Chapter 13 - The Unmarked Courier
By Friday evening, the hospital had finally returned to a steady, calm rhythm. Dr. Mercer had taken over as Chief of Medicine, and the oppressive, fearful atmosphere that Dr. Sterling had cultivated for years was completely gone, replaced by mutual respect and high clinical standards.
Olivia sat in the newly renovated nurses' station on the pediatric floor, finishing her shift notes. Her heart was lighter than it had been in months. Ethan Cole was continuing his rapid rehabilitation, and news reports confirmed that all the children affected by the illegal trial were responding exceptionally well to the targeted reversal treatments.
The nightmare was seemingly over. Olivia had proven that a nurse’s dedication, sharp observation, and unwavering moral compass could take down even the most powerful corporate predators.
At 7:45 PM, a junior courier wearing a local delivery uniform walked onto the floor, carrying a sealed, heavy matte-black package.
"Delivery for Nurse Olivia Bennett," the courier said, checking his digital clipboard.
Olivia looked up, surprised. "I wasn't expecting anything."
"Sign here, please. It was flagged as urgent priority from the downtown courier depot."
Olivia signed the pad. The package felt unusually heavy—dense, cold, and solid. Dr. Mercer walked by, pausing with a curious smile. "A gift from the Cole family already?"
"I don't think so," Olivia murmured.
She carefully slit the security seal and opened the black cardboard box. Inside was a brand-new, military-grade encrypted satellite phone and a single photograph.
Olivia picked up the photograph. Her blood ran cold.
The picture had been taken less than ten minutes ago, showing Olivia sitting at that exact nurses' station through the large glass corridor window. On the back of the photo, written in precise, elegant handwriting, was a short message:
May you like
*“You saved the children of Batch 4, Nurse Bennett. But Apex was only a subcontractor. The real trial hasn't started yet. Batch 1 through 3 are already active in the neonatal ICUs across seven international cities. If you want to stop the next phase, answer the phone when it rings. You have three minutes.”*
As Olivia stared at the chilling words, the satellite phone at the bottom of the box suddenly began to pulse with a low, vibrating hum, lighting up with a caller ID from an unknown, restricted international satellite network.