Chapter 10 - The Alarm at 2:17 A.M.
Luca had avoided speaking about his sister for twelve years.
Now the past stood inside Emily's hospital room wearing Grace's face.
"Her name was Sofia."
Emily waited.
"She was nineteen."
Luca looked toward the window.
"She had a baby boy."
Emily's anger disappeared.
"What happened?"
"She came to this hospital after someone threatened her."
"Who?"
"My father never told me."
Luca's hands curled into fists.
"He put guards outside her room."
"And?"
"Someone convinced one guard to leave his post for three minutes."
Emily understood why Luca had apologized so quickly after chasing the fake nurse.
"The baby was taken."
Luca nodded.
"Sofia ran after them."
His voice became rough.
"There was a crash in the parking structure."
Emily whispered, "Did they die?"
"My sister did."
"The baby?"
Luca looked at her.
"Never found."
The cruelty of it settled over the room.
Emily glanced at Grace.
"And Room 417?"
"That was hers."
Luca stood abruptly.
"Someone is copying what happened to her."
At 2:17 a.m., every alarm on the maternity floor began screaming.
Red strobes flashed across the walls.
A recorded voice ordered staff and patients to evacuate.
Dr. Hale ran into the room.
"Fire signal in the oxygen storage area."
Luca immediately looked at Grace.
"It's a diversion."
Smoke began seeping beneath the door.
The officer outside shouted for them to move.
Emily wrapped Grace tightly in the pink blanket.
Luca took the metal archive case in one hand and positioned himself beside Emily.
"Stay behind me."
They entered the corridor.
Patients and nurses flooded toward the emergency stairs.
The lights flickered.
For two seconds, the hallway went black.
Emily felt someone hit her shoulder.
Grace was pulled sideways.
Emily screamed.
"My baby!"
Luca reacted instantly.
He caught a figure in surgical scrubs gripping the edge of the blanket.
The attacker released Grace and disappeared into the crowd.
Emily clutched the baby against her chest.
"Don't leave me."
"I won't."
The fire doors began closing.
Luca guided her toward the stairwell.
Then a wheelchair rolled directly into their path with no one pushing it.
Taped to the seat was another silver crown paperclip.
Beneath it was a photograph.
Luca picked it up.
The photograph showed a newborn boy wrapped in a blue blanket.
On the back were five handwritten words.
SOFIA'S SON IS STILL ALIVE.
Luca stopped moving.
Emily grabbed his arm.
"Luca."
The fire alarm continued screaming.
A phone began ringing from inside the empty wheelchair.
Luca found it beneath the seat.
He answered.
The distorted voice returned.
"East garage."
Luca's jaw tightened.
"You want me, not them."
"I want what your father stole."
"What?"
"Bring the Cole archive."
The voice paused.
"And maybe I'll tell you where your nephew has been for twelve years."
The line went dead.
May you like
Then the stairwell door behind Emily opened.
A gloved hand reached through and grabbed Grace's blanket.
