Chapter 6 - THE HOSPITAL SIEGEThe sewers led out to the riverbank near the hospital district. I dragged myself out of the muddy water, Daisy limping beside me, her energy failing. We ran the four blocks to St. Jude’s Hospital, burst through the emergency doors, and collapsed onto the waiting room floor.
"Help us! Please, hide us!" I cried out.
The hospital staff immediately recognized me from the viral live stream that was now trending #1 globally across Facebook, X, and TikTok. Security guards slammed the hospital doors shut, locking down the perimeter. Nurses rushed me and Daisy into a back recovery room where Lily was hooked up to monitors.
I grabbed my baby, holding her tiny, fragile body against my chest. Her breathing was still wheezing, but the doctors had managed to stabilize her blood oxygen levels. "You're safe now, baby. Mommy's here," I sobbed.
Suddenly, the hospital lights flickered and died.
The emergency backup generators kicked on, bathing the hallways in an eerie red glow. Over the intercom, a frantic alarm began to blare: SECURITY BREACH. LEVEL 3 LOCKDOWN. ARMED INTRUDERS IN THE BUILDING.
Vance's men hadn't given up. Knowing that the flash drive contained evidence that could put Vance in prison for life and dismantle his corporate empire, they were going to wipe out the hospital room to destroy the evidence and silence us forever.
The heavy wooden door of the ICU room began to rattle. Someone was picking the lock from the outside.
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I backed into the corner of the room, holding Lily in one arm and grabbing a heavy steel defibrillator paddle in my other hand. Daisy stood in front of us, her ears pinned back, growling quietly despite her exhaustion.
The door swung open.
