Chapter 8: The Door Beneath The Greenhouse
The emergency lights turned the hallway red.
For one second, nobody moved.
Then Victor shouted,
"Get the recorder!""
Karen grabbed my arm.
Not to search me.
To pull me backward.
"Run.""
Richard lunged toward us.
Karen shoved a metal cart into his path.
It crashed against his knees.
He cursed and fell into the wall.
"Karen!"" Victor roared.
She ignored him.
"Emily, the side corridor!""
I turned.
There was a narrow passage halfway down the hall.
I hadn't noticed it before.
Mrs. Carter began pounding weakly against the locked door.
"Emily!""
"I'm not leaving you!""
"You have to!""
"No!""
Victor came toward us.
His face no longer looked polished.
No calm smile.
No executive charm.
Just rage.
"You stupid girl.""
He reached for me.
Karen stepped between us.
"Don't touch her.""
Victor laughed once.
Coldly.
"You?""
Karen lifted her chin.
"For once.""
He grabbed her shoulder.
Karen struck his arm away.
"Get off me!""
Richard was already standing again.
He reached for Karen from behind.
I moved without thinking.
I grabbed the metal tray from the cart and slammed it against the wall between them.
The crack startled everyone.
"Back away!""
Richard froze.
I wasn't strong enough to fight three people.
But I didn't need to.
I needed seconds.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the recorder.
Victor saw it.
His eyes widened.
I threw it.
Not toward the exit.
Toward the opposite end of the hallway.
It slid beneath a cabinet.
Victor turned instinctively.
That was enough.
Karen grabbed a set of keys from Richard's belt.
"You've been carrying these?""
Richard tried to snatch them back.
She shoved him away.
"Which one?""
Mrs. Carter pressed her face toward the small window.
"Silver square key!""
Karen searched frantically.
Victor realized what we were doing.
"No!""
He charged toward her.
I stepped into him.
His shoulder hit mine hard enough to throw me against the door.
Pain shot down my arm.
But Karen found the key.
The lock clicked.
I pulled the door open.
Mrs. Carter almost fell into me.
I caught her.
"Easy.""
Ruth stood behind her, shaking.
"Can you walk?""
"Slowly.""
"That's enough.""
Victor grabbed my backpack.
The strap jerked me backward.
"You're not going anywhere.""
Karen slapped his hand away.
He turned on her.
"You worthless idiot.""
Karen stared at him.
Then something in her face broke.
Years of fear.
Years of obedience.
Years of being used.
"You told me nobody would get hurt.""
Victor laughed.
"You hurt them yourself.""
Her face collapsed for half a second.
"I know.""
"Then don't pretend you're better now.""
"I'm not.""
Karen's voice shook.
"But I can stop helping you.""
Richard grabbed her around the waist.
Karen screamed.
I helped Mrs. Carter toward the side corridor.
Ruth followed.
"Karen!""
"Go!"" she shouted.
I looked back.
Richard was trying to pin Karen against the wall.
Victor was reaching under the cabinet for the recorder.
If I left Karen there, they would destroy everything.
And probably her too.
I handed Mrs. Carter to Ruth.
"Keep moving.""
"What are you doing?"" Ruth asked.
"Fixing one more mistake.""
I ran back.
Richard didn't see me coming.
I grabbed the wheeled cart and rammed it into the back of his legs.
He stumbled.
Karen twisted free.
"Move!""
We ran.
Behind us, Victor shouted,
"Lock the exterior doors!""
The alarm kept screaming.
The underground corridor seemed endless.
Karen knew where she was going.
"This way.""
"How?""
"I've been here before.""
I looked at her.
"You said you didn't know where residents went.""
"I didn't.""
She was breathing hard.
"I was brought here once for a meeting.""
"What meeting?""
"Not now.""
We reached a steel door.
Locked.
Karen tried three keys.
Nothing.
Behind us, footsteps echoed through the corridor.
Richard.
Victor.
Maybe someone else.
"Come on," I whispered.
Karen tried another key.
Click.
The door opened.
Cool night air rushed toward us.
We emerged behind the greenhouse.
Mrs. Carter leaned against the wall.
Ruth was gasping.
"We need a car.""
Karen looked around.
"Mine's out front.""
"No.""
Mrs. Carter grabbed my sleeve.
"They watch the road.""
I remembered Thomas.
The tracker.
He knew where I was.
At least, I hoped he did.
I pulled out my phone.
No signal.
"Of course.""
Karen looked toward the tree line.
"There's another road.""
"Where?""
"Service road behind the property.""
"How far?""
"Half a mile.""
Mrs. Carter shook her head.
"I can't make that.""
Ruth looked no better.
Then headlights appeared beyond the greenhouse.
A vehicle turned onto the gravel.
Victor's voice came from behind us.
"Stop!""
Karen's face went pale.
"Run.""
We couldn't.
Not fast enough.
The vehicle came closer.
Black SUV.
For one horrible second, I thought it belonged to Victor.
Then the headlights flashed twice.
The passenger door opened.
Thomas jumped out.
"Emily!""
Relief hit me so hard my knees nearly gave out.
"Get them in!""
He ran toward us.
Another man exited the driver's side.
Tall.
Broad shoulders.
Plain clothes.
I stopped.
"Who's that?""
Thomas didn't answer.
The stranger opened the rear door.
"Mrs. Carter, Mrs. Henderson, get inside.""
Mrs. Carter recoiled.
"No police.""
The man raised both hands.
"I'm not here as law enforcement.""
That sentence did not help.
"Who are you?"" I demanded.
"David Monroe.""
He looked directly at me.
"State investigator. Elder Abuse and Healthcare Fraud Unit.""
I stared at Thomas.
"You called the state?""
"I told you I needed someone to see what happened tonight.""
Victor appeared from behind the greenhouse.
Richard was with him.
Both stopped when they saw David.
Victor's expression changed instantly.
The rage vanished.
The executive returned.
"What's going on here?""
David reached into his jacket.
He showed identification.
"Victor Hale?""
Victor relaxed slightly.
"Yes.""
"I'm David Monroe with the Florida Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.""
Richard went white.
Victor didn't.
Instead, he smiled.
"Excellent.""
I couldn't believe him.
He actually smiled.
"Then you can arrest this woman for breaking into private property.""
He pointed at me.
"She kidnapped two vulnerable residents.""
Mrs. Carter made a sound of disbelief.
Victor continued smoothly.
"She has been exhibiting increasingly unstable behavior at our facility.""
David didn't look at me.
He looked at Mrs. Carter.
"Ma'am, were you kidnapped by Emily Parker?""
"No.""
Her answer was immediate.
"Who brought you here?""
Mrs. Carter raised a trembling finger.
"Him.""
She pointed at Victor.
Victor sighed.
"Mrs. Carter suffers from cognitive impairment.""
"No, I don't.""
"Evelyn—"
"Don't call me Evelyn.""
Her voice was suddenly stronger.
"You stole from Margaret.""
Victor's smile tightened.
"You forged Walter's documents.""
Richard looked at him.
That caught my attention.
Maybe Richard hadn't known everything.
Mrs. Carter kept going.
"And you had me brought here because I found the accounts.""
Victor spread his hands.
"This is precisely the type of paranoid behavior documented in her chart.""
David looked at me.
"Recorder?""
My heart sank.
"It's still inside.""
Victor's eyes flicked toward me.
Only for a fraction of a second.
But David noticed.
"Inside where?""
I pointed toward the greenhouse.
"Underground facility.""
David stared at Thomas.
"You said abandoned property.""
"I didn't know about the underground level.""
David looked at Victor.
"Who owns this building?""
Victor laughed softly.
"I don't know.""
Karen spoke.
"Suncrest does.""
Everyone turned toward her.
Victor's face went still.
Karen swallowed.
"Not directly.""
She looked at David.
"A shell company. Blue Heron Medical Holdings.""
Victor's expression darkened.
"Karen.""
She flinched.
But continued.
"Suncrest pays the utilities.""
Richard stared at her.
"How do you know that?""
"Because you made me deliver invoices to Victor's office.""
Richard's face changed.
"I didn't know what they were.""
"Maybe not.""
Karen looked at him.
"But you knew residents were disappearing.""
Richard didn't answer.
David's voice became firm.
"Nobody leaves.""
Victor laughed.
"Do you have a warrant?""
"No.""
"Then you have no authority to search private property.""
David didn't react.
"You're right.""
My heart dropped.
Victor smiled.
"Good.""
David took out his phone.
"But I do have enough probable cause to request emergency judicial authorization based on witness statements and immediate risk to vulnerable adults.""
Victor's smile disappeared.
"You don't have a judge standing in the parking lot.""
"No.""
David looked toward the building.
"But I also don't need a warrant to respond to an active emergency when people may still be in danger.""
Victor's jaw tightened.
"What people?""
I thought about the rooms I'd passed.
Some were empty.
Maybe not all.
"I heard someone coughing.""
David looked at me.
"Where?""
"Underground.""
Victor immediately said,
"There are no other residents.""
David turned to him.
"Interesting.""
"What?""
"I didn't ask whether they were residents.""
Silence.
Victor realized his mistake.
Too late.
David told Thomas,
"Stay with the women.""
Then he looked at me.
"Show me.""
Victor stepped forward.
"You can't just—"
Karen interrupted.
"I'll show him too.""
Victor turned toward her.
His voice became almost gentle.
"Karen.""
She stopped.
That softness frightened her more than shouting.
"You have a family.""
Her face drained.
David looked between them.
"Was that a threat?""
Victor smiled.
"Of course not.""
Karen's breathing changed.
"My daughter.""
I looked at her.
"What?""
She grabbed my arm.
"My daughter is sixteen.""
Victor said nothing.
He didn't need to.
Karen looked at him.
"What did you do?""
"Nothing.""
He smiled.
"Yet.""
David stepped between them.
"Mr. Hale, don't speak to her.""
Victor lifted both hands.
"I was expressing concern.""
Karen pulled out her phone.
Her fingers shook as she called.
No answer.
Again.
No answer.
She started crying.
"She always answers me.""
I grabbed her shoulders.
"Where is she?""
"At home.""
"Who else is there?""
"No one.""
Victor watched us.
Calm again.
Too calm.
Karen suddenly lunged toward him.
"You son of a—"
David caught her before she reached him.
"Karen!""
"Tell me where she is!""
Victor looked bored.
"I have no idea.""
Her phone rang.
Karen stopped.
Unknown number.
She answered.
"Hello?""
Nothing.
Then her face changed.
"Rachel?""
A young girl's frightened voice came through faintly.
"Mom?""
Karen almost collapsed.
"Oh my God. Baby, where are you?""
"I don't know.""
"What do you mean?""
"A man came to the house.""
Everyone went silent.
Karen's hand shook.
"What man?""
"He said you sent him.""
Karen stared at Victor.
Victor's expression didn't change.
Rachel started crying.
"Mom, he took me somewhere.""
"Listen to me. Are you hurt?""
"No.""
"Can you see anything?""
"A room.""
"What room?""
"I don't know.""
Then a man's voice replaced hers.
"Karen.""
She froze.
Victor looked almost amused.
The voice continued.
"You made a very unfortunate choice tonight.""
Karen's face twisted.
"Where is my daughter?""
"Return to the building.""
"No.""
"Alone.""
David gestured for her to keep talking.
Karen put the phone on speaker.
"Let Rachel go.""
"Bring the Parker woman.""
I felt every eye turn toward me.
The voice continued.
"And bring the flash drive.""
My blood went cold.
Karen looked at me.
They knew about the copies.
"How do you know about that?"" I asked.
The man laughed.
"Emily, we've known about the flash drive since the hotel.""
I stopped breathing.
Thomas looked at me.
"You said you copied everything?""
I nodded.
The voice continued.
"Midnight was your deadline.""
I checked the time.
11:34.
"We gave you a choice.""
"Who are you?"" I demanded.
Silence.
Then:
"Ask your lawyer.""
I looked at Thomas.
His face went completely white.
The call ended.
Karen stared at him.
"What does that mean?""
Thomas didn't speak.
"Thomas.""
His hands began to shake.
I stepped closer.
"Who was that?""
He looked at me.
And for the first time since I met him, he seemed genuinely ashamed.
"I know that voice.""
My stomach dropped.
"Who?""
He swallowed.
"Daniel Reese.""
I remembered the name.
The man who supposedly owned Sunset Patient Transport.
Thomas closed his eyes.
May you like
Then he said something that made everything suddenly much worse.
"He's my brother.""
