Chapter 4

"Uncle Victor, please, please save me. I can't, I can't breathe."

Hearing that only made me more certain the video was fake.

Every time Val passed me, coming or going, he'd call me Uncle Vic in that sweet little voice.

From the day he was born until now, he had never once called me Uncle Victor.

"Victor, please. For Val's sake, help me. Just move the car and I can get the medicine and he'll be okay."

She was on her knees, tears smearing her makeup.

"Victor, it's simple. You open the door, sit in the passenger seat, and let me drive."

I was still working out how to turn her down.

Then a splash of bright yellow appeared at the mouth of the underground parking garage.

I saw it, and so did Gertrude.

She reacted faster than I did.

Her voice climbed: "I'm begging you, Victor, just find it in your heart to save a child's life."

The yellow figure came toward us fast.

It was Faith Chavez, the cleaning lady for the complex.

"Gertrude, what's going on?"

Seeing Gertrude on her knees to me, her face streaked with tears, Faith's expression soured.

"Is he giving you trouble?"

Faith planted herself in front of Gertrude, cleaning tools still in hand.

"Faith, my son's asthma is acting up. His emergency inhaler is in the trunk, but I can't open the car."

Faith craned her neck toward the trunk.

"I begged Victor to move it, but he won't help."

She pulled up that fake video. "Faith, Val's suffocating. One dose and he'd be fine, but Victor won't lift a finger."

One glance was all it took for Faith's face to change.

"Victor, what's the matter with you? Just move it for her. That's a human life. How can you stand there and let a child die?"

As she spoke, she snatched the keys out of Gertrude's hand and pushed them into mine.

"You're the security guard here. Moving cars is your job," she ordered. "Stop stalling, or someone really will die."

I set the keys on the ground. "No. I won't drive her car. I'm afraid…"

Gertrude cut in. "Faith, I promise, whatever happens to the car, I won't hold him responsible."

"Right now all I want is to save my son."

Her act was flawless, and the fake video backed it up.

Faith bought it fast.

Her face tight with displeasure, she ordered me, "It's nothing. I'll be your witness. Just get the medicine out for Gertrude and help her save the boy. If anything goes wrong, you won't be blamed."

【Don't believe her. The second Gertrude rolls out of the car and it clears the complex, she'll testify too.】

【Then her lie and Faith's statement will pin it all on you, and you'll die wronged for it.】

I shook my head, firm. "No. I won't take that risk."

Clang. Faith threw her tools hard to the ground.

"Victor, I never took you for someone this selfish. What's gotten into you today? A life's on the line and you're just going to stand there?"

"I'm telling you, the minute you refuse to move this car for Gertrude, I'm going straight to the security office to report you."

She jabbed a finger at my nose, cursing me, her face dark.

When I said nothing, her tone went soft. "Victor, honey, any longer and someone really is going to die."

"Gertrude's out of options here."

"It's the middle of the night, everyone in the complex is asleep, and an old woman like me can't drive. There's no one but you."

Gertrude jumped in. "Victor, I really can't find anyone else. I promise, no matter what happens, I won't hold you responsible. Just help me."

Watching the seconds tick away, I knew there was no putting them off.

So I pulled out my phone and lit up the screen.

"I already called 911 and an ambulance. Someone will be here in ten minutes."

In an instant, every drop of color drained from Gertrude's face.

And I knew my gamble had paid off.