Chapter 11
The fixer, known only as Viktor, checked his suppressed firearm inside the dark interior of a parked sedan outside the hospital. His cold, calculating eyes scanned the entrance of Manhattan Presbyterian Hospital where Clara Vance was still resting under guard. Viktor’s mission was simple yet absolute: eliminate any remaining witnesses before they could testify in front of the federal grand jury. He adjusted his black leather gloves, stepping out onto the sidewalk and blending seamlessly into the chilly evening crowd.
Inside the hospital lobby, two federal security guards stood vigil outside Clara's private elevator, unaware of the impending threat approaching them. Viktor walked past the reception desk with calm confidence, flashing a forged federal badge that instantly disarmed the night nurse's suspicion. As he reached the private corridor on the fourth floor, his hand slid slowly inside his trench coat toward the heavy steel grip. The fluorescent lights flickered once, casting long, eerie shadows across the polished linoleum floor of the quiet hallway.
