Not toward his chest. Not toward his pocket. Toward the underside of the stretcher. Then he lost consciousness again. Maya followed the direction of his finger, the underside of the stretcher.
Something hidden there? Before she could investigate, Mercer's radio crackled once more. A calm voice asked, "Status update. " Mercer turned away from everyone. "Still delayed. " The reply came almost instantly. "You have three minutes. " "Three minutes? " Maya's eyes widened.
"3 minutes until what? " Mercer looked at his watch again, exactly the same way he had been doing for the past several minutes. Louise quietly whispered, "He's counting down. " She nodded. "So are they. " Neither knew who they were, but whatever was supposed to happen, it was close, very close. High above the highway, the helicopter finally broke through the clouds. Its spotlight swept across the rain-covered roadway.
Every civilian looked upward. Mercer looked furious. "Not yet. " He whispered. The helicopter did not land. Instead, it circled once, twice, as if searching, then disappeared behind the storm again.
Mercer's confidence partially returned. "They missed us. " Maya wasn't so sure. Something about that helicopter felt deliberate, almost like it was waiting for confirmation. Meanwhile, 30 miles away, inside one of the speeding federal SUVs, Supervisory Special Agent Rebecca Sloaneee studied the live ambulance feed on a secure tablet. Every second of Mercer's actions had been recorded.
The destroyed medical supplies, the blocked treatment, the physical intimidation, the mysterious visitors, the coded radio transmissions. She looked toward the tactical driver. "These stones? Full minute. " Rebecca shook her head. "Too long. " She picked up an encrypted radio.
"Air One, this is command. " A pilot answered immediately. "Go ahead. Keep them exactly where they are. " "What about local law enforcement? " Rebecca's voice turned ice cold. "Treat everyone except the ambulance crew as potentially compromised. " Silence filled the helicopter cockpit. Then came the reply.
"Understood. " Back on the highway, Mercer suddenly removed his phone again. He glanced toward the black pickup. One of the two strangers gave him a subtle nod. Mercer slowly reached toward his holster. Maya saw it.
Luis saw it. Neither understood why, but both instinctively knew the next few moments would decide whether their patient lived long enough to reveal the truth. And somewhere beneath the stretcher, hidden where almost no one would think to look, rested the secret that powerful people were willing to kill to protect. The rain continued pounding the ambulance as if the storm itself were trying to erase what was happening on that lonely stretch of highway. Officer Daniel Mercer kept one hand resting near his holster while pretending to watch the helicopter circling overhead.
Dr. Maya Brooks wasn't looking at him anymore. She was looking beneath the stretcher. The dying man's trembling finger had pointed there only moments earlier. There had to be a reason.
"Luis," she whispered. He understood immediately. Without drawing attention, he positioned himself between Mercer and the stretcher. "What are you doing? " Mercer barked. "Checking the wheel locks. " Luis answered calmly.
Mercer narrowed his eyes but remained where he was. It was enough. Maya dropped to one knee and reached underneath the metal frame. Her fingertips brushed cold steel. Then, something taped tightly against the underside, a small waterproof package.
She carefully pulled it free. Inside was a black encrypted flash drive no larger than her thumb. Before she could examine it, "Doctor. " A calm voice came from outside the ambulance. Everyone turned. A man wearing an ordinary rain jacket stood behind the crowd holding an umbrella like any stranded traveler.
Nothing about him attracted attention except his eyes. They never left the flash drive in Maya's hand. He gave the slightest shake of his head. "Hide it. " Maya reacted instinctively. She slipped the drive into the inside pocket of her rain-soaked jacket just before Mercer stepped closer.
"What did you just pick up? " "Medical supplies. " "I I to see them. " "They're sterile equipment. " I said hand them over. Maya stood her ground. No. For a brief moment the highway became completely silent. Even the civilians stopped talking.
Mercer's face darkened. You are obstructing an active police investigation. I'm protecting my patient. No. He stepped even closer.
You're protecting evidence. The word hit Maya like lightning. Evidence. How did Mercer know there was evidence beneath the stretcher? She had never mentioned finding anything.
Neither had Luis. Only one conclusion made sense. Mercer already knew it had been there. Her suspicion was no longer a theory. It was certainty.
The ambulance had never been stopped randomly. The patient had never been delayed by coincidence. Everything had been planned. Mercer suddenly reached toward her jacket. I'll take that.
Maya slapped his hand away. You don't have a warrant. I don't need one. You do if you're searching me. For the first time that night several people in the crowd applauded.
Others shouted, leave her alone. She's a doctor. Help the patient. Phones remained pointed toward the ambulance. Thousands, perhaps millions, were now watching online.
Mercer realized public opinion was shifting against him. His jaw tightened. Then his shoulder radio crackled. A different voice this time. Short.
Urgent. Abort if necessary. Only four words. But Maya heard every one of them. Abort?
Abort what? Mercer didn't answer immediately. Instead, he looked toward the black pickup truck. The two unidentified men had opened their doors. One quietly reached beneath his jacket.
Luis noticed. So did Maya. They're moving. Luis whispered. Maya's pulse raced.
Before anyone could react the man in the rain jacket, the stranger who had silently warned Maya, began walking toward the ambulance. Mercer instantly blocked his path. Area is closed. The stranger calmly reached into his pocket. Mercer's hand flew to his weapon.