Chapter 3
The hospital lights buzzed overhead,
casting a sterile glow on the linoleum floor.
Mia slept soundly on two waiting room chairs,
her head resting on my heavy winter coat.
I watched her chest rise and fall,
grateful for her gentle and brave heart.
Detective Harris handed me a terrible cup of coffee,
the dark liquid steaming in the cold room.
Vanessa is talking,
he said bluntly.
She is trying to pin it all on Marcus,
claiming she was forced to participate.
I let out a bitter laugh,
shaking my head in disbelief.
She is a liar,
I replied firmly.
She was the one forging the bank documents,
I recognized her handwriting on the deeds.
Harris pulled out a small notepad,
flipping through his messy handwritten notes.
We found the ledgers in her designer bags,
along with the burner phones and offshore accounts.
She was planning to run,
leaving Marcus to take the ultimate fall.
It made perfect sense to me,
Vanessa always looked out for herself first.
Suddenly,
Dr. Evans pushed through the swinging doors,
his face looking more exhausted than before.
How is he,
I asked as I jumped up from my seat.
He is stable,
Dr. Evans said with a reassuring nod.
Severe malnutrition and vitamin deficiencies,
but his internal organs are surprisingly okay.
He asked for your daughter,
by the way.
I smiled through fresh tears,
feeling a strange sense of protective warmth.
Can we see him,
I asked softly.
Just for a few minutes,
Dr. Evans agreed as he held the door open.
I gently woke Mia up,
and she rubbed her sleepy eyes.
Is Leo okay,
she mumbled through a wide yawn.
He wants to see you,
I told her as I took her small hand.
We walked into the quiet recovery room,
where Leo lay hooked up to an IV drip.
He looked cleaner now,
the dirt wiped away from his pale cheeks.
Mia climbed onto the edge of the bed,
careful not to touch his bruised arms.
I saved you the strawberry jam,
she whispered to him secretly.
Leo managed a weak and fragile smile,
his eyes shining with unshed gratitude.
Thank you,
his voice was raspy and quiet.
I stood by the window,
watching the two children bond over surviving.
My phone buzzed in my pocket,
shattering the peaceful silence of the room.
It was an unknown number,
flashing brightly on the cracked glass screen.
I stepped out into the empty hallway,
pressing the phone to my ear cautiously.
Hello,
I answered with a tense voice.
A deep and raspy chuckle echoed on the line,
sending cold shivers directly down my spine.
Did you really think it was this easy,
a familiar voice whispered darkly.
It was Marcus's brother,
a man I had only met once at a terrible dinner.
He was a known criminal,
dangerous and heavily involved in local gangs.
You have something that belongs to our family,
he continued smoothly.
And I suggest you return the boy,
before your own daughter has an unfortunate accident.
My blood ran entirely cold,
freezing the breath inside my tight lungs.
If you come near my daughter,
I hissed into the glowing receiver,
I will end you myself.
He laughed again,
a sound devoid of any real humor or joy.
We will see about that,
he said before the line went completely dead.
I leaned against the cool hospital wall,
my mind racing with terrifying new possibilities.
Vanessa and Marcus were just the beginning,
the rotting surface of a much deeper darkness.
I walked back into the room,
looking at the innocent children sitting on the bed.
May you like
I would fight the whole world to protect them,
and I knew exactly where to start preparing.
