Evacuate
Chapter 39: Evacuate
The problem with geniuses was that they rarely panicked.
The problem with Dr. Amara Queen was that when she did panic...
Everyone else should too.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
The office became perfectly silent.
Victoria's voice echoed through the phone.
Calm.
Controlled.
Urgent.
A combination Amara did not enjoy.
Not even a little.
"How long?"
The question came immediately.
Professional.
Direct.
Dangerous.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Victoria didn't hesitate.
"Less than an hour."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Lorenzo was already moving.
The king didn't need details.
The king recognized danger.
Immediately.
His phone appeared in his hand.
Orders already forming.
Plans already changing.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Amara stood.
Instantly.
The surgeon's mind began calculating.
Patients.
Staff.
Recovery wards.
The underground hospital.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Because leaving wasn't enough.
Everyone had to leave.
The realization settled heavily in her chest.
"What exactly did he do?"
Victoria exhaled slowly.
The sound carried genuine frustration.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
"He hired people who don't care about surviving."
Silence.
Immediate silence.
The meaning landed.
Hard.
Because professionals planned escape routes.
Professionals protected themselves.
Professionals expected tomorrow.
Desperate men didn't.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Desperate men only cared about today.
The realization made Amara's stomach twist.
Dangerously.
Victoria continued.
"Get everyone out."
A pause.
"Now."
The line disconnected.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Lorenzo looked at her.
"What did she say?"
Amara met his gaze.
The answer came immediately.
Without hesitation.
Without mercy.
"Evacuate."
Interesting.
Very interesting.
The king moved instantly.
His phone came alive.
Calls.
Messages.
Orders.
The Vitale organization shifted into motion like a living organism.
Fast.
Efficient.
Relentless.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Within minutes security personnel began flooding the clinic.
Nurses looked confused.
Patients looked concerned.
Administrators looked terrified.
Reasonably terrified.
Very reasonably terrified.
Amara stepped into the main corridor.
Immediately taking control.
The surgeon's voice cut through the chaos.
Calm.
Confident.
Certain.
The voice people trusted.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
"Transfer all stable patients."
The staff moved.
Instantly.
"Cancel every appointment."
More movement.
"Empty every floor."
Silence.
Then action.
Fast action.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
One nurse approached.
Panic visible in her eyes.
"Dr. Queen, what's happening?"
Amara looked at her.
Then smiled.
Softly.
Reassuringly.
The smile she reserved for frightened patients.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
"Nothing we're not prepared for."
The lie was excellent.
Absolutely excellent.
The nurse visibly relaxed.
Immediately.
The betrayal.
The competent-leader betrayal.
Undefeated.
Thirty minutes later the clinic looked completely different.
Hallways emptied.
Waiting rooms cleared.
Recovery wards transferred.
Staff evacuated.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
The building felt strangely hollow.
Quiet.
Wrong.
Lorenzo walked beside her through the underground hospital.
Armed soldiers stood at every entrance.
Every hallway.
Every elevator.
The atmosphere felt tense.
Dangerous.
Ready.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Amara hated it.
Deeply.
Because this place was hers.
Every wall.
Every room.
Every surgical suite.
Built with years of work.
Years of sacrifice.
Years of obsession.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
And now someone wanted to destroy it.
The realization made something cold settle inside her chest.
Very cold.
Very dangerous.
Lorenzo noticed.
Of course he did.
"What."
The single word came quietly.
Carefully.
Amara looked around the underground facility.
Then sighed.
Immediately.
The universal sound of a woman considering crimes.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
"I worked hard for this."
Silence.
Lorenzo understood immediately.
Not the building.
Not the equipment.
The principle.
Someone had threatened something she loved.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
The same thing he'd felt in the car after the shooting.
The same thing he'd felt ever since.
The realization surprised him.
A little.
Maybe more than a little.
Because for the first time...
He understood exactly how Amara saw the world.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Suddenly every light in the underground hospital flickered.
Once.
Twice.
Then steadied.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Every soldier froze.
Immediately.
The atmosphere changed.
Danger.
Danger.
Danger.
A captain's voice exploded through a radio.
"Boss."
The tone alone was enough.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Lorenzo grabbed the radio.
"What."
Static crackled.
Then:
"We found a vehicle."
Silence.
Immediate silence.
The captain sounded pale.
Actually pale.
Reasonably pale.
"Loaded with explosives."
The world stopped.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Amara felt her stomach drop.
Immediately.
Because Victoria had been right.
Romano hadn't sent another shooter.
He hadn't planned another ambush.
He'd decided to burn everything down.
And somewhere across Chicago...
Viktor Romano sat alone in his office waiting to see who survived his final move.
End Chapter 39