Page 81 of Hidden Hero

“Yes?” She wasn’t sure but thought she recognized Dan’s voice.

“This is Dr. Lyles. I’m here, just outside.”

The intruder didn’t react to her brief exchange, his focus remaining on the room. More accurately, his gaze continued to return to the body on the autopsy table. Seizing the moment, Cora added, “Dr. Penn, get Carl out to Dr. Lyles. He’ll take it from there.”

David hesitated, then bent down, his movements deliberate as he grabbed Carl by the shoulders. Cora held her breath as David dragged Carl inch by agonizing inch toward the doors. With a final heave, they disappeared through the doorway.

“I have them.” Dan’s voice came again, stronger this time. Relief swelled in her chest, but it was short-lived. “What’s going on in there, Cora?” he asked.

She kept her gaze locked on the intruder. “We have a distraught visitor,” she said evenly.

The low murmur of voices and the scuffle of hurried footsteps on the other side of the door hinted that law enforcement and hospital security had arrived. The sound gave her a flicker of reassurance, but she knew she had to keep the man focused on her.

“Listen to me,” she said, her voice gentle but firm. “No one here wants to hurt you. We just want to make sure everyone is safe.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Janice gripping the edge of the autopsy table, her knuckles white and her hands trembling. The stark fear in Janice’s eyes mirrored her own, but Cora couldn’t afford to falter now. Taking a small step forward, she steadied herself, determined to end this before anyone else got hurt.

“My name is Cora,” she said softly, her voice steady despite her heart pounding. She hoped to build a thread of trust. “What’s your name?”

The man’s wild eyes darted to hers, then back to the cadaver lying on the autopsy table. His knuckles whitened as his grip tightened on the gun. “I’m a man of God,” he finally said, his voice trembling with conviction.

Cora nodded slowly, her hands carefully placed at her sides. “Okay,” she said, her tone calm and measured. “That’s good to know. But I’d still like to know your name. It makes it easier for us to talk.”

He hesitated, his lips pressing into a hard line before his gaze dropped again to the body on the table. His expression twisted with grief and rage. “How can you do this?” he spat, gesturing wildly at the table with his gun. “This…” He choked on the word. “This is what you did to Mr. Parker. You cut him open. You defiled him. You found things that were meant to stay hidden.”

Cora’s mind raced. Mr. Parker. She’d met his wife and his sister. But his son? She didn’t recall ever meeting him. Her eyes flicked back to the man before her. No resemblance. No sign of familial connection.Wasn’t he in jail for assaulting a deputy?

“Please,” she began gently, trying to tread carefully, “I need to know?—”

“Mr. Grissley?” a voice crackled over the intercom, cutting her off.

Cora blinked, startled. The name didn’t register, nor did the voice calling it out. Her head jerked slightly as she glanced toward the intercom light. The intruder stiffened, his head snapping around toward the speaker.

“This is Buford Grissley, right? Pastor Grissley?” the voice continued, steady and calm. “My name is Officer Gomez. I’m a trained negotiator and want to talk to you.”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” Buford snapped, his voice rising.

“Pastor Grissley,” Gomez pressed, “We need to understand why you came to the hospital today. Were you looking for someone?”

Buford’s shoulders heaved as he took a ragged breath. His grip on the gun faltered, but only slightly. “He found it,” he muttered, his voice low and thick with emotion. “He found it and took it, and I had to stop him.”

“Who are you talking about? What did he find?” Officer Gomez asked, his tone even.

Buford didn’t respond, his focus pinned on the intercom. Cora took a slow, careful step back, inching her hand behind her. The cold surface of the autopsy table met her fingers as she slid them along, feeling for the scalpel she’d been using earlier.

“Pastor Grissley,” the negotiator continued, his voice easing into the tension-filled room, “I know you don’t want to hurt anyone. I know you care about people. I understand you’re distraught, but this isn’t you. You don’t want to cause harm.”

Buford’s head snapped back to Cora, his gaze seemingly unfocused before he turned toward the intercom on the wall again. She froze, hearing Janice shift her stance. The scalpel handle was pushed against Cora’s hand, and she realized Janice understood what she’d been searching for.

“This isn’t right,” he said, his voice sad and worn.

“What isn’t right, Pastor Grissley?” Cora asked, keeping her voice calm and steady as though she wasn’t staring at a man losing grip on reality with a gun in his hand.

“He had a heart attack,” Buford said, his voice breaking. “That was all. But he found out what Fred had taken.”

Fred?Cora’s mind raced.Fred Rudolph?The name clicked. He’d been in a car accident with the bag of prescription pills found at the scene.

The negotiator’s voice fell silent, and she realized he must be consulting with someone outside. Her thoughts leaped to one person—Jeremy. A shiver ran down her spine as she realized he might be there. The thought gave her both hope and fear. She clenched her jaw, fighting to keep her focus on Grissley. If Jeremy was outside, then help wasn’t far away. But she had to keep things from spiraling before anyone could act.

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