Clinton pushed the heavy metal fire door open. It slammed shut behind him, cutting off the bright lights and the security cameras of the hallway.
He stood in the dim stairwell and unlocked the encrypted phone. The harsh blue light from the screen lit up his face. The message was clear: European authorities were raiding the Geneva office for antitrust violations.
Clinton dialed the emergency line. "Initiate Protocol B," he said quickly. "Burn the secondary files."
He hung up.
The fire door creaked open.
Clinton spun around. His hand dropped to the small knife hidden at his lower back.
Martha Holloway stood in the doorway. She was wearing a gray maid's uniform. She was empty-handed and out of breath, as if she had been running down the hallway searching for him.
Clinton let go of the knife. His muscles relaxed slightly, but his eyes stayed hard.
Martha gasped. She clutched the doorframe for support, her chest heaving.
Clinton stepped forward, his expression sharp. "You shouldn't leave the room, Martha. The protocol says no blind spots."
Martha's eyes were red. "She threw up. Her gown is ruined. I buzzed the nurses' station for warm water and towels, but no one came."
Clinton's face softened for a second. He set his hand down on the cold metal railing and rubbed his forehead.
Martha stepped closer. She kept her voice low. "When is he coming back, Clinton? When is Mr. Sinclair going to look at his own daughter?"
"Don't question his schedule," Clinton snapped. "He has thousands of employees relying on him."
"Money doesn't hold a child when she's crying!" Martha hissed. "She is terrified. She needs her mother."
The word hit Clinton like a bullet. He stepped into Martha's space, backing her against the cold cinderblock wall.
"Do not say that word in this hospital," Clinton growled.
Martha lifted her chin. She did not look away. "If he hadn't backed Helen into a corner, she wouldn't have left. He broke this family."
"She chose to jump on that boat!" Clinton yelled, his voice echoing in the stairwell. "She abandoned her kid!"
"She had no choice and you know it!" Martha yelled back.
The silence that followed was deafening. The only sound was the low hum of the air conditioning vent above them.
Clinton stepped back. He leaned against the metal railing. He pulled a crushed pack of Marlboros from his pocket. He put a cigarette between his lips but didn't light it.
"You're right," Clinton whispered. "The kid is drowning in this family."
Martha sighed. She wiped her wet eyes with the back of her hand. "Just call him. Tell him to call her."
Martha reached for the door handle.
Suddenly, the radio on his belt screamed. A high-pitched alarm echoed off the concrete walls.
"Sir!" a guard yelled through the static. "Vitals monitor disconnected! The room is empty!"
The unlit cigarette fell from Clinton's mouth.
He lunged forward and shoved the heavy fire door open with massive force. The metal edge caught Martha off guard. She cried out in pain as the sudden impact threw her off balance, sending her stumbling hard against the concrete wall. She dropped to her knees on the landing, dazed.
Clinton didn't look back. He sprinted down the hallway. His boots slipped on the polished floor. His mind flashed with images of rival families and kidnappers.
He reached the VIP suite. Two guards were standing by the door, looking panicked. Clinton shoved them aside. His bandaged index finger throbbed as he jammed the override code into the keypad.
He kicked the door open. It hit the wall with a loud bang. He pulled his knife and stepped inside, ready to fight.
The room was empty.
The bed rails were still up, but the metal locking pin that held the top rail in place had been pried loose—the sharp edge of the screw from the shattered tablet casing still jammed into the mechanism.
A pillow was stuffed under the blanket to look like a body.
Clinton ran to the window. It was locked.
He spun around and looked up. The metal grate of the HVAC vent on the ceiling was pushed aside. A small piece of blue hospital fabric hung from the sharp edge of the metal.
Clinton grabbed his radio. "Lock down the building!" he roared. "Nobody gets in or out! We lost her!"
