Chapter 13 - THE MAN IN THE WHITE COAT
Z
Seattle Mercy had renovated twice since Thomas Whitmore died.
Nora noticed that before she noticed anything else.
New glass entrance.
Modern lobby.
Original 1960s concrete hidden beneath polished panels.
Architecture disguised age better than people.
Sometimes.
Adrian's security entered through the parking garage.
Nora followed despite three separate objections.
The traced call came from a disconnected wing scheduled for demolition.
The old oncology floor.
Of course it did.
“Stay behind me,” Adrian said.
“You've said that approximately fifty times.”
“And yet you continue ignoring it.”
“I am behind you.”
“For now.”
Marcus found the service door unlocked.
Bad sign.
The corridor beyond smelled like dust and disinfectant.
Nora hated hospitals.
She hated this one most.
Room 412 had been her father's room.
She remembered sitting beside his bed doing homework.
He used to apologize for the beeping machines as if he personally controlled them.
They reached the old oncology floor.
A wheelchair sat in the hallway.
Fresh blood marked one wheel.
Marcus raised his weapon.
They followed the trail.
It ended inside an abandoned procedure room.
Richard Pierce lay strapped to a medical bed.
Alive.
Barely.
Nora rushed forward.
Adrian caught her.
“Wait.”
Marcus checked the room.
“Clear.”
Richard's face was bruised.
One eye swollen.
An IV ran into his arm.
Nora stared.
“What did they give him?”
Marcus inspected the bag.
“Saline.”
Richard opened his eyes.
“Nora.”
She approached cautiously.
“Where is Alexander?”
Richard laughed.
“Watching.”
Adrian stepped forward.
“My uncle died nineteen years ago.”
Richard looked at him.
“You saw a body?”
Adrian stopped.
“No.”
“Exactly.”
“What name is he using?”
Richard's eyes moved toward the ceiling camera.
Then back.
“He likes hospitals.”
Nora went cold.
“Was he a doctor?”
“No.”
Richard coughed.
“He likes places where death looks natural.”
Adrian leaned closer.
“Name.”
Richard smiled faintly.
“Dr. Andrew Mercer.”
Nora froze.
She knew the name.
Everyone in Seattle architecture did.
Andrew Mercer was chairman of the Mercer Foundation.
Hospital donations.
Historic preservation grants.
Museums.
Universities.
His family name appeared on buildings across the city.
And—
Nora whispered, “He funded Bellweather.”
Adrian looked at her.
“What?”
“Mercer Foundation gave the preservation grant six years ago.”
Richard laughed.
“He never wanted Bellweather restored.”
“He wanted access,” Nora said.
“To Thomas's archive.”
Richard nodded.
A voice spoke from the hallway.
“Very good.”
Everyone turned.
A man stood twenty feet away.
Silver hair.
White medical coat.
No weapon visible.
Andrew Mercer.
Nora had met him twice at fundraising dinners.
He had shaken her hand.
Complimented her work.
Asked about her father.
Her stomach turned.
Adrian raised his gun.
“Alexander.”
Mercer smiled.
“I haven't heard that name in years.”
Richard began shaking.
“Kill him.”
Mercer looked at Richard.
“You always lacked imagination.”
Adrian stepped forward.
“You killed Julian?”
Mercer's smile faded slightly.
“No.”
“Vane worked for you.”
“Occasionally.”
“Did you order my brother's kidnapping?”
Mercer sighed.
“Your brother became leverage.”
Adrian moved.
Nora caught his arm.
Not because Mercer deserved protection.
Because Adrian deserved not to become predictable.
Mercer noticed.
“How interesting.”
His eyes moved to Nora.
“Thomas's daughter.”
Nora wanted to tear his face apart.
“You killed my father.”
“He was already dying.”
“That isn't an answer.”
“He had weeks.”
“You gave him less.”
Mercer shrugged.
“The distinction mattered to you. Not to me.”
Adrian's gun lifted.
Nora whispered, “Don't.”
Mercer smiled wider.
“Yes, Adrian. Listen to her.”
Then alarms screamed.
Fire alarm.
Smoke began pouring from ceiling vents.
Marcus cursed.
“Gas.”
Adrian grabbed Nora.
Masks came out.
Mercer disappeared through a side door.
Marcus chased.
Adrian stayed with Nora.
“Go.”
“No.”
“Adrian!”
“I am not leaving you.”
Richard shouted from the bed.
“Don't leave me!”
Nora looked at him.
Richard Pierce had destroyed five years of her life.
Had hunted her father.
Had manipulated Lincoln.
Had helped build the network responsible for countless deaths.
And still—
“Untie him.”
Adrian stared at her.
“Nora.”
“We're not leaving him to burn.”
For one second, Adrian looked furious.
Then he cut Richard loose.
They moved through smoke.
Sprinklers activated.
The old corridor disappeared beneath white haze and water.
Nora heard gunfire.
Marcus.
Another shot.
Then nothing.
They reached the stairwell.
Locked.
Adrian kicked the door.
Nothing.
Nora examined the hinge.
“This is magnetic.”
“Can you open it?”
“If power cuts.”
Adrian shot the control panel.
Sparks.
Door released.
“Subtle,” Nora coughed.
“It opened.”
Fair.
They descended.
On the third floor, Marcus appeared.
Blood along his shoulder.
“Mercer escaped.”
Adrian looked at the wound.
“Through where?”
“Ambulance dock.”
Nora stopped.
“He planned this.”
“Yes.”
“Then Richard wasn't bait for us.”
Richard laughed weakly.
“No.”
Everyone looked at him.
His face turned gray.
“He wanted you inside the hospital.”
Nora felt cold.
“Why?”
Richard's eyes rolled toward her.
“To get you away from your apartment.”
Adrian's phone rang.
Security.
He answered.
His face changed.
“What?”
Nora grabbed his sleeve.
Adrian lowered the phone.
“Your building was entered twenty minutes ago.”
“What did they take?”
He listened.
Then stared directly at her.
“Nothing.”
Nora frowned.
“That makes no sense.”
Another pause.
Adrian said, “What was left?”
The answer came.
His eyes closed.
Nora's stomach dropped.
“What?”
Adrian ended the call.
“Someone left a package on your bed.”
Nora swallowed.
“What package?”
“A photograph.”
“Of?”
His voice softened.
“You.”
Nora stared.
“When?”
“Taken tonight.”
“What am I doing?”
May you like
Adrian's answer made every hair rise along her arms.
“Standing here.”
