10
Leif Brunswick had just finished talking to that doctor, Harrison. He seemed excited. Brunswick wondered what had happened to the doctor that made him so happy.
There was a ring on his phone. He picked it up.
“Leif Brunswick—,“ he began.
“Mr. Brunswick. It’s your wife!”
Leif’s heart dropped.
“What is it? Is she going into labor?”
Leif’s wife had been pregnant for nearly nine months. She was expected to give birth soon.
“Yes,” the voice of his secretary said, “She’s in labor right now!”
“What hospital?”
“Eastbrook General, sir.”
Brunswick looked up at the sign on the wall above him. EASTBROOK GENERAL PSYCHIATRIC WARD.
“Damn. I’ll call you back later, Meredith.”
Brunswick hung up and turned in the opposite direction to the maternity ward. His phone rang again.
“Hello?” he picked up.
“Good day, Mister Brunswick,” a silky voice said, “I believe you are at Eastbrook General?”
“Yes, who are you?” Brunswick said, still rapidly walking.
“I hear you received a bomb threat.”
“How do you know that?” Brunswick stopped in mid step.
“Why Mister Brunswick, I made that bomb threat.”
“What,” Brunswick said, uncomprehendingly
“Is someone tired, Mister Brunswick? I don’t have to tell you my demands if you don’t want to hear them.”
“No,” Brunswick said, “I’m awake. What do you want.”
“Mister Brunswick, as I’m sure you’ve heard, the Prime Minister of England has visited America to meet with the President. He has brought his daughter, Minerva, with him. Recently, Minerva has gotten a bit of food poisoning, and is dreadfully ill.”
“What does this have to do with the bomb?”
“Patience is a virtue, Mister Brunswick. Do not interrupt again or I might just blow down this building early. I understand a friend of yours is here too.”
Brunswick gulped nervously.
“Now as I was saying. Mister Prime Minister did not want to leave his daughter in Washington. No, he wanted it to remain unknown. So he shipped her over to a top rate hospital only an hour’s drive away. Now my client, wants is a rich man. However, he is angry at the Prime Minister for some of his recent political decisions. He decided to protest.”
“If this is a threat to the Prime Minister, then why did you call me,” Brunswick spoke harshly.
“My client does not want to see the Prime Minister’s daughter spared. He knows if he killed the Prime Minister he would become a martyr and that would defeat the purpose. However, I know it is very much in your interest that this hospital is not destroyed. It would crush the town’s morale, and you cops would look like fools. So I decided to make this a little interesting. I want you to leave the hospital. Just pick up your bags and go. No looking for the bomb or sending other people to find the bomb. Just leave. If nobody interferes, I will not blow up this hospital. However, if you stay in there too long. Goodbye Eastbrook General.”
Brunswick was horrified.
“How can I possibly trust your word. You have a bloody bomb. If I leave, you’ll just blow up this place anyway.”
“Trust me,” the voice replied, “I don’t particularly want to blow up this place. All the poor cripples and unborn children that would be destroyed.”
Brunswick involuntarily took a breath, which did not go unnoticed by the man.
“Oh, yes. I forgot. Your wife is in the Maternity Ward, is she not? Forget about her. If you go to see her, the whole building will go up in, oh, let’s say an hour.”
Brunswick stared, even though the man couldn’t see him.
“And don’t even think you can trick me. I have eyes everywhere.”
He hung up.
Brunswick paled. He picked up the phone and dialed his superior.
YOU ARE READING
The Ward
Mystery / ThrillerAfter his wife's tragic death in a fire a man swears revenge against the doctor who was unable to save her.
