Chapter 11 - THE BETRAYER BESIDE HIM
Every door locked.
Phones were collected.
Guards searched staff.
Gabriel looked at each person in the room.
Claire.
Vincent.
Dr. Price.
Tomas.
Two nurses.
Three security officers.
Sofia.
Someone had contacted Kane less than sixty seconds earlier.
Tomas checked devices.
“No outgoing calls.”
“Messages?” Gabriel asked.
“Nothing.”
Claire noticed Dr. Price shifting his weight.
Not nervous.
Protective.
He kept touching his jacket pocket.
Claire pointed.
“What’s there?”
The doctor froze.
Gabriel stepped toward him.
“Empty your pockets.”
Dr. Price pulled out a wallet.
Keys.
Pen.
Medical pager.
Nothing else.
Claire watched his face.
Then looked at the monitor.
“What about the tablet?”
Price’s eyes flickered.
Too late.
Tomas grabbed it.
The doctor moved.
Gabriel punched him once.
Hard.
Price hit the floor.
A guard took the tablet.
Hidden behind medical software was an encrypted messaging application.
Gabriel stared down at the man who had been treating his daughter for four days.
“You.”
Price spat blood.
“You don’t understand.”
Gabriel grabbed his collar.
“Explain quickly.”
“Kane has my son.”
The room went still.
“He took him two weeks ago.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because he said he’d mail him back in pieces.”
Claire felt sick.
“What did he make you do?”
Price closed his eyes.
“Keep Lily sedated.”
Gabriel’s grip tightened.
“You said her body rejected sedatives.”
“I lied.”
Claire stepped closer.
“What were you giving her?”
“Low doses. Enough to keep her disoriented.”
“You were drugging a traumatized four-year-old?”
“I was trying to keep my son alive!”
Claire’s anger exploded.
“So you sacrificed somebody else’s child?”
Price looked at Lily.
Shame filled his face.
“I’m sorry.”
Gabriel pulled out a gun.
Claire stepped between them.
“No.”
“Move.”
“No.”
“He poisoned my daughter.”
“And killing him in front of her will fix what?”
Gabriel’s eyes burned.
Claire didn’t move.
Lily whispered, “Daddy.”
That stopped him.
Gabriel lowered the weapon.
Vincent exhaled.
Tomas searched Price’s tablet.
“There’s an address.”
Price looked up.
“Kane’s holding my son there.”
“Where?”
“Red Hook.”
Gabriel turned to his men.
“Move.”
Price grabbed his sleeve.
“It’s a trap.”
Gabriel looked down.
“Everything tonight is a trap.”
Price shook his head.
“No. You don’t understand.”
“What?”
“Kane doesn’t want Lily anymore.”
May you like
Gabriel’s face went cold.
Price whispered, “He wants Claire.”
