Chapter 3 - Shadows of the Hospital
For two days, Clara and Leo remained off the grid, hiding in a run-down motel on the outskirts of the city. With Detective Marcus’s help, they managed to stay one step ahead of Richard’s mercenaries. But time was running out. Richard’s legal team had successfully filed for an emergency bail hearing, and because of his political connections, a corrupt judge was likely to grant it.
If Richard was released, he would use his wealth to flee the country and destroy all remaining evidence.
"The ledger in the hospital vault is our only hope," Clara said, practicing standing by holding onto the motel bedpost. She was determined. Every day, she pushed herself to walk a few more steps, enduring the agonizing pain of her regenerating nervous system. "We need to get into Sterling Memorial."
"It's suicide," Leo replied, looking at a blueprint of the hospital he had printed out. "The hospital is crawling with Sterling’s private security. The vault is on the sub-level floor, protected by biometric scanners. Only top-tier executives have access."
"I have access," Clara said softly.
Leo looked up, surprised.
"My father set up the hospital’s security system using retina and fingerprint scans of our entire family as emergency overrides," Clara explained. "He did it years ago to show the media how 'secure' his family was. He never deactivated my profile because he never imagined I would ever leave my room, let alone walk into that hospital."
That night, under the cover of a massive thunderstorm, Clara and Leo slipped into the hospital basement through the ambulance bay, disguised in scrubs. Clara rode in a wheelchair pushed by Leo to avoid suspicion, her heart hammering against her ribs.
They descended into the cold, sterile hallways of the sub-level. The air was thick with the scent of chemicals.
As they approached the heavy steel vault doors, two security guards stepped out from the shadows.
"Stop right there," one of them commanded, his hand resting on his holster. "This area is off-limits to unauthorized staff."
Clara took a deep breath. She pulled off her surgical mask and looked the guard straight in the eyes.
"Do you know who I am?" she asked, her voice cold and commanding, channeling the very authority her father had used to control her.
The guards blinked in shock. "Miss... Miss Sterling? But you're supposed to be in protective custody—"
"My father is in jail, and his empire is collapsing," Clara interrupted. "If you obstruct me, you will be charged as accomplices to child abuse and corporate fraud. Or, you can step aside, let me take what is mine, and save yourselves."
The guards looked at each other, terrified of the massive public backlash and the mounting criminal charges facing the company. Slowly, they stepped back.
Clara stood up from the wheelchair, refusing Leo’s help this time. She walked to the biometric scanner, placed her hand on the glass, and stared into the red laser light.
“Access granted. Welcome, Clara Sterling,” a synthetic voice chimed.
The massive vault door hissed open. Inside, rows of safety deposit boxes lined the walls. Clara and Leo rushed in, scanning the numbers until they found Box 404—the one registered to Dr. Julian Vance.
Leo broke the lock with a crowbar he had brought. Inside was a thick, leather-bound book and a digital recorder.
But before they could celebrate, the heavy steel door of the vault slammed shut behind them.
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The overhead lights turned red, and a siren began to wail. From the intercom speaker on the wall, a chillingly familiar voice echoed.
"You always were too smart for your own good, Clara," Richard Sterling’s voice sneered. He wasn't in jail. He had been released on bail early. "But did you really think I wouldn't monitor my own vault? You’ve just walked into your own tomb."
