Chapter 1 - THREE GUNSHOTS
Gabriel Moretti had broken into buildings before.
Warehouses.
Back rooms.
Safe houses.
Never a hospital room with his six-year-old son inside.
The call came at 3:07 in the morning.
Daniel’s oxygen line had disconnected.
Security cameras on the fourth floor had gone dark.
Two unknown men had been seen near Room 412.
Gabriel did not wait for police.
He arrived with Vincent Kane and four security men.
By the time the elevator doors opened, he already had a gun in his hand.
“Room 412,” Vincent said.
Gabriel did not answer.
He ran.
The corridor smelled of disinfectant and fear.
A nurse shouted:
“Sir! You can’t—”
Gabriel kicked the door open.
It slammed against the wall.
His gun came up.
Then stopped.
A woman in a blue cleaning uniform stood between him and Daniel’s bed.
She was bleeding from a cut near her hairline.
Her left sleeve was torn.
Her hands shook.
But the broken wooden shaft of a mop was aimed straight at Gabriel’s throat.
“DON’T TOUCH HIM!”
Gabriel froze.
Behind her, Daniel lay unconscious beneath a white blanket.
Oxygen tubes ran beneath his nose.
The heart monitor kept a steady rhythm.
Alive.
Still alive.
Vincent raised his weapon.
The cleaner moved instantly.
“LOWER IT!”
Vincent’s jaw tightened.
“Move away from the child.”
“No.”
Gabriel barely heard them.
He was staring at Daniel.
Then at the blood on the cleaner’s face.
Then at the broken mop.
“What the hell happened?”
The woman tightened her grip.
Gabriel stepped forward.
“WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!”
Her breathing shook.
“Elena.”
“Why are you in my son’s room?”
“Because two men tried to kill him.”
The room seemed to shrink.
Gabriel’s weapon lowered half an inch.
“What?”
Elena glanced toward the hallway.
“They came in wearing hospital badges.”
Vincent looked toward the open door.
“When?”
“Minutes ago.”
Gabriel’s voice dropped.
“What did they do?”
Elena looked at Daniel.
“They disconnected his oxygen.”
Gabriel’s face changed.
Not anger.
Something worse.
Fear.
He crossed the room in two steps.
“Who did this?”
Elena’s eyes filled.
“I don’t know.”
Gabriel turned toward Vincent.
“Lock the floor down.”
Vincent touched his earpiece.
Then Daniel’s monitor suddenly accelerated.
BEEP.
BEEP.
BEEP.
Elena spun toward the bed.
“Daniel!”
Gabriel moved.
Elena grabbed his arm.
“WAIT!”
He snapped toward her.
“What?”
She looked down.
At the oxygen tubing.
Then at the IV line.
Her face went pale.
“Something’s wrong.”
Gabriel’s blood turned cold.
Before anyone could move—
Three gunshots exploded from the hallway.
BANG.
BANG.
BANG.
The hospital erupted.
Nurses screamed.
Visitors ducked behind counters.
Someone shouted:
“GUNSHOTS!”
Another voice:
“GET DOWN!”
Gabriel stepped directly in front of Daniel’s bed.
Elena gripped the broken mop with both hands.
May you like
Vincent aimed toward the doorway.
And all three stared at the hallway as terrified screams rolled toward them.
