Chapter 6 - The Stairwell Escape
The deafening crack of the suppressed firearm echoed off the tiled walls of the prep suite, the bullet embedding itself in the door frame a mere inch from my shoulder.
I didn't scream. Panic was a luxury I couldn't afford with my son pressed against my heart.
I threw my weight against the heavy push-bar of the emergency stairwell door, tumbling out into the concrete shaft just as a second bullet sparked off the metal handle behind me. The heavy fire door slammed shut with an echoing metallic crash, and I immediately threw the manual deadbolt lever, praying it would buy us more than a few seconds against Marcus Vance.
My bare feet hit the cold concrete steps with a sharp jolt that sent a wave of agony through my recovering body.
Every muscle screamed in protest. My breath came in ragged, burning gasps. But adrenaline kept me moving, one hand cradling the infant against my chest while the other gripped the metal handrail for balance.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Heavy boots hit the landing above me.
"She's heading down toward the service dock!" Logan’s voice echoed down the stairwell shaft, strained and frantic. "Vance, check the ground-floor exit—she won't make it past the security gate without a vehicle ID!"
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Hearing his voice—the man who had promised to protect us, now helping our hunter cut off our escape—felt like acid burning through my veins.
I skipped two steps at a time, ignoring the sharp tearing sensation in my abdomen. I couldn't go out to the main loading dock; Vance’s men would be waiting there with locked gates and unmarked vans. I needed an alternative route out of the hospital labyrinth before they cornered us.
