Chapter 7
The hallway outside Room 412 was cast in deep amber shadows, the emergency lighting casting long, distorted silhouettes against the pale walls. Clara walked slightly behind Julian, her red gown gathered in one hand to allow for silent, swift movement, while her other hand clutched the makeshift weapon wrapped in linen. The hospital was unnaturally still, the usual hum of medical machinery replaced by an oppressive, heavy quiet that signaled danger in every corner.
As they approached the intersection leading to the administrative wing, the soft, rhythmic click of computer cooling fans grew louder. The server room door stood slightly ajar, a sliver of blue light spilling out onto the floor like a glowing knife wound in the dark.
Julian raised a hand, signaling Clara to stop. He pressed his back against the wall adjacent to the doorway, his dark eyes scanning the interior through the crack.
Inside, the silhouette of a man in a crisp business suit stood hunched over a main terminal console. The blue glare illuminated the sharp profile of Marcus Vance. He was typing furiously, his fingers dancing across the mechanical keyboard as a progress bar on the massive wall monitor ticked steadily toward ninety-eight percent.
"Almost there," Marcus muttered to himself, his voice carrying clearly into the hallway. "Delete local backups. Secure primary transfer."
Julian didn't wait for a signal. He pushed the door open with a sharp kick, the heavy metal slamming against the drywall with a thunderous crash.
Marcus spun around in his ergonomic chair, his face dropping its usual smug composure in an instant. For a second, he looked like a cornered animal, his eyes darting toward the open window before locking onto Julian’s furious expression.
"Julian," Marcus said, forcing a thin, nervous smile as he slowly stood up from the console. He smoothed the lapels of his expensive charcoal suit, attempting to regain an air of authority. "I didn't expect you to leave Maya’s bedside. Isn't it a bit irresponsible to abandon your dying wife?"
Julian closed the distance between them in two massive strides, grabbing Marcus by the silk tie and jerking him forward until their faces were inches apart. "The only person dying tonight, Marcus, is your career and your freedom."
"You can't prove anything," Marcus choked out, his hands clawing uselessly at Julian’s tight grip. "The board authorized the emergency data transfer under Article 9 of the corporate charter. If Maya is incapacitated, I am acting CEO."
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Clara stepped into the room, her red dress gleaming under the cold blue light of the monitors. She reached out and hit the manual override switch on the main server tower, freezing the progress bar at ninety-nine percent.
Marcus’s eyes widened in horror. "Clara—what have you done? That data transfer was encrypted. Interrupting it now will corrupt the core sequencing files permanently."
