Chapter 5
The private medical suite on the sixtieth floor was cleaner than some surgical centers Nora had worked in.
That disturbed her more than the guns.
Real surgical lamps.
Imaging equipment.
Sterilization cabinets.
Blood refrigerators.
Whoever Gabriel Moretti was outside that room, he had spent a fortune preparing for the consequences of his life.
Nora hated that thought.
She hated another thought more.
She knew exactly how to use everything.
“Turn him.”
Luca helped position Gabriel.
His fever had climbed to 104.1.
Nora started stronger antibiotics from the available stock and drew blood cultures.
“You’re not opening him here,” Luca said.
“I’m not.”
“Good.”
“I’m imaging him first.”
She positioned the portable scanner.
Twenty minutes later, Nora stared at the monitor.
There was something near the lower spine.
Small.
Artificial.
Impossible to identify clearly because of inflammation.
Luca leaned over her shoulder.
“What is it?”
“I don’t know.”
“Can it kill him?”
“It might already be doing that.”
Gabriel spoke from the table.
“Take it out.”
Nora turned.
“No.”
His eyes opened.
“Excuse me?”
“I’m a nurse.”
“You knew what to look for.”
“That doesn’t make me a neurosurgeon.”
“You were something before this.”
Nora froze.
Gabriel watched her.
“You don’t move like agency staff.”
She said nothing.
“You recognized septic neurological symptoms before anyone else did. You carry equipment your agency doesn’t issue. And during my seizure, you used exactly the medication and dose I needed without checking a reference.”
Luca looked at her.
Nora stared at the screen.
“People have previous jobs.”
“What was yours?”
“None of your business.”
Gabriel almost smiled.
“Everything in this building is my business.”
“Your spinal cord is currently my business. Let’s focus.”
A sudden buzz sounded from the door.
Luca checked the security tablet.
His face hardened.
“What?”
“Vincent shut down the elevators.”
Nora turned.
“Meaning?”
“Meaning nobody leaves.”
“Call emergency services.”
Luca stared at her.
She stared back.
Then understood.
Whatever empire Gabriel controlled did not survive by inviting uniformed strangers upstairs.
“Fine,” she said. “Call a private hospital.”
“No outside calls are connecting.”
Gabriel’s eyes darkened.
“He’s isolating the building.”
“Can he do that?”
Luca laughed bitterly.
“He helped design the security network.”
Another notification appeared.
Luca read it.
“Vincent’s coming back up.”
“With who?”
“Dr. Vale.”
Nora looked at Gabriel.
He looked strangely unsurprised.
“You expected this.”
“I hoped I was wrong.”
May you like
“About your cousin?”
“About everyone.”
