Chapter 6 - The Midnight RoundsBefore the mechanical gears of the gate could engage, a sharp, authoritative voice cut through the sterile corridor.
"Step away from the control panel, Mr. Harris."
Tyler spun around, slamming his back against the bars.
At the end of the hallway stood Dr. Aris Thorne. The Dean of Equine Surgery was a silver-haired man in his late fifties, dressed in a faded scrub top and carrying a worn leather diagnostic bag. Behind him stood two campus security officers and a young woman wrapped in a heavy wool coat.
Rachel looked up through the iron bars, her eyes widening. "Chloe!"
Chloe Bennett stood beside the Dean, her face pale and hollow, with faint purple bruises lingering around her collarbone, but her posture was unyielding.
"Dean Thorne," Tyler stammered, raising his hands in a pathetic gesture of innocence. "Thank God you’re here. Vance broke into the isolation ward. She was trying to tamper with the trial horse—I caught her red-handed and locked her in for safety!"
Dr. Thorne didn't look at Tyler. His sharp, clinical gaze went straight through the bars to Rachel, who was slowly rising to her feet beside the calm stallion.
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"Rachel," Dr. Thorne said quietly. "Are you injured?"
"No, sir," Rachel said, her voice clear and resonant. "I'm unhurt. And Goliath is stable. But you need to see this."
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