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Chapter 4

Author: Perfect Timing
...

Robert's face twitched. "I didn't peg you for this kind of monster!"

The livestream viewers panicked. They'd been rubbernecking, but now they were in the crossfire.

[Jesus! I've got a shift tomorrow. What are these samples? Am I at risk?]

[Officers, do something! Or I'm leaving this city.]

[The scariest part? You can't tell who is infected. Could be your friends, your family, anyone.]

Anthony barked at the hospital staff, "Just give her the list! She can't do squat with it!"

They hesitated, bound by orders from above.

"Fifteen minutes left." I checked the timer, sauntering toward the hostages. "Or should I start cutting again?"

Just then, an anonymous message popped up.

[I've got the transplant list from the past five days.]

I leaned in. "Who is on it? DM it to me. I won't leak it."

[I'll post it publicly, but you gotta kill someone first.]

My eyes widened. "I'm not your hitman."

[It's someone you know. Head Nurse Linda Roper, right behind you.]

I spun around and found Linda curled in the corner. Gagged, she shook her head like a trapped animal.

I stepped closer, the scalpel raised. "Fine, but how do I know your list is real?"

[I'll send two names first.]

A table hit my inbox. Every entry was detailed and looked legit.

I grabbed Linda by the collar, slammed her to the floor, and pressed the blade to her throat.

Anthony, staring at the screen, nearly had a coronary. "No, don't do this! Even if her kidneys were transplanted, what's your plan? Rip them out? We've got a donor. Surgery can happen now."

I didn't believe his words for a second. "You think I'm gullible? Donors don't just fall from the sky."

"It's true. I'll give her my kidney," he said quickly. "I checked. Our blood types match, and the HLA compatibility is high."

I froze. High HLA compatibility meant low rejection risk. He'd done his research.

"I'll donate," he added, sounding sincere. "I'm a police officer. My word is my bond."

My eyes stung, tears threatening to spill. I glanced at the steel door, wavering.

Then my phone buzzed. I answered the call, and my blood ran cold.
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  • The Scalpel Pointed Back   Chapter 9

    ...In the interrogation room, I remained in a dazed state."Why did you kill Robert?" Anthony demanded.Met with my silence, he pressed, "You spared Jeremy, Linda, and even Michael. We know Robert and Michael ran organ trafficking. You should have hated them both. Why just Robert?""You want me to kill more?" I said. "I'm no saint. I don't spare everyone."I couldn't tell him why. Anthony sighed, sliding me a phone.My breath caught. "Lauren, you're alive? Mom said you were gone."Lauren, on a ventilator, held up a note: [Don't screw up. You're a good doctor.]I shattered, collapsing into the chair and wailing uncontrollably. They had lied to stop my rampage.Lauren scribbled another note: [You're our pride!]Wiping my eyes, I said, "I'll confess everything. Just find Lauren a kidney."...The morgue had a hidden door, tucked behind a freezer stuffed with Robert's specimen collection. It was his dirty secret he'd never shared with anyone.My original plan was to nab him,

  • The Scalpel Pointed Back   Chapter 8

    ...Anthony knew what that meant. I had no leash left.He grabbed a colleague's phone, his head spinning, and issued a citywide alert. "Lock down the city and search for Hanna Carpenter. Nobody goes out tonight. Watch for HIV-tainted needles, blades, anything."He glared at the door. "Open this now, or you're going down as an accomplice!"Monica checked the timer. There were thirty minutes left. She had no idea if I had finished the job.She stood up and went to grab Linda. "Quit playing dead. It's just a nick."Linda sprang up. "Almost dozed off. How is Hanna holding up?"The chat exploded: [What? It's all an act? That's some Hollywood-level shit!]A bound doctor asked, "Is the HIV real? Do we need meds?"Monica untied them. "Only the transplant team used HIV-tainted needles. You're one of them?"A patient wiped her tears. "I knew she was a good person. Don't get caught, Dr. Carpenter."Michael, sprawled in a pool of blood, was still breathing. Monica checked his pulse. "Ha

  • The Scalpel Pointed Back   Chapter 7

    ...Anthony finally connected the dots.When "I" stepped back into the frame, the blood splatter on my forehead was gone. Even a quick wipe would've left a faint pink smear.But on the screen, the woman's face was as clean as a whistle."Monica Rowe? Where is Hanna?" Anthony demanded, his instincts screaming disaster.Monica remained calm. "Probably with Jeremy by now."As the countdown hit one hour, she clasped her hands together and closed her eyes. "One hour left. Hope Hanna gets Lauren's kidneys back successfully."...I pushed open a hospital room door.Jeremy, watching the livestream, gasped. "Dr. Carpenter?"I nodded. "I'm here for Lauren's kidney."He clutched his abdomen, terrified. "No, please! It's not hers. I waited years for this."I stepped closer, my shadow looming over him. "Sleeping well with a stolen kidney?"A crash echoed from the doorway. A woman had dropped a thermos, hot water splashing across the floor.She collapsed, sobbing, "Spare my boy. He did

  • The Scalpel Pointed Back   Chapter 6

    ...The chase looped back to square one.Robert was furious. "Hanna Carpenter, what's your endgame? You're high on killing? Your sister is in this mess because of you!"I stared into the camera, feeling his glare. "Trying to rile me up, Robert? Don't care about these people inside?"He fired back, "I'm begging you to stop!"That was funny. With things going so far, there was no turning back.Viewers soon pinpointed three suspects: Jeremy, a fifty-year-old man, and a forty-something woman.I pored over their files, then figured out who had Lauren's kidneys. I stepped out of the camera's frame, approaching the door. "Robert, you wanna save these people?""Of course, they're innocent," he replied. "The one you should hunt down is that intern.""Fair point." I nodded. "New deal: find that intern in one hour. I'll free everyone and spill where the HIV samples are."No one got why I'd flipped the script, but the internet had a new mission. The police scrambled to dig up the intern'

  • The Scalpel Pointed Back   Chapter 5

    ..."Nice try!" I snapped. "We've known each other for, what, an hour? When did you squeeze in an HLA test?"Anthony gave a wry smile. "Believe it or not, I checked before this started."I tuned him out, grabbed Linda, and slashed her throat.Blood sprayed across my mask. She twitched, then went still.I squinted at the camera. "Send the list."The full list arrived, each name a gut punch. My eyes locked on a photo, and my hands shook.It was him. I should have expected it.I steadied myself, a plan crystallizing. Anthony was livid. "Why? You've got the list, so what? You're trapped. Killing more people just buries you deeper.""Why bother with a killer?" Robert chimed in. "Blow the door and take her out!"The chat lit up.[Who is on the list? Spill it so we can help.][I don't wanna catch HIV stepping out my door.]I shut my eyes and faced the camera. "Captain Hatcher, who is Jeremy Hatcher? Why does he look just like you?"...The internet detonated.[What? Is she say

  • The Scalpel Pointed Back   Chapter 4

    ...Robert's face twitched. "I didn't peg you for this kind of monster!"The livestream viewers panicked. They'd been rubbernecking, but now they were in the crossfire.[Jesus! I've got a shift tomorrow. What are these samples? Am I at risk?][Officers, do something! Or I'm leaving this city.][The scariest part? You can't tell who is infected. Could be your friends, your family, anyone.]Anthony barked at the hospital staff, "Just give her the list! She can't do squat with it!"They hesitated, bound by orders from above."Fifteen minutes left." I checked the timer, sauntering toward the hostages. "Or should I start cutting again?"Just then, an anonymous message popped up.[I've got the transplant list from the past five days.]I leaned in. "Who is on it? DM it to me. I won't leak it."[I'll post it publicly, but you gotta kill someone first.]My eyes widened. "I'm not your hitman."[It's someone you know. Head Nurse Linda Roper, right behind you.]I spun around and fou

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