“Help is coming.” The words fell from his lips, but he wasn’t sure if he believed them. Kip pressed a blanket to her wound and dragged her into another patient room. He repeated the warning to this patient as well.
Staying flush to the wall, he moved to the stairwell. Making it to the landing, he cracked open the door where he spotted Josh flattened against the wall at the end of the corridor.
Josh pointed to a parabolic mirror above him. They could see the shooter. One step and the shooter could see them.
Kip nodded, then followed Josh’s presumed path until they were side by side. “He stopped. He’s looking at his phone.”
“He’s watching the police secure the building,” Kip sighed.
“What is he waiting for?” Josh scanned.
“I think he’s aware of shelter in place. A nurse said he blames the hospital for killing his wife.”
Kip dialed Mike. “Boss, we’re on the top floor. There are no patients up here. He’s the spouse of a dead patient, blames the hospital for the loss. I think he’s got bigger plans. Maybe a device. He’s watching something on his phone. My guess, the news coverage. I think if the police or our people move in, and they begin to evacuate…”
Whoosh, boom.
Kip and Josh covered their heads as ceiling tiles came down. “Boss, you still there? Um, how big is the renovation budget?”
While Kip spoke with Mike, Josh slipped back down the hallway and checked the stairwell they ascended. It was destroyed. He checked the other corner’s stairwell. An exit sign flickered. He shined his cell phone light on it and saw an uncanny outline: a pipe bomb and a timer.
“Shit.” He made his way back to Kip. “Bomb in the exit sign.”
“Boss, you need to get them to create a false feed,” Kip told Mike. “If he sees any change, he’ll blow the place. If no one is seen leaving the building, we may have half a chance.”
Having a hard time controlling his anxiety, he ended the call and depressed thein need of assistancebutton on his phone. Josh did the same. If either lost consciousness or died, they’d be recovered.
“We need to get a look at the bomb. Is it on a timer or remote from his phone?”
“Okay, Boss. Lead the way.” Josh waited for Kip to slide against the wall. Both men kept their conversation to a minimum.
* * *
Chantal was havingher fetal monitoring done. Harper, feeling much better after a shower, walked toward Logan and Casey. Both were tuned into the news coverage, witnessing the continued rain stifle smoke as it puffed out a corner of the hospital on the screen. The reporter squealed, “Oh my, an explosion.”
“Bless her for stating the obvious.” Casey shook his head.
The camera shot focused on the parking lot and a reporter standing under an umbrella. Harper leaned over the desk, noticing the CEO’s spot was filled. Her heart dropped. “Kip’s there.”
Logan and Casey were caught up with the scene, never realizing Harper was watching until too late. “I’m sure he’s hunkered down,” Logan insisted.
“Yeah, sure. We’re talking about Acrobat, after all.” Harper sounded half angry and half afraid.
“Harper?” a male voice called to her.
She looked up. “Kyle? Kip’s inside?”
“Yes,” he said flatly.
The reporter continued speaking, “We’ve identified the shooter as Marcel Fontenot According to unnamed hospital staff, Mr. Fontenot lost his wife to cancer a week ago. He was calling for Lourdes Sommerstone as he made his way to the sixth-floor oncology unit. Police believe he’s unaware the Sommerstones no longer own the hospital located here in the eighth ward.
“In a letter sent to our station, Mr. Fontenot claims a clinical trial was forced upon his wife by Lourdes Sommerstone, which killed her.”
Harper grabbed her hair, her face racked with fear and worry. “Kyle, you need to take me there. I was caring for his wife in the ER when she died. He’ll listen to me.”
“Honey, I can’t put you in danger,” Kyle insisted.
“Mr. Fontenot owns a demolition company. He can blow up the entire building. You need to take me there!” Harper roared.
