Chapter 7 - THE LAB
The elevator needed a palm scan.
Ethan didn’t have access.
Daniel did.
That made everyone uncomfortable.
He pressed his tiny hand against the glass.
The doors opened.
Ethan looked like someone had stabbed him.
“My own son had access to a laboratory under my house.”
Daniel looked at the floor.
“I didn’t know it was your house.”
We descended.
The display passed levels I didn’t know existed.
B1.
B2.
B3.
B4.
Then L.
The doors opened into bright white light.
The smell hit me first.
Disinfectant.
Hospital-grade.
Cold air.
We stepped into a fully equipped medical research facility.
No dust.
No abandoned equipment.
This place was active.
Ethan’s men moved ahead.
I stayed with Daniel.
Behind glass walls were hospital beds.
Small beds.
Children’s beds.
Some empty.
Some not.
A little girl slept under an oxygen mask.
A boy around ten stared at us through the glass.
Another child was strapped to a wheelchair.
“Oh my God,” I whispered.
Ethan stopped moving.
This wasn’t organized crime.
This was something worse.
It was clinical.
Profitable.
Hidden beneath luxury.
Mason spoke into his radio.
“Secure every room. Medical team now.”
A speaker turned on.
Victor’s voice.
“You always wanted to build an empire, Ethan.”
Ethan looked up.
“I built something better.”
“You built this under my home.”
“Our home.”
“You lost the right to call it that.”
Victor laughed.
“You still think morality matters because you tuck your son into bed?”
Ethan raised his gun toward the ceiling.
I grabbed his arm.
“Stop shooting electronics.”
He gave me an irritated look.
“Bad habit.”
“Very.”
We reached a large observation room.
Noah lay on a table behind glass.
Margaret stood beside him.
Victor stood at the controls.
Noah’s eyes were open.
Terrified.
“Dad!”
Ethan charged the glass.
“NOAH!”
Victor picked up a syringe.
Ethan’s entire body locked.
“What is that?”
Victor spoke through the intercom.
“The last dose.”
Margaret looked uncomfortable.
Even she seemed nervous.
I stepped toward the glass.
“Last dose of what?”
Victor smiled.
“The dose that makes the disease permanent.”
My heart stopped.
“You said the symptoms were artificial.”
“Up to a point.”
Noah cried.
“Dad, get me out!”
Ethan slammed his fist against the glass.
“Victor, listen to me. You want money? Territory? Names? Take it.”
Victor tilted his head.
“You think this is about money?”
“It’s always about money with you.”
“No. This is about legacy.”
He looked at Noah.
“Your son will become patient zero for a disease we created, documented, and cured.”
“You touch him and I’ll burn every person you’ve ever loved.”
Victor smiled.
“That would be difficult.”
He looked toward Daniel.
“You already killed most of them.”
Daniel flinched.
Ethan noticed.
“Don’t listen to him.”
Victor lifted the syringe.
“Come inside alone.”
A side door clicked open.
“No gun.”
Ethan didn’t hesitate.
He dropped his weapon.
“Ethan,” I said.
He looked at me.
For once there was no mafia boss in his face.
Only a father.
“Get Daniel out if this goes wrong.”
Then he walked through the door.
It locked behind him.
Victor smiled.
“Good.”
Margaret stepped aside.
Ethan approached Noah.
“Dad…”
“I’m here.”
Victor raised the syringe.
Then something unexpected happened.
Margaret grabbed his wrist.
“No.”
Victor turned.
“What did you say?”
Margaret’s face shook.
“I said no.”
May you like
And Victor calmly pulled out a gun—
and shot her in the stomach.
