Chapter 7: The Man Who Came to the Hospital
For several seconds, Theodore Brooks couldn't speak.
He stood in the middle of his study, holding his phone against his ear, listening to the sound of his daughter's unsteady breathing.
“Danielle, I need you to tell me exactly what happened.””
She was quiet.
Then she whispered, “It was the night Amara was born.””
Theodore looked toward Michael and Daniel.
Both men immediately stopped talking.
“Go on, sweetheart.””
Danielle took a breath.
“I was in my hospital room. Marcus had gone downstairs to get something to eat. It was around eleven at night.””
“Were you alone?””
“Yes. Amara was sleeping beside me.””
“And then?””
“There was a knock. A man came in wearing a dark suit. He said he worked with your security company.””
Theodore's expression hardened.
“Did he give you his name?””
“He said his name was Grant.””
Michael looked up.
Daniel slowly closed the folder in his hands.
Theodore continued.
“What did he want?””
“He said there had been a security concern involving you. He told me someone had been asking questions about your family.””
Theodore's jaw tightened.
“Did he show you identification?””
“Yes. He had a badge with the company logo.””
“Did he say anything else?””
Danielle began crying.
“He told me Amara wasn't safe. He said I needed to leave the hospital without telling anyone.””
Theodore closed his eyes.
“Did he threaten you?””
“He said if I contacted you, I might put you in danger.””
Theodore looked at Michael.
Michael was already writing.
“Did you believe him?””
“I didn't know what to believe, Dad. I had just given birth. I was exhausted. I was scared.””
Theodore's voice softened.
“You did nothing wrong.””
Danielle sniffed.
“I told him I wasn't going anywhere. Then he said he would come back.””
“Did he?””
“No. A nurse came in a few minutes later. When I told her about him, she checked with hospital security. They said nobody had signed in under that name.””
Theodore's eyes narrowed.
“What happened after that?””
“I called Marcus. We asked the hospital to change our room assignment. I didn't tell you because I thought it might be connected to your work, and I didn't want you worrying.””
He slowly sat down.
“Sweetheart, you should have told me.””
“I know.””
“From now on, you tell me everything. Even if you think it's nothing.””
“Okay, Dad.””
He took a breath.
“Did you recognize the man?””
“No. But I remember his face.””
“Would you recognize him again?””
“Yes.””
“Good. Don't contact him. Don't answer unknown calls. Daniel will arrange for someone to come to the house.””
Danielle hesitated.
“Dad?””
“Yes?””
“Do you think someone wants to hurt Amara?””
Theodore looked at the photograph of his granddaughter on his desk.
“I won't let anyone near her.””
He ended the call.
For a moment, he remained motionless.
Then he turned toward Daniel.
“Find out who Grant is.””
Daniel nodded.
“Sir, I'll check our personnel records.””
“Check contractors, former employees, temporary staff, everyone. I want the badge number Danielle remembers if the hospital has a visitor log.””
Michael closed his laptop.
“There's something else we need to consider.””
Theodore looked at him.
“What?””
“If someone impersonated your security company, they may have had access to internal information.””
“Meaning?””
“They knew your daughter had given birth. They knew which hospital she was at. They knew you were her father.””
Theodore's face became cold.
“Someone inside my company may be helping them.””
Michael nodded.
“That's possible.””
Theodore stood.
“Then we're going to find out who.””
At the Brooks residence, Danielle sat on the edge of her bed.
Amara was sleeping in her crib.
The baby monitor glowed softly beside her.
A gentle knock came from the doorway.
Marcus Brooks entered.
He had returned from his business trip that morning and had been informed about the hotel incident.
He was tall, with a close-trimmed beard and tired eyes.
“Hey, beautiful.””
Danielle looked up.
“Hey.””
He sat beside her.
“How are you feeling?””
“Better.””
He studied her face.
“Your father told me about the hospital call.””
Danielle lowered her eyes.
“I should have told you earlier.””
Marcus took her hand.
“You were recovering from childbirth. You were frightened. You don't have to blame yourself.””
She leaned against his shoulder.
“I just wanted everything to be normal.””
Marcus kissed her forehead.
“Then we're going to make sure you get some normal days.””
A few seconds passed.
Then Danielle looked toward him.
“Marcus, do you remember that man who came into my hospital room?””
His expression changed.
“The one who claimed to work for your father?””
“Yes.””
“I remember.””
“He said someone was asking questions about our family.””
Marcus frowned.
“Why are you bringing this up now?””
“Because Dad received a message tonight. Someone told him to ask me what happened three days before I entered the hotel.””
Marcus stood.
“Did they mention the baby?””
Danielle nodded.
“He said someone had told him Amara wasn't safe.””
Marcus walked toward the window.
“That's not a coincidence.””
“I know.””
He turned.
“Did your father tell you what he found at the hotel?””
“No.””
Marcus looked at her for a moment.
Then he asked a question she wasn't expecting.
“Did you ever tell anyone outside the family about your father's birthday plans?””
Danielle shook her head.
“Only the hotel receptionist.””
Marcus frowned.
“Then how did that person know you were going there?””
Danielle didn't answer.
Because she had begun thinking about something else.
Her father's company.
The hospital.
The hotel.
The same security logo.
The same mysterious name.
Grant.
Suddenly, her phone vibrated.
An incoming message appeared.
Unknown number.
*YOU WERE WARNED. YOUR FATHER DOESN'T KNOW WHO HE'S DEALING WITH.*
Danielle's fingers went cold.
Marcus looked at the screen.
“Don't reply.””
He immediately took a screenshot.
Then he called Theodore.
At headquarters, Daniel had just finished checking the security company's employee database.
There was no current employee named Grant assigned to Danielle's protection detail.
But there was a former contractor.
His name was Ethan Grant.
He had worked with Brooks Global Security for eighteen months before resigning unexpectedly.
His departure had been approved by a senior operations manager.
Daniel opened the personnel file.
Something caught his attention.
The resignation was processed unusually quickly.
No exit interview.
No equipment return confirmation.
No final security audit.
Daniel checked the badge records.
A badge number appeared.
He compared it with the description Danielle had given.
It matched.
He called Theodore.
“Sir, we found him.””
“Who?””
“Ethan Grant. Former security contractor. He had legitimate access to our identification system.””
“Where is he now?””
“We're checking.””
“Why did he leave?””
“His resignation was approved by someone in operations.””
“Who?””
Daniel hesitated.
“David Whitmore's former security liaison.””
Theodore looked toward Michael.
“David had a liaison inside my company?””
“Apparently.””
Michael leaned forward.
“Sir, this could connect the hotel investigation to your internal security operations.””
Theodore nodded.
“Keep going.””
Daniel continued.
“There's another problem. Ethan Grant's last recorded assignment involved an executive protection file.””
“Whose?””
“Yours.””
Theodore stared at the screen.
“My protection file?””
“Yes, sir. He had access to your travel schedules and family emergency contacts.””
Theodore slowly lowered his phone.
“Find him.””
Daniel nodded.
“We're working on it.””
Theodore turned toward Michael.
“Get me David Whitmore.””
Michael dialed the number.
It rang.
Then a voicemail answered.
He tried again.
Nothing.
Peter Whitmore had already agreed to bring his brother in for questioning, but David had apparently disappeared.
Then Daniel received another alert.
He looked at his monitor.
“Sir…”
“What?””
“Ethan Grant's vehicle has just been identified outside the Bellmont Grand.””
Theodore stood.
“Where is he?””
“Near the service entrance.””
Theodore grabbed his jacket.
“Let's go.””
Twenty minutes later, Theodore's vehicles arrived outside the Bellmont.
Daniel's team moved toward the service entrance.
But the vehicle they had identified was already empty.
A security guard pointed toward the underground parking garage.
“He was here about ten minutes ago.””
Daniel approached him.
“Did you see where he went?””
The guard nodded.
“He entered through the staff corridor.””
Theodore looked toward the building.
“Lock down the internal access points.””
Daniel immediately issued the instruction.
Then a voice came through his earpiece.
“Control room, we have movement near the executive offices.””
Theodore looked at Daniel.
“Let's move.””
They hurried through the service corridor.
At the end of the hallway, a door stood open.
Inside, Leonard Price was sitting at his desk.
His face was pale.
A second man stood beside him.
Dark suit.
Short hair.
A silver watch.
Danielle's description.
Ethan Grant.
The man looked up.
For one brief moment, his eyes met Theodore's.
Then he ran.
Daniel's team pursued him.
Ethan pushed through the emergency exit and disappeared into the parking garage.
Two officers followed.
Another secured the stairwell.
Theodore entered the office.
Leonard stood up.
“Mr. Brooks, I can explain.””
Theodore looked at him.
“Where is David Whitmore?””
Leonard swallowed.
“I don't know.””
“Why was Ethan Grant here?””
“I don't know.””
“Then why does he have access to your office?””
Leonard said nothing.
Daniel returned.
“Sir, he escaped through the east exit. We're checking nearby cameras.””
Theodore looked at Leonard.
“Sit down.””
Leonard slowly obeyed.
Michael entered behind them.
He placed a document on the desk.
“Mr. Price, we have a record showing that your administrator credentials were used to access Danielle Brooks's hospital information.””
Leonard shook his head.
“I didn't do that.””
Michael pointed to the document.
“The system records show the access request originated from your workstation.””
“Someone used my computer.””
“Who?””
Leonard stared at the floor.
Then he whispered:
“David.””
Theodore leaned forward.
“Explain.””
Leonard swallowed.
“David Whitmore told me to give Ethan temporary access to the security system.””
“Why?””
“He said there was a potential threat against the Brooks family.””
Theodore's expression hardened.
“And you believed him?””
Leonard nodded.
“He told me it was part of a confidential protection arrangement.””
“Did you know Ethan went to the hospital?””
Leonard hesitated.
Then he nodded.
Theodore stood.
“Who ordered him to frighten my daughter?””
Leonard's eyes filled.
“I don't know, sir.””
Michael placed another document on the desk.
“Mr. Price, we also found a payment to an account linked to Ethan Grant.””
Leonard looked up.
Theodore's voice dropped.
“Four million dollars in suspicious consulting payments. A former contractor impersonating my security team. A threat against my daughter and granddaughter.””
He paused.
“And you expect me to believe you know nothing?””
Leonard began shaking.
“I was following orders.””
Theodore stared at him.
“That's what everyone says.””
Then Leonard finally spoke.
“David wasn't the only person giving orders.””
Theodore stopped.
“Who else?””
Leonard looked toward the door.
May you like
Then he whispered:
“Someone in your company.””