Chapter 10 - The Empty Crib
Julian froze in front of the vacant incubator, the warmth still radiating from the heating pad where his daughter had lain moments before. The monitoring leads were clipped cleanly at the edges, hanging uselessly like severed nerves.
"No, no, no," Julian whispered, falling to his knees and running his trembling hands over the crumpled cotton blanket. A single drop of fresh blood was smeared against the white sheet.
"Julian, look," Rao whispered, pointing his flashlight beam toward the tiled floor.
A set of wet footprints—one set from heavy combat boots, the other from the sharp, puncturing heels of a woman's shoes—led out of the ward toward the skybridge connecting the main hospital to the west administrative tower.
Julian stood up, every trace of panic burning away, replaced by an icy, predatory resolve. He reached onto an overturned medical cart and picked up a heavy stainless steel surgical retractor, testing its weight in his hand.
"Rao, where does the skybridge lead?"
"The roof," Rao answered, his face pale. "There’s a helipad on the west tower. If they get her into the air, she’s gone forever."
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Julian didn't wait for another word. He sprinted through the double doors, following the bloody trail into the glass-walled bridge as rain lashed violently against the panes outside.
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