CHAPTER 5: THE MEN WHO CAME FOR THE TEDDY BEAR
CHAPTER 5: THE MEN WHO CAME FOR THE TEDDY BEAR
Marcus noticed them before anyone else did.
Three men.
Gray maintenance uniforms.
Toolboxes in their hands.
No hospital badges.
No conversation.
No hesitation.
Just a steady, purposeful walk toward Sophie.
Every instinct Marcus possessed screamed the same warning.
They're not here to fix anything.
He leaned down.
"Sophie."
She looked up.
"When I tell you to run, you run with Miss Rachel. Don't stop for anyone except me."
Her small face tightened.
"Did I do something wrong?"
"No."
He forced a reassuring smile.
"You did everything right."
Rachel immediately understood.
She slipped closer to Sophie.
"What about you?"
Marcus loosened his tie.
"I'll slow them down."
The three men stopped several feet away.
The tallest smiled politely.
"Excuse me."
His voice was calm.
"We're here to collect a personal item belonging to the child."
Marcus didn't move.
"I think you've got the wrong family."
"No."
The man's smile vanished.
"The teddy bear."
Sophie instinctively hugged it tighter.
Marcus stepped between them.
"Show me your hospital identification."
The man didn't even pretend.
Instead, he quietly closed his toolbox.
Inside...
There were no tools.
Only zip ties.
A stun gun.
And black gloves.
The hallway fell silent.
Marcus's voice turned cold.
"You have five seconds to leave."
The tallest man laughed.
"And if we don't?"
Marcus took one step forward.
"Then you'll wish you had."
The first punch came without warning.
The attacker lunged.
Marcus sidestepped.
His fist slammed into the man's jaw with enough force to send him crashing into a supply cart.
Metal trays exploded across the hallway.
Nurses screamed.
The other two rushed him together.
Marcus grabbed an IV stand and swung it sideways.
One man stumbled.
The second drove a shoulder into Marcus's ribs, forcing him against the wall.
Pain shot through his chest.
But he didn't fall.
Not this time.
Not again.
Not while another child watched.
"Rachel!"
She grabbed Sophie's hand.
"Come on!"
The little girl hesitated.
"My teddy—"
Marcus caught the stuffed bear as it slipped from her arms.
"I've got it!"
Rachel pulled Sophie toward the emergency stairwell.
The attackers saw it immediately.
"The bear!"
One of them broke away from Marcus.
He sprinted after Rachel.
Marcus tackled him from behind.
Both men crashed through the waiting room chairs.
Glass shattered.
Families scattered in panic.
Hospital security alarms finally roared to life.
Within seconds, uniformed security officers flooded the corridor.
The attackers exchanged quick glances.
"This isn't worth it."
The tallest man touched an earpiece.
"We'll try again."
They disappeared through an emergency exit before security reached them.
Marcus remained on one knee, breathing hard.
His knuckles bled.
His suit was torn.
But the teddy bear was still in his hands.
Rachel stared at him.
"Who are these people?"
Marcus looked toward the emergency exit.
"They're terrified of what's inside this bear."
An hour later...
Police arrived.
Statements were taken.
Security footage was reviewed.
One detective frowned.
"It's strange."
"What is?"
"The cameras covering this hallway stopped recording exactly forty-seven seconds before the attack."
Marcus exchanged a look with Rachel.
Someone inside the hospital had helped them.
This conspiracy was spreading far beyond Green Enterprises.
Meanwhile...
Daniel Brooks watched the failed kidnapping on his phone.
His face twisted with rage.
"Idiots."
The mysterious man sitting across from him remained perfectly calm.
"You underestimated Marcus Green."
Daniel swallowed.
"What now?"
The man slowly removed a silver lighter from his pocket.
Flipped it open.
Closed it again.
"Then we stop protecting our investment."
"What does that mean?"
"It means..."
He looked directly into Daniel's eyes.
"...you're no longer useful."
Before Daniel could react—
A suppressed gunshot echoed inside the parked SUV.
His eyes widened.
Blood spread across his white shirt.
He collapsed sideways without another word.
The mysterious man calmly stepped out of the vehicle.
Pulled his coat tighter against the falling snow.
And disappeared into the darkness.
The next morning...
News spread quickly.
Facilities Manager Daniel Brooks Found Dead Inside His Vehicle.
Police called it an apparent robbery.
Marcus didn't believe a word of it.
Daniel had become a liability.
May you like
Someone had erased him.
Just like Ethan Parker.
