Chapter 6 - The Visitor in the Dark
It was 2:14 AM when the steady, rhythmic beep of the cardiac monitor was interrupted by a faint, metallic click at the door of my secure hospital room.
I woke instantly, my military upbringing kicking in before my eyes even fully adjusted to the dark.
The heavy security door didn't swing open—it slid back with agonizing slowness. A dark silhouette slipped through the gap, moving with unnatural, silent stealth. It wasn't a nurse. The posture was wrong, the movements too calculated.
My hand moved instinctively under the sheet, pressing the emergency duress button mounted to the bedside rail.
*Click.*
Nothing happened.
The monitor screen flickered once and went black. The call button was dead. The intruder had cut the auxiliary power grid to this specific wing.
"Don't bother," a low, raspy voice whispered from the foot of the bed.
A flashlight clicked on, blinding me with a narrow beam of white light directly in my eyes. Behind the beam stood a tall, broad-shouldered man in a black tactical hoodie, wearing a half-mask across his face. But I recognized the build. I recognized the swagger.
It was Marcus Vance—Julian’s estranged, unstable older brother who had been dishonorably discharged from the private security sector years ago for violent outbursts.
"Marcus," I said, keeping my voice remarkably steady, sliding my hand slowly toward the heavy metal water pitcher on the bedside table.
"Hello, little sister-in-law," Marcus hissed, stepping closer, a heavy hunting knife gleaming dully in his left hand. "Julian is crying in a federal holding cell like a coward. His company is gone. His money is frozen. And all because my brilliant little brother couldn't finish a simple job on the water."
"You think killing me in a hospital room is going to fix his life?" I challenged, my eyes locked on the blade. "My father's men are stationed outside this door. You won't make it twenty feet down the corridor."
Marcus let out a dark, mocking laugh. "Your father's men are currently dealing with a coordinated perimeter breach at the south gate. A little distraction arranged by some of my old friends."
May you like
He stepped right up to the side of the bed, raising the knife. "Julian loses everything, so I figured... why shouldn't you?"
---
