Chapter 7 - The Phantom in the Mirror
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Ethan touched his screen, bringing up the live security feed transmitted directly from the hospital's executive wing five miles away.
The infrared camera showed the dimly lit interior of Dr. Andrew Vaughn’s office. A tall man in a dark tactical suit was standing in front of the opened wall safe, methodically transferring black binders and encrypted flash drives into a leather courier bag.
Then, the intruder turned directly toward the hidden camera lens.
He pulled down his face mask to adjust a small earpiece.
My knees nearly gave out beneath me. I reached out, grabbing Ethan’s arm for support as I stared at the high-definition image glowing on the phone screen.
The man standing in Andrew’s office had Ethan’s sharp jawline. He had Ethan’s dark brow, Ethan’s tall, athletic posture, and Ethan’s distinct, dark grey eyes.
"Ethan..." I gasped, looking back and forth between the screen and the man standing beside me. "How... how are you in two places at once?"
Ethan didn't answer. All the color had completely drained from his face, leaving him looking like a ghost in his own tux.
Suddenly, a metallic click sounded at the dressing room door.
The lock gave way, and two plainclothes NYPD detectives stepped into the room, followed closely by Andrew Vaughn and three armed venue security guards.
"Mr. Ethan Carter?" the lead detective said, pulling a leather badge holder from his coat pocket. "We have a warrant for your arrest."
"On what grounds?" Ethan asked, his voice deathly calm despite the madness unfolding around us.
Andrew stepped forward, a look of profound, tragic sympathy painted across his face for the benefit of the officers.
"I'm so sorry, Ethan," Andrew said softly. "The hospital security team caught you on live video breaking into my private safe and stealing confidential pediatric research files. I didn't want to believe it, but the biometric scanner logged your unique fingerprint."
"That's impossible," I yelled, stepping in front of Ethan. "He's been in this room with me for the last twenty minutes! He couldn't have been at the hospital!"
Andrew looked at me with fake, gentle pity. "Ava, sweetie, I know you want to protect your boss, but you don't know what he's capable of."
The detective stepped forward with handcuffs. "Mr. Carter, keep your hands where we can see them."
Ethan didn't resist. He calmly extended his wrists, his eyes locked onto Andrew with a chilling, promise of retribution.
"You set this up," Ethan said quietly.
"I didn't set up anything," Andrew replied, leaning in close as the steel cuffs clicked over Ethan’s wrists. "I just allowed your past to finally catch up with you."
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As the detectives began escorting Ethan toward the private service elevator, Ethan turned his head toward me one last time.
"Check the archives, Ava," he said, his voice cutting through the panic in the room. "Look up Project Lazarus from twenty-four years ago."
