The rain was coming down in sheets, turning the hospital parking lot into a shallow lake.
Alaina sat on a wet concrete bench near the emergency exit. The hospital staff had wheeled Eleanor out under the awning, leaving her shivering on the gurney.
Alaina stared at the black titanium card in her hand. Ten million dollars. She had ten million dollars, and it was completely useless. Capital had built a wall around her mother, and Fred held the only key.
She buried her face in her hands. A sob tore through her chest, raw and agonizing.
Kyle sat down next to her. The wet concrete soaked through his cheap jeans. He pulled off his gray hoodie, leaving him in a thin white t-shirt, and draped the warm fabric over Alaina's shaking shoulders.
His eyes were fixed on the dark street, burning with a cold, terrifying rage that Alaina couldn't see.
"Hey," Kyle said softly, his voice gentle and clumsy. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her against his side. "Don't cry. We'll figure this out. I promise."
Alaina shook her head, tears mixing with the rain on her cheeks. "You need to leave, Kyle. You don't know who Fred is. He will destroy your life. You're just a sales rep. You can't fight him."
Kyle's jaw tightened. His fingers dug slightly into her shoulder. "I'm not going anywhere. I don't run away when things get hard."
While Alaina kept her face buried in her hands, Kyle slipped his right hand into his pocket. He pulled out the black encrypted phone. Without looking at the screen, his thumb flew across the keypad, typing a blind message to Silas.
St. Ann's. Highest level trauma team. Five minutes. Or I burn the board of directors to the ground.
He slid the phone back into his pocket and went back to stroking Alaina's wet hair.
Three minutes later, the wail of sirens cut through the storm.
Three massive, state-of-the-art ambulances, painted with the elite gold crest of St. Ann's Medical Center, swerved into the parking lot. They bypassed the emergency room entirely and slammed on their brakes right in front of Alaina.
The doors flew open. A team of paramedics in pristine uniforms jumped out, rolling a high-tech mobile ICU bed toward Eleanor.
The Queens hospital administrator ran out, waving his arms. "Hey! You can't take patients from our loading zone!"
A tall, silver-haired man stepped out of the lead ambulance. It was Dr. Alistair Reed, the CEO and Chief of Surgery at St. Ann's.
Dr. Reed ignored the administrator completely. He practically sprinted toward Alaina.
Alaina stood up, the hoodie falling from her shoulders. She was paralyzed with confusion.
Dr. Reed stopped in front of her. He looked terrified. He bowed his head so low it was almost comical.
"Miss Wells," Dr. Reed said, his voice trembling slightly. "I am profoundly sorry for the system error that caused your mother's transfer. It was an unforgivable oversight."
"I... I don't understand," Alaina stammered. "Fred Porter blocked her admission."
Dr. Reed's eyes flicked nervously to the tall, wet man standing behind Alaina in a cheap t-shirt.
Kyle stared at Dr. Reed. His eyes were dead, promising absolute destruction if the doctor messed up his lines.
Dr. Reed swallowed hard and quickly looked back at Alaina. "The... the Board of Directors personally intervened, Miss Wells. Your mother is being transferred to the penthouse panoramic suite. All expenses are covered by the hospital's discretionary fund."
Before Alaina could process this, the Queens administrator's phone rang. He answered it, went pale, and handed it to Dr. Reed. "It's... it's Fred Porter."
Dr. Reed snatched the phone and hit the speaker button.
"Are you out of your mind, Reed?" Fred's voice screamed through the speaker, echoing in the rain. "I told you to lock her out! You want Porter Pharma to cut your supply lines?"
Dr. Reed stood up straight. With the true owner of the hospital standing right in front of him, he felt a sudden surge of courage.
"Mr. Porter," Dr. Reed said coldly. "St. Ann's Medical Center has just terminated all purchasing contracts with Porter Pharma. Effective immediately. Do not ever call my hospital again."
Dr. Reed hung up and tossed the phone onto the wet concrete.
Alaina gasped. A massive, crushing weight lifted off her chest. She watched the paramedics carefully move her mother into the glowing, warm interior of the ambulance.
Dr. Reed gestured toward the vehicle. "Please, Miss Wells. Ride with her."
Alaina turned around. She looked at Kyle. He was standing in the rain, his hair plastered to his forehead, looking like a lost puppy.
"Did you... did you do this?" Alaina asked, her voice full of wonder.
Kyle rubbed the back of his neck, looking incredibly awkward. "I mean, I sell medical supplies to St. Ann's sometimes. I know a doctor who happens to be an assistant to one of the board members. I texted him what was happening, and he actually took it straight to the top. I guess with all the recent scandals surrounding Porter Pharma, the board was already looking for an excuse to cut them off, and we just happened to be the spark they needed."
It was a ridiculous lie. But in the overwhelming rush of relief, Alaina's brain accepted it.
She grabbed Kyle's hand. His fingers were freezing.
"Come with me," she said, pulling him toward the ambulance.
Kyle smiled, a shy, boyish grin. He let her pull him into the back of the vehicle, stepping into the world he secretly owned.
