“Is he operational?”
“Not yet.But if Montgomery decides to move before the safety drill —”
“He’s the advance man.”Mitch’s expression didn’t change, but his weight shifted forward.“How close is he to your people?”
“Close enough.He knows Maren Ward’s name and shift schedule.He may know mine.”
“You want me to keep him off the floor Monday morning.”
“I want him off the property entirely if you can manage it.If you can’t, I want him where my team can see him.”
“I can manage it.I’ll flag him with hospital security as a non-essential during a safety drill — standard protocol is to direct non-essential personnel to a designated waiting area.He won’t be able to refuse without drawing attention to himself.”
“Make sure the waiting area has only one exit.”
The corner of Mitch’s mouth moved.Not quite a smile.More like recognition.“I’ll see to it.”
* * *
Graham was back in his truck when his phone buzzed.
The number on the screen was Ronan’s.
He picked up.
“You’re on,” Ronan said.No preamble.He never wasted a syllable when one would do.“Federal coordination is live as of this morning.The synchronized hold is active across all twelve sites.”
“Two sites had operations in progress.”
“Resolved within the last hour.The window held.”A pause.“Blossom Springs is confirmed as the hub.When your safety drill runs Monday, the federal team moves simultaneously on the other eleven.”
Graham looked through the windshield at the hospital’s main entrance.A woman in scrubs came out the front door, a coffee cup in one hand, her phone in the other, squinting at the light the way people did after twelve hours under fluorescents.She wasn’t Maren.
“Montgomery,” Graham said.
“Still building.Still not enough for an arrest without the physical evidence from the hospital records.The financial chain is solid but it’s circumstantial until we have the transfer logs and the medication disposal records from the ICU.”Ronan was quiet for a beat.“Maren Ward has those records.”
“She knows where they are.”
“There’s a difference.”
“Yes,” Graham said.“There is.”
Graham watched the woman in scrubs reach her car and set the coffee cup on the roof while she found her keys.“She’ll get them during the safety drill.That’s the plan.”
“That’s one part of the plan.The other part is making sure she’s not carrying them out of a burning building.”
“The safety drill is controlled.No actual fire.”
“I’m not talking about fire.”
Graham let the silence sit for a second longer than was comfortable.“I’m aware of that.”
“Is she?”
He didn’t answer immediately.The woman in scrubs found her keys, retrieved her coffee, and drove away.The lot was quiet.
“She understands the risk.She’s not passive about it.”
