
I looked toward the doorway. The two security guards who were supposed to be stationed outside were nowhere to be seen.
Then, I heard the faint, wet sound of footsteps dragging across the linoleum corridor.
My heart began to hammer against my ribs. I reached out silently, grabbing the heavy metal water pitcher from my bedside table, holding it tight against my chest.
The silver handle of my hospital door slowly began to turn.
The door crept open six inches.
A man stepped into the room. He was wearing a navy blue hospital maintenance uniform, a surgical mask covering the lower half of his face, and a low baseball cap pulled over his eyes. But as he stepped into the crimson light of the emergency bulb, I recognized those eyes instantly.
Cold. Arrogant. Unforgiving.
It was Caleb.
He had managed to post a secondary bond through an out-of-state cartel contact using undeclared cash, and had bribed a night-shift janitor to enter the facility through the service basement.
"Hello, Rebecca," Caleb whispered, pulling down his surgical mask to reveal a sick, twisted smile.
I reached for the emergency call button on my pillow, but Caleb lunged forward with terrifying speed, grabbing the wire and yanking it out of the wall socket, throwing the remote across the floor.
"Don't bother," Caleb sneered, stepping closer to my bed. "The main breaker in the basement has been tripped. The nurses are busy dealing with the ICU generators. We have five minutes alone."
May you like
"Caleb, stop!" I whispered loudly, keeping my eyes fixed on Emma sleeping on the cot two feet away. "If you touch her, I will kill you!"
"I’m not here for Emma," Caleb hissed, pulling a syringe filled with clear liquid from his pocket. "I’m here to finish what I started three weeks ago."
