Chapter 13: Surveillance of the Corrupt Surgeons
The hospital corridors were quiet, the steady hum of fluorescent lights creating a low background buzz. Loraine adjusted the white coat she was wearing, trying to look like she belonged. She glanced at Conrad, who stood a few feet away in scrubs, pretending to review a clipboard. His jaw was set, and there was a tension in his posture, a reminder that they weren’t just doing their usual rounds. They were here for something much riskier.
Today, they weren’t paramedics. They were undercover, posing as hospital assistants while Francis, the police investigator, installed hidden cameras in the office of Dr. Kenneth Gentry, a prominent surgeon with deep ties to an illegal organ transplant syndicate. It was dangerous work, and Loraine knew they were walking a tightrope. One wrong move and everything could fall apart.
“Everything alright?” Conrad asked in a low voice, catching her eye as he passed by with a cart of medical supplies.
Loraine nodded, though the knot of anxiety in her stomach hadn’t loosened since they arrived.
“Yeah,” she whispered back.
“Just trying to stay calm. It feels different, you know? Being here for something like this.”
Conrad gave her a reassuring smile.
“We’ve handled worse situations. Just keep it cool. Francis is doing his thing, and we’re here to make sure no one interrupts him.”
Loraine tried to steady her nerves, taking a deep breath as they walked toward Dr. Gentry’s office. Francis was already inside, supposedly performing a routine maintenance check on the hospital’s IT system. But in reality, he was planting several hidden cameras in strategic places to capture evidence of Gentry’s illegal dealings. They needed concrete proof to expose him and the syndicate he was working with.
“Here we go,” Conrad murmured as they reached the office door. He knocked lightly, then opened the door, holding it open for Loraine.
Inside, Francis was typing on a computer, his face a mask of concentration. He gave them a quick glance, nodding slightly as they entered.
“Everything going smoothly?” Conrad asked quietly, leaning against the door to keep an eye on the hallway.
“So far, so good,” Francis muttered, not looking up from the screen. “I’ve got one camera behind the bookshelf and another near the desk. Just need to finish setting up the third one near the medical cabinet.”
Loraine’s heart was racing, but she forced herself to remain calm. She scanned the room, checking for any sign that someone might be approaching. They had to act natural, like they belonged here, like this was just another day in the hospital.
But something gnawed at her—a sense that this was too easy. Dr. Gentry was supposed to be out for a consultation, but she had a bad feeling he might come back early. They had to be quick.
Francis finished installing the final camera, his movements efficient and practiced.
“Done,” he whispered, closing the medical cabinet and standing up. “Now we wait for him to make a mistake.”
Loraine nodded, her eyes flicking toward the files on Gentry’s desk. They needed more than just video evidence; they needed documents—proof that could directly link him to the illegal organ syndicate. She glanced at Francis.
“Do you think we should check his files? There might be something useful.”
Francis hesitated, glancing at his watch.
“We don’t have much time. If you’re quick, maybe.”
Conrad shot her a wary look.
“Be careful, Loraine. If he comes back and catches you—”
“I know,” she interrupted, already moving toward the desk. “I’ll be quick.”
Her fingers trembled slightly as she opened the drawer, rifling through a stack of papers. Most of it seemed like standard medical records, but then she found a folder marked with an unfamiliar code. She pulled it out, her pulse quickening as she flipped through the contents. Names, dates, medical histories—patients who had mysteriously disappeared after being admitted for surgeries. And then, at the bottom, there was a list of organs matched with buyers’ names, prices attached to each.
“Oh my God…” she breathed, her heart hammering in her chest. “This is it. This is the proof.”
Just as she was about to snap the folder shut, the door to the office creaked open.
Loraine’s blood ran cold.
Dr. Gentry stood in the doorway, his sharp eyes immediately locking onto her. His face twisted in confusion, then suspicion. “What are you doing in here?”
Loraine froze, the folder still in her hands. Her mind raced as she tried to come up with a plausible explanation, but her throat had gone dry. She was caught.
“I—uh—was just—”
Conrad acted fast. He stepped forward, his face a picture of calm confidence. “Dr. Gentry, we were just doing routine checks,” he said smoothly, motioning to Francis, who quickly shut the computer down and stood up. “We’re new on this floor, and Loraine here was just checking to make sure the files were organized properly.”
Gentry’s eyes narrowed, his gaze shifting between Loraine, Conrad, and Francis. “Checking files? I don’t recall requesting any file audits today.”
Loraine quickly closed the folder and placed it back on the desk, trying to look as nonchalant as possible. “Sorry, doctor. I didn’t mean to overstep. I just thought I’d make sure everything was in order.”
Gentry’s suspicion deepened, and he stepped closer to her, his gaze lingering on the folder she had been holding. “These files are confidential. You shouldn’t be touching them without my permission.”
Conrad moved in closer, blocking Gentry’s line of sight to the desk. “Apologies, Dr. Gentry. We’ll make sure not to touch anything we shouldn’t in the future.”
Francis, sensing the growing tension, chimed in. “Actually, Dr. Gentry, we’ve just finished up here. I was doing some routine maintenance on your computer, making sure everything’s running smoothly. We’ll be out of your way now.”
Gentry’s eyes flickered to Francis, then back to Loraine. “Is that so?”
Loraine swallowed hard, nodding quickly. “Yes, doctor. We’re just about done.”
Gentry stared at her for another long moment, his eyes sharp and calculating. Loraine could feel the sweat gathering at the back of her neck. She was sure he could hear her heart pounding in her chest. 
Just when she thought they were going to be exposed, Gentry stepped back, his expression softening slightly. “Fine. Just make sure you don’t touch any more of my files.”
Loraine breathed a silent sigh of relief. “Of course, doctor. Sorry again for the intrusion.”
With a final suspicious glance, Gentry moved to his desk, sitting down and opening a different drawer, his focus shifting away from them. It was the opportunity they needed.
“Thank you, Dr. Gentry,” Francis said quickly, motioning for Conrad and Loraine to follow him out. “We’ll be on our way now.”
The three of them left the office, moving quickly down the hallway before anyone could question them further. Loraine’s heart was still racing as they walked away from the danger zone, her hands trembling from the adrenaline.
“That was too close,” she whispered once they were out of earshot.
Conrad nodded, his face grim. “Way too close. But you did good back there.”
Francis glanced at them both, his expression serious. “We’ve got the cameras in place, and now we’ve got that list. We’re getting closer.”
Loraine tried to calm her racing heart, still thinking about the folder she had seen. “It’s worse than we thought. They’re selling organs, matching them to buyers… it’s like a marketplace.”
Conrad clenched his fists, his face darkening with anger. “We need to take these people down. All of them.”
Francis nodded, his face set in determination. “We will. But we have to be careful. If Gentry suspects anything, it could ruin everything.”
Loraine looked back at the hallway leading to Gentry’s office. “He’s already suspicious. We’ll need to move fast before he figures out what we’re really doing.”
Conrad placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “We’ve got this, Loraine. We’re not backing down now.”
Loraine met his gaze, finding strength in his words. “No, we’re not. We’re in this until the end.”
As they walked away from the office, the weight of what they had just uncovered settled on them. The clock was ticking, and they had to act quickly. There was no turning back now.