The Lockdown
Dr. Linwood did not hesitate. She reached for the emergency wall console and pressed the red manual override.
"Hospital Security, this is Chief Medical Officer Linwood," she spoke into the intercom. "Initiate an immediate lockdown of Suite 2004. Restrict all elevator access to Floor 20. Notify the United States Attorney's Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation: we have secured physical evidence in the North Bridge maritime disaster inquiry."
"Sarah, please," Arthur begged, his voice dropping into a raspy, broken whisper. The arrogant billionaire had vanished; in his place was a frail old man trapped by his own architecture. "You don't understand the scope of this. It wasn't just my company. Three city commissioners, the port authority chairman, the state transit board... they all signed off on the steel substitution. If that drive is decrypted, hundreds of families will be ruined."
"Twelve families are already ruined, Mr. Vance," Dr. Linwood said, holding the confidential packet tightly against her chest. "They buried their children last Tuesday."
Two private security guards in dark suits appeared outside the glass doors of the suite, reaching for the door handles. But before they could enter, the heavy magnetic security shutters slammed down, sealing the glass partition under hospital emergency protocol.
Dr. Sterling looked at his colleague, then down at the healthy, uninjured legs of his most prominent benefactor.
May you like
"I signed those disability certificates, Sarah," Sterling whispered, his hands trembling. "My name is on the court orders."
"Then you had better be the first one to take the witness stand, Robert," Sarah replied.
