Marion came out of the house and hopped into the car.
"Sir, where to next?" asked the secretary.
"The company," Marion replied, pulling out his phone and dialing a number he knew by heart.
No one was answering, and he got even antsier.
The secretary clocked his jittery vibe. "Sir, back to the office?"
"No. The McKinney Group."
Marion's nerves screamed. He prayed it wasn't as bad as he feared.
At the McKinney Group headquarters, the staff buzzed like bees. Hardly anyone noticed Marion barreling in.
Ben spotted him and approached. "Mr. Houston? What brings you here? And isn't Mrs. Houston with you?"
Marion stopped mid-stride, then spun around and bolted out.
The secretary trailed him, watching him go from jogging to sprinting. He rarely lost his cool like that.
The secretary trotted to catch up, asking where they were headed, but got no answer.
At the Central Hospital, the corridor stretched empty. Only Barton and Jordan stood to one side.
To him, Andrew was the only one fit to lead. No one else came close.
Andrew patted his head, like when they were kids, but this time, there was only silence.
After a while, Andrew regained his composure and looked away.
"Barton, let's go," he said flatly.
"I'm going in with you. Let me be there for you," Jordan begged.
Andrew never looked back.

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