Chapter 28: Total Control
214 words
For three days, Thorne sat at the reception desk, the phone cord tangling around his fingers like a noose. He wasn't answering calls; he was downloading files. He thought he was slick, copying patient data onto a flash drive to sell on the black market—corporate espionage was his golden parachute.
He watched Elena walk into the back, distracted. This was his chance. He pulled the drive and stood up.
Kendra blocked his path. She held a coffee cup in one hand and a police scanner in the other.
"Going somewhere, Doctor?" Kendra asked, her voice gritty with satisfaction.
"Lunch," Thorne lied, shoving the drive into his pocket.
Elena stepped out from the hallway, holding a tablet displaying a live log of his computer's activity. "Unauthorized data exfiltration. That’s a felony, Marcus."
He bolted for the door, but two uniformed officers were already stepping through the automatic sliders.
"I didn't just want to fire you," Elena said, watching the officers handcuff him. "I wanted to make sure you never hurt anyone again. The medical board is already faxing over the medical license revocation. Permanent this time."
As they dragged him out, kicking and screaming about his 'god-given talent,' Elena felt the last knot of tension in her chest unravel. He was gone.
End of Chapter 28
