Chapter 5 - The Escape Protocol**
Before Victoria could give the order to her men, Dr. Rose suddenly backed into the wall behind her and slammed her hand down on the emergency fire alarm.
A deafening siren shattered the heavy silence of the room. Red emergency lights began flashing wildly across the ceiling, casting ominous crimson hues over everyone's faces. The automated sprinklers in the hallway activated, unleashing a downpour of water that sent hospital staff and patients into immediate panic outside the room.
"Go! Now!" Dr. Rose yelled at Arthur, blocking the view of the two troopers who were momentarily blinded by the flashing lights and sudden chaos.
Arthur didn't hesitate. He grabbed a heavy tray table and shoved it hard into the oncoming officers, knocking them off balance against the door frame. Victoria reached for her sidearm, but Arthur stepped in swiftly, grabbing her wrist and twisting it upward with expert precision. Her gun clattered uselessly onto the floor.
"I'm sorry, Victoria," Arthur said into her ear over the sound of the blaring sirens. "You chose the wrong side."
He delivered a swift, precise blow to her shoulder, disarming her completely and sending her stumbling back against the wall. Grabbing a warm coat from the chair, Arthur wrapped it around Clara's frail shoulders, unhooked her IV line safely, and lifted her into his arms.
"Hold on tight to me, Clara," Arthur commanded.
"I trust you, Arthur," she whispered, burying her face into his coat as he rushed out of the room into the chaotic, smoke-filled hallway.
Navigating through the panicked crowd of doctors and nurses, Arthur headed toward the service elevator at the far end of the corridor. He pulled a heavy security keycard—which Dr. Rose had slipped into his pocket earlier—and swiped it against the sensor. The elevator doors slid open, and he stepped inside, pressing the button for the underground parking garage just as Victoria and her officers burst through the double doors at the end of the hall.
As the elevator doors closed, shielding them from their pursuers, Clara looked up at Arthur. "Where do we go now?"
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"To finish what your father started," Arthur said, clutching the silver drive in his pocket. "To make sure no one ever has to run again."
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