“Check Suite A first,” a man’s voice barked from the hallway.

I looked at Alexander’s still face, my heart breaking.

“I’ll come back for you,” I whispered, kissing his cold forehead.

I ran toward the back of the suite, finding a small service door marked *Exit*.

Behind me, the main door to Suite A began to rattle.

The lock clicked.

I slipped through the heavy metal door just as the latch on the front door of Suite A clicked open.

The service stairwell was cold and smelled of industrial bleach.

My sneakers made no sound on the concrete steps as I ran downward, my heart hammering against my ribs.

Behind me, a door crashed open on the landing above.

“He’s still in the bed,” a man shouted, his voice echoing down the concrete shaft. “Where is the woman?”

I didn’t wait to hear the reply.

I took the stairs three at a time, my hand gripping the cold iron railing.

I held the canvas bag tight against my side, protecting the tablet and the stolen medical charts.