Within seconds, agents throughout the region received the same encrypted order. Black SUVs accelerated onto highways. Armored tactical vehicles left federal garages. A helicopter altered course toward the scene. Back on the highway, neither Maya nor Mercer had any idea that dozens of federal agents were already racing toward them.
Maya finally restored another weak heartbeat. She leaned against the stretcher, exhausted. Luis looked toward the dark horizon. The sound of helicopter blades was no longer distant. It was almost overhead.
Mercer heard it, too. This time, his confidence disappeared completely. Then, beyond the curtain of rain, flashing landing lights appeared in the sky. And for the first time that night, Officer Daniel Mercer whispered words no one else was supposed to hear. No.
They're here already? The rhythmic thunder of helicopter blades now dominated the storm. Every person on the highway looked toward the dark clouds. Every person except Officer Daniel Mercer. He wasn't watching the sky anymore.
He was watching his watch. His fingers tapped nervously against his duty belt. Five seconds. Ten. Fifteen.
As though he were waiting for someone else to arrive before the helicopter did. Dr. Maya Brooks noticed every movement. She had spent years studying tiny changes in breathing, posture, and eye movement to recognize trauma in patients. Now she was seeing something entirely different.
Fear. Not the fear of making a mistake, the fear of running out of time. Luis quietly leaned beside her. You see it, too? She nodded.
He's expecting someone. Before either of them could say another word, another pair of headlights appeared through the rain. A black pickup truck slowed beside the police cruisers. Two men stepped out. Neither wore uniforms, dark jackets, baseball caps pulled low.
Neither looked toward the gathering crowd. Instead, both looked directly into the ambulance. Mercer's shoulders visibly relaxed. He walked toward them immediately. The three men spoke only a few feet away, their voices nearly drowned by the rain.
Maya couldn't hear the conversation, but she didn't need to. The body language said enough. Mercer wasn't questioning them. He was taking instructions. One of the strangers pointed toward the ambulance, then toward the hospital in the distance.
Mercer nodded once. The men returned to the truck without another word. Instead of leaving, they parked behind the patrol cars, waiting. Luis frowned. Those aren't police.
No. They're here for him. Maya looked at her unconscious patient. Or maybe they were here because of him. Inside the ambulance, another alarm sounded.
Oxygen saturation had dropped below 78. Luis immediately adjusted the ventilator. We need to move now. Maya checked the patient's pupils. Still reactive.
Barely. She opened another medication kit. Just as she reached for a syringe, Mercer climbed back inside. I told you treatment stops. Maya didn't even look up.
I'm done asking your permission. She inserted the medication. Mercer's face hardened. I warned you. He grabbed her shoulder, hard.
She jerked free. Take your hands off me. Instead, Mercer reached for the syringe. It slipped from Maya's hand. The medication splashed across the ambulance floor.
No. Louise stared in disbelief. Do you have any idea what you've done? Mercer shrugged. Accidents happen.
Maya's patience snapped. That medication could have kept him alive. Mercer's expression remained completely blank. Then find another one. The paramedic searched frantically through the remaining supplies.
Nothing. That had been the last pre-loaded syringe. Maya improvised another dose by drawing medication directly from a vial with trembling hand. Every extra second mattered. The patient's heartbeat weakened again.
Beep. Beep. Longer gaps. Louise checked the monitor. Pressure's crashing.
Maya pushed the medication. Come on. Slowly, the heartbeat stabilized once more. Mercer watched silently. His disappointment was impossible to hide.
For the second time that night, saving the man's life seemed to irritate him. Outside, dozens of people continued filming. Live streams spread across multiple social media platforms. Comments exploded by the thousands. Why is that officer blocking an ambulance?
Someone arrest that cop. The doctor is risking everything. This can't be legal. Several local news stations began re-broadcasting clips before anyone even understood the full story. Back inside the ambulance, the patient suddenly coughed violently.
Blood stained the oxygen mask. His eyes fluttered open. This time they remained open longer. He looked directly at Maya. Recognition filled his face.
You. His voice barely existed. I know. Maya leaned closer. Don't force yourself.
He struggled to breathe. They. His gaze shifted toward Mercer. Instant panic filled his eyes. No.
Mercer immediately stepped closer. He's hallucinating. The patient shook his head with surprising determination. Using every ounce of remaining strength, he whispered, "Flash. " "What? " Maya asked. "Drive. " "What flash drive? " His trembling hand slowly lifted beneath the blanket.