Chapter 30- The escape
Chapter 30- The escape
CLAIRE
Cross’s door was closed, but a strip of yellow light came out from underneath. I knocked once.
“Come in.”
He sat behind his desk, sleeves rolled, his stethoscope across the paperwork scattered in front of him. His eyes found mine immediately,he already looked impatient. “You shouldn’t be here.”
“We need to talk,” I said.
He gestured to the chairs across from him. “Sit. Make it quick.”
Evan and I slid into the chairs, side by side. Cross leaned back,he was folding his arms. “What is it this time? Another accusation about the staff? Another ghost story in the hallways?”
“No,” I said. “This is about Lila. She’s not safe here.”
His brow furrowed, though he didn’t look surprised. “You think she’s safer outside these walls?”
“She won’t last the week if she stays,” I snapped. “Someone already tried tonight. You saw what happened.”
“I saw a woman kill herself in my hallway,” he said flatly. “I also saw a patient stabilized, sedated, and monitored. I’m not blind, Miss Monroe”
“She’s a target,” Evan said calmly“You know it. The attack wasn’t random. If they could send someone in here once, they’ll send them again.”
Cross’s eyes flicked to him. “And who exactly are ‘they,’ Mr. Calder? Do you have a roster you’d like to share with me?”
Evan didn’t flinch. “Does it matter? Whether it’s one name or ten, they won’t stop. You’ve lived in this town long enough to know that.”
Cross shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You’re both out of your minds. She’s just out of surgery. Her vitals are fragile. You want to drag her through god knows what kind of stunt? She won’t make it ten steps.”
I leaned forward, anger pushing the words out of me. “And you want to keep her in a bed with a target painted on it? What happens when the next one slips past your staff? Do you plan to put her on the morgue’s slab and call it a job well done?”
Cross’s eyes cut to him. “And your brilliant solution is what? Smuggle her out ? Do you have any idea the damage that could cause? Her sutures, her airway—she could crash in minutes. You’ll kill her faster than anyone else could.”
I slammed my hands against his desk “She’s already dead if she stays.”
The words hung there.
Cross glared at me, but I saw it—the flicker in his eyes.
Evan pressed gently “Doctor, you’re right about the risks. But risks are all that’s left. If we don’t move her, she won’t make it to morning. Not here. You know that.”
Cross pushed back from the desk“Do you have any idea what you’re asking me? My license, my career—hell, my freedom. And for what? This is reckless.”
“Reckless is leaving her to die,” I shot back. “Reckless is pretending Grayhaven plays fair. You’ve been here long enough—you know what this town does to people who try to tell the truth.”
His eyes snapped to mine, “And what if she doesn’t survive the move? What then, Claire? Will you take that on your conscience too?”
The words landed like a blow, but I didn’t flinch. I leaned forward, i was deadly serious. “Better to risk dying free than to wait here for them to slit her throat while we’re watching.”
Silence fell.
Cross looked between us. His fingers drummed against the desk. Then his shoulders sagged, i could finally see that the fight in him was bleeding out.
“Goddamn it.” He dragged a hand over his face. “If I agree, it’s because I can’t stand by and watch her die. But I’m not signing her death warrant either. If she goes, I go with her—at least enough to monitor. Home visits. Do you hear me? I don’t care if I have to sneak through your back door, Evan. If she spikes a fever or hemorrhages, I’ll be there.”
Evan inclined his head, calm as ever. “Done.”
I exhaled, only then realizing I’d been holding my breath.
Cross pointed a finger at me. “But if she dies out there, Claire—it’s on you.”
I swallowed hard. “She won’t"
\--
We waited. The hours dragged by, But when midnight finally settled over the hospital. The halls grew quiet; most nurses had changed shifts and visitors were gone,
Dr. Cross did his part. He walked the ward like he always did, stopping at the front desk to keep the night nurse busy with talk about lab results that didn’t really matter.
That was our chance.
Evan pushed the laundry cart down the hall. His steps were rushed, as if this was just another ordinary chore. I walked right behind him. With every turn we made, it felt like a rope pulling tighter around my chest.
Lila was barely awake when we entered her room. Her eyelids fluttered, She seemed confused, but she didn’t resist as we lifted her gently and slid her into the cart. I covered her with folded sheets, one after another, until the rise of her breathing was hidden beneath the fabric.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, even though she couldn’t hear me. “Just stay with us.”
We pushed the cart out into the hall. My hands shook as I gripped the handle. At the end of the hall, the service elevator waited. The doors slid open, and the cart bumped hard as we rolled it inside. My heart froze at the noise.
“Keep going,” Evan said quietly. His hand brushed mine for a moment.
The ride down felt endless. But when the doors opened again, the air felt colder. The basement stretched aheadof us . It felt like stepping into a different world.
The exit door yawned open at last, spilling us into the night. My car was waiting at the back gate. Together, we lifted Lila into the backseat, draping blankets to hide her.
I slid behind the wheel, Evan climbing in beside her. My hands gripped the steering wheel too tight.
“Where to?” I asked.
“Calder Books,” he said.
I nodded and eased the car out slowly, keeping the headlights off until we were clear of the lot and on the open road. For a brief second, I thought we had pulled it off.
Then I caught it in the mirror.
A single headlight, it was small at first but then I realized what it was. A motorcycle. It was far back, but it was coming closer.
My stomach dropped. I pressed harder on the gas. The motorcycle stayed with us, mat
ching my speed like a shadow that wouldn’t let go
“Evan.” My voice was tight. “We’ve got company.”