Chapter 195
Melanie’s breath caught as the guard on the left stepped inside the room. Something was wrong—off by a fraction, but enough to raise alarms in her gut.
She hurried over to the remaining guard and asked, “Hey… did he just come on duty? Where did the person who was standing next to you just now go? He just changed when the power went out, right?”
The guard gave her a narrowed glance, eyes scanning her face as if gauging how much she knew and then nodded giving her a suspicious glance. But he nodded, “Yeah. It was time for a shift change,” he replied, but his voice held a trace of unease now.”
Just then, the radio at his hip crackled to life. “Unit 4, come in. There’s a delay with the replacement officer. He’s still en route—ETA fifteen minutes. Repeat: the new guard has not yet arrived.”
The color drained from the guard’s face and Melanie felt her stomach flip as they looked at each other in horror.
Then, without another word, the guard stepped toward the door and tried the handle. It didn’t budge.
“It’s locked,” he muttered, trying to look through the glass but it was too dark. “He shouldn’t have locked the door. We never lock it unless-”
Melanie didn’t wait for the end of that sentence. “Break it down,” she said hoarsely, already reaching for the emergency call button on the wall.
The guard braced himself and rammed his shoulder against the door once- twice but it would not budge.
Without waiting, Melanie turned on her heel and hurried to the nurse’s station, asking with a huff,” Do you have a spare key to go inside the ICU? You need to open it. Now.”
The nurse blinked and gave her a confused look as she shook her head, “Ma’am, we can’t just allow anyone into an isolation ward without proper sanitation and clearance. And why would you need a key…”
“I knowthat! There is an intruder inside. You know there is a patient here who was brought in with attempted murder. And someone is in there probably to hurt him. The real guard hasn’t even arrived yet. That man inside? He’s an impostor! Please open the door!”
The nurse’s expression shifted from confusion to dawning concern. She glanced toward the corridor, then stood abruptly. “Come with me.”
Together, they rushed down the hallway while Melanie felt her fear rising with each possible second. It had been a full minute since the man went inside.
The remaining officer was still struggling with the door, now joined by another nurse who had come out from a side room with a medical access key.
“He’s still not answering,” the officer muttered. “And I can’t hear anything from inside.”
“Try the override,” the nurse instructed, swiping her card and typing in a code on the panel beside the door. A red light blinked once, then turned green—but the lock still didn’t click open.
“No good,” she breathed. “He must’ve barricaded it from the inside.”
Melanie peered through the small glass pane in the door again. It was still dark and she didn’t know what was happening. The shadows shifted, and she saw a flicker of movement then a flash of something silver. Her heart plummeted.
“He’s got something in his hand!” Melanie almost cried. “We have to get in there now!”
The guard turned to the nurse. “Get security. Call in backup. Now.”
As the nurse ran to grab the nearest intercom phone, Melanie backed away from the door, scanning the walls.
“Where’s the fire exit?” she demanded.
The nurse on the phone pointed. “There’s an access corridor around the next bend. But it won’t take you directly into the room, rather the nurse’s station inside.”
“It doesn’t have to take me directly! I just need another way in.”
She took the corner fast, her shoulder grazing the wall as she found the emergency stairwell and the police officer followed her quickly.
Melanie burst through the emergency stairwell door into the nurse’s station inside the ICU, her shoes skidding slightly on the linoleum floor. The officer was right behind her, gun drawn but held low. She didn’t wait to catch her breath—she sprinted through the connected hall and slammed her hand against the emergency access panel to open the connecting ICU door from the inside, praying that it would open and the person who went inside would not have remembered to lock it.
It slid open with a hiss and Melanie breathed a sigh of relief. But the relief was short lived because the moment she walked inside she saw the man looming over Adam with a kinfe raised in his hand ready to plunge into Adam.
“Drop it!” the officer barked, stepping forward and leveling his weapon.
The man hesitated—but only for a breath. Then, as if sensing he was cornered, he turned toward the officer, slashing wildly. The officer ducked and tackled him to the ground. The blade- scalpel, Melanie realized-skittered across the floor.
The two men struggled on the tile, crashing into a tray of instruments that clattered loudly and she hurriedly moved to step between the killer and Adam. It would not be easy to get to Adam as long as she was here. The officer managed to pin the man’s arm behind his back and asked harshly,” Who sent you?”
“Melanie Collins. She told me to finish the job.”
Melanie stopped cold and stared at the man in disbelief.
“What?” she said, her voice sharper than she intended. “What did you just say?”
The man didn’t even glance at her. “Melanie Collins. That’s the name I was given. Said this guy wasn’t supposed to wake up.”
Before anyone could say anything more, the nurses entered and hurriedly interfered with a loud shout, “Stop! No more talking in here! You’re putting the patient at risk.”
The officer stood, yanked the man upright and moved, “We’re taking this outside. Now.”
As they dragged the man out, Melanie remained rooted to the spot, staring at Adam. Her mind reeling. She had almost lost him again. Dam* it! She needed to find the person immediately. Or rather find evidence against Sir Collins immediately. It could only be them…
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