Dead Man's Switch

**[Ace's POV]**

The ICU was quieter than I expected. Just the rhythmic beep of monitors and the soft hiss of ventilators. Sofia lay in the bed closest to the nurses' station, tubes and wires connecting her to machines that kept her alive. Her face was pale against the white pillow, peaceful in a way that made my chest ache.

I'd been sitting here for three hours. Jaxon slept in the portable bassinet the nurses had brought, finally content after Ice had shown me how to properly burp him. My son. My wife. Both alive, both within arm's reach, yet I'd never felt more helpless.

"Mr. Hernandez?" A nurse appeared at the door. Not the kind one from earlier. This one looked nervous. "Dr. Morrison needs to speak with you immediately."

My stomach dropped. "What's wrong?"

"It's about Mrs. Hernandez. There's been... a development."

I was on my feet before she finished speaking, following her into the hallway. Dr. Morrison was waiting outside the ICU, her expression grim, a tablet in her hands showing what looked like lab results.

"What's wrong?" I demanded. "You said she was stable."

"She was." Dr. Morrison pulled up Sofia's latest bloodwork. "But her white blood cell count has spiked in the last hour. She's developing a fever—103 and climbing. We're looking at a surgical site infection, possibly MRSA."

"In English."

"The wound is infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria. If we don't act fast, it'll spread to her bloodstream. Sepsis, organ failure—" She stopped, reading my expression. "We need to take her back into surgery. Now. Clean out the infection, remove any compromised tissue."

"How bad?"

"I won't lie to you, Mr. Hernandez. A second surgery this soon, with her system already weakened from blood loss... there's significant risk. Her body might not handle the anesthesia. The infection could have already spread." She paused. "I'm giving you the worst-case scenario, but you need to understand—if we don't operate, she dies. If we do operate, she has a fighting chance. Maybe sixty-forty odds."

Sixty-forty. In my world, those odds meant you took the shot and prayed. But this wasn't a territory war or a business deal. This was Sofia.

"Do it," I said, my voice hollow. "Whatever it takes."

Dr. Morrison nodded and hurried toward the surgical wing. I stood there, staring at the ICU doors, trying to process this new nightmare. Sofia had survived the bullet. Survived Gabriel. And now she might die from a fucking infection.

My phone buzzed. Dante.

"Tell me something good," I answered.

"Can't. Gabriel's awake. And Boss... you need to hear what he's saying."

---

**[Ace's POV - Gabriel's Room]**

The medical wing's secure room looked more like a prison cell. Gabriel lay in the bed, his shoulder heavily bandaged, but his eyes were alert and far too pleased with themselves. Two of my men stood guard inside, weapons visible.

"Hello, brother." Gabriel's voice was rough but steady. "Come to finish what you started?"

I pulled up a chair, staying out of his reach. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't."

"Because I have insurance." He smiled, despite the obvious pain. "Did you really think I'd come after you without a contingency plan?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Right now, there are three packages in three different locations. Each one contains enough C-4 to level a city block." He watched my expression carefully. "The timer was set for seventy-two hours. That was two days ago. You have less than twenty-four hours to find them before they detonate."

My blood ran cold. "Where?"

"That's the fun part. I'm not telling you." Gabriel shifted in his bed, wincing. "But I will give you a hint: I put them where they'll hurt you most. Not your businesses. Not your properties. The people you care about."

Ice stepped forward, his hand on his weapon. "You're bluffing."

"Am I?" Gabriel's smile widened. "Test that theory if you want. See what happens when you let the clock run out."

I forced myself to stay calm, to think tactically. "What do you want?"

"Simple. My freedom. Give me a twelve-hour head start, and I'll send you the locations." He paused. "Oh, and before you think about torturing it out of me—the bombs are on a dead man's switch. Biometric implant, military-grade. Reads my vitals every sixty seconds. Heart stops, I fall unconscious too long, my temperature drops below a certain threshold—boom. All three go off simultaneously."

Dante was already on his tablet. "I'm pulling security footage, cross-referencing with bomb squad databases—"

"You have less than twenty-four hours," Gabriel interrupted. "Three bombs. Entire city. Good luck with that math."

I stood, my jaw clenched. "Where's the switch? The device controlling the trigger?"

Gabriel tapped his temple. "In here. Subcutaneous implant, right behind my ear. Very cutting-edge technology. Cost me a fortune, but worth it for moments like this."

"Bullshit."

"Check if you want. But be careful—the wrong kind of scan might trigger it early." He leaned back against his pillow, looking far too comfortable. "Tick tock, brother. Twenty-three hours and forty-seven minutes."

My phone rang. Ice's voice came through, tight with urgency.

"Boss, get back to the ICU. It's Jaxon."

---

**[Ace's POV - Pediatric ICU]**

I ran. Burst through the ICU doors to find Ice holding Jaxon, whose face was flushed crimson and whose cries were weak, almost pitiful.

"What happened?" I took my son from Ice's arms. Jaxon's skin was burning hot, his little body trembling.

"He woke up screaming, then started vomiting." Ice's expression was grim. "Temperature spiked to 103 in fifteen minutes."

A pediatric nurse rushed over with equipment. "Sir, I need to examine him."

I handed Jaxon over reluctantly, watching as she took his vitals. Her face grew more concerned with each reading.

"Temperature is 104.2. Heart rate elevated. Pupils slightly dilated." She looked up at me. "Has he been exposed to anyone sick? Any unusual substances?"

Ice and I exchanged glances. The warehouse. Gabriel's men. God knew what contamination had been in that place.

"Run a full toxicology screen," I ordered. "Now."

"Sir, I don't have the authority—"

"I don't care about authority. My son's burning up and you're asking about paperwork?" My voice was deadly quiet. "Run. The. Tests."

She paged a doctor, and within minutes, they were drawing blood from Jaxon's tiny arm. His cries were getting weaker, more lethargic. That was worse than the screaming.

"Mr. Hernandez." A pediatric doctor appeared—Dr. Sarah Kim, according to her badge. "We're running comprehensive tests, but I need to ask: is there any possibility your son was exposed to a toxin? Any chance someone might have deliberately—"

"Poisoned him?" I finished. "That's exactly what I'm thinking."

Her expression confirmed my worst fears. "If that's the case, we need to know what substance. Time is critical for administering the right antidote."

My phone buzzed. Dante.

"Boss, I pulled the hospital security footage. There's a problem."

"What problem?"

"A nurse entered the nursery where Jaxon was sleeping. She doesn't match any employee records. Badge shows 'Patricia Gomez,' but that nurse called in sick today. Someone used her credentials."

"Where is this person now?"

"That's the thing—she vanished. Entered a supply closet, never came out. There's no other exit, but the cameras show an empty closet."

A ghost nurse. In the hospital. Near my son.

"Pull up her face. Send it to every contact we have." I was already texting Ice. "I want to know who she is by the time I get back down there."

Dr. Kim was examining Jaxon more closely now. "Mr. Hernandez, I'm seeing symptoms consistent with organophosphate poisoning. It's subtle, but—"

"What's the antidote?"

"Atropine. But I need to confirm before we administer. Too much could be as dangerous as the poison itself."

"How long for the tests?"

"Minimum two hours for comprehensive—"

"He doesn't have two hours." I could see it—Jaxon's breathing was getting shallower, his skin taking on a grayish tint. "Give him the atropine. Now."

"Mr. Hernandez, I understand you're frightened, but if I'm wrong—"

"If you're right and you wait, he dies. If you're wrong and you give it, what happens?"

She hesitated. "Increased heart rate, possible seizures, but with proper monitoring—"

"Do it."

Dr. Kim made the call. Within minutes, Jaxon had an IV of atropine running. I held his tiny hand, feeling how hot and dry his skin was, watching his chest rise and fall with increasing difficulty.

"Come on, buddy," I whispered. "Fight. You're a Hernandez. We're fighters."

My phone rang again. Unknown number. Against my better judgment, I answered.

"Enjoying your day, Ace?" The voice was electronically distorted, unrecognizable. "We thought we'd give you a preview of what's coming."

"Who is this?"

"Let's just say we're old friends of Raul's. The Raven collective sends its regards." A pause. "How's your son? Feeling warm?"

My hand tightened on the phone. "If he dies, I'll kill every last one of you."

"Relax. We only gave him a small dose. Enough to make a point, not enough to kill. Probably." The voice was amused. "Consider it a demonstration. We can get to anyone, anytime. Your wife lying unconscious in the ICU. Your son in pediatrics. Even you, Ace. Nowhere is safe."

"What do you want?"

"Raul kept a ledger. Names, accounts, operations—everything. Your wife's dear departed brother was very thorough. We want it."

"I don't have any ledger."

"Then find it. You have forty-eight hours." The voice hardened. "And just so we're clear—next time we come for your family, it won't be a warning dose. We'll finish what we started."

The call disconnected.

I looked down at Jaxon, his tiny body fighting off the poison someone had deliberately given him. Thought about Sofia going into emergency surgery. Gabriel's bombs ticking down somewhere in this city.

Forty-eight hours to find a ledger I didn't know existed.

Twenty-four hours to find three bombs before they detonated.

One surgery that might kill my wife.

One poisoning that might kill my son.

I pulled out my phone and called Dante.

"Conference call. Every family head we're allied with. Every federal contact who owes us a favor. Every dirty cop on our payroll." My voice was ice. "I don't care what time it is. Get them on the line in thirty minutes."

"Ace, what are you planning?"

"War." I stood, looking out at the Miami skyline through the hospital window. Dawn was breaking, painting the city in shades of gold and blood. "They want to see what happens when you back the Hernandez family into a corner? They're about to find out."

---

**[Ace's POV - Hospital Conference Room]**

Thirty-seven minutes later, I was staring at a conference screen showing five different family heads, three FBI contacts, and two DEA agents who'd been turning a blind eye to our operations for years.

"Gentlemen," I said without preamble. "I'm calling in every favor, every debt, every piece of leverage I have on each of you."

Antonio Moretti, head of the Italian faction, spoke first. "Ace, it's five in the morning. This better be—"

"The Raven collective just poisoned my newborn son. They're threatening my wife. Gabriel Hernandez has three bombs planted in this city set to detonate in less than twenty-four hours. And I need your help to stop all of it before dawn tomorrow."

Silence on the line.

"How can we help?" It was Marcus Chen, the FBI contact. His voice was carefully neutral.

"I need three things. First, any intelligence you have on Raven's operations—locations, contacts, anything. Second, bomb squads and search teams to find Gabriel's devices. Third—" I paused. "Information on a ledger that Raul Diaz was supposedly keeping. Names, accounts, operations. Raven wants it. Which means it's either extremely valuable or extremely dangerous."

"Or both," Dante muttered from beside me.

Agent Chen was typing. "Raul Diaz's apartment was raided six months ago. We seized multiple hard drives, phones, a safe deposit box. There was a notebook—coded entries, looked like accounting records. Is that what you're looking for?"

"Where is it now?"

"FBI evidence lockup. But Ace, you know I can't just hand over evidence in an ongoing—"

"Your daughter," I said quietly. "Maria. She's at Stanford, right? Full ride, campus apartment, safe neighborhood. It would be a shame if something happened to change that."

The threat hung in the air. I could hear Chen's breathing, sharp and angry.

"You're threatening my kid?"

"I'm reminding you that I have the resources to protect her. Or not." I leaned forward. "Look, I don't want to do this. But my son was just poisoned in a hospital. My wife is in surgery right now, fighting for her life. I'm out of patience and time. So yes, I'm playing dirty. Get me that ledger."

"And if I do? What's stopping Raven from just taking it from you?"

"Because I'm going to use it to burn their entire operation to the ground." I looked at each face on the screen. "I want locations, safehouses, every Raven asset in Florida. Then I want warrants, raids, arrests—the whole nine yards. But I want it coordinated. Everyone hits simultaneously so they can't warn each other."

"That's... that would take weeks to organize," another voice protested.

"You have twelve hours." I stood. "Because at noon today, I'm delivering that ledger to Raven. And if I don't have your full support by then, I'm going to assume you're not on my side anymore. We clear?"

Moretti laughed, sharp and short. "You've got balls, Hernandez. I'll give you that."

"I've got a family to protect. Balls are optional." I looked directly at the camera. "So what's it going to be? Are you with me, or do I do this alone?"

One by one, they agreed. Some reluctant, some enthusiastic, all aware that crossing the Hernandez family right now would be suicide.

After the call ended, Ice appeared in the doorway.

"Jaxon's responding to the atropine. Temperature's dropping. Doctor says he should be okay."

Relief crashed through me, so intense I had to grip the table for support. "And Sofia?"

"Still in surgery. No updates yet." He paused. "Boss, about Gabriel's bombs—Dante's been running analysis on his known associates, properties he had access to. We've narrowed it down to maybe fifteen possible locations."

"That's still too many to search in twenty-four hours."

"I know. But there's something else." Ice pulled up his tablet. "The biometric implant Gabriel claims to have—I called a guy I know in military tech. He says that kind of dead man's switch does exist, but it needs regular calibration. Which means Gabriel needs access to specific equipment every seventy-two hours."

"How specific?"

"Very. Only a handful of clinics in Miami would have it. And we own three of them."

I looked at him. "You're saying Gabriel might have to come to us for maintenance?"

"Or his bombs go off early when the implant malfunctions." Ice smiled grimly. "Seems our brother didn't think his insurance policy through completely."

"Get me a list of every clinic. Put surveillance on all of them. If Gabriel even thinks about leaving this hospital—"

"Already on it."

My phone buzzed. Dr. Morrison.

"Mr. Hernandez, your wife is out of surgery."

---

**[Ace's POV - Recovery Room]**

I was moving before she finished the sentence, Ice close behind. The waiting room outside the surgical wing had never looked so cold and sterile.

Dr. Morrison emerged, pulling down her mask. She looked exhausted but not defeated.

"We cleaned out the infection. Removed some compromised tissue. She's stable for now, but—" She hesitated. "The infection did some damage. Her shoulder mobility is going to be limited even after recovery. And there's a risk of chronic pain, possibly permanent."

"But she'll live?"

"If the antibiotics work and no complications develop, yes. She should live." Dr. Morrison's expression softened slightly. "She's being moved to recovery now. She might wake up soon—the anesthesia is wearing off."

"Can I see her?"

"Give us twenty minutes to get her settled. Then yes."

Those twenty minutes felt like hours. I checked on Jaxon—still sleeping peacefully, his fever finally breaking. Dante sent updates on the bomb search. Ice coordinated with our contacts across the city. But all I could think about was Sofia.

Finally, a nurse came to get me.

The recovery room was smaller than the ICU, more intimate. Sofia lay in the bed, still pale but breathing steadily on her own now. The ventilator was gone, replaced by a simple oxygen cannula. Her shoulder was heavily bandaged, her arm in a sling.

I took the chair beside her bed, reaching for her hand. It was warm, no longer the clammy coldness from before.

"Hey, baby," I said softly. "It's me. You made it through surgery. You're going to be okay."

For a long moment, nothing. Just the steady beep of monitors and the soft hiss of oxygen.

Then her fingers twitched in mine.

"Sofia?" My heart was pounding. "Can you hear me?"

Her eyelids fluttered. Once. Twice. Then slowly, painfully, they opened.

Those brown eyes I'd thought I might never see again focused on my face. Confused at first, then clearing with recognition.

"Ace?" Her voice was barely a whisper, rough from the breathing tube.

"I'm here." I squeezed her hand gently. "You're safe. You're in the hospital. You had surgery, but you're going to be okay."

"Jaxon?" The word came out panicked, her body trying to move despite the pain.

"He's fine. He's here, sleeping. I've got him." I stroked her hand, trying to calm her. "Just rest. Don't try to move."

But Sofia's eyes were wide now, urgent. "Ace... the ledger. Raul's ledger." She swallowed hard, wincing. "They're going to come for it."

"I know. Raven already contacted me. They want it in forty-eight hours."

"No." She shook her head weakly. "You don't understand. The ledger... it's not just Raven. It's bigger. Government officials, other families, foreign cartels. Everyone who was involved in the trafficking operations." She coughed, and I quickly helped her sip some water through a straw.

"Where is it?" I asked.

"Safe deposit box. But not under Raul's name." Her eyes locked on mine. "It's under mine. He put it in my name before he died. Said if anything happened to him, I'd be the only one who could access it."

Jesus Christ. Sofia had been sitting on a bomb this whole time and didn't even know it.

"Why didn't he tell you?"

"He tried. That last phone call before he died—he was trying to tell me about it. But Gabriel's men..." She closed her eyes, pain crossing her face. Not physical pain. The memory of watching her brother die. "I didn't understand what he was saying. Thought he was delirious."

"Which bank?"

"First National. Downtown branch. Box 2847." She squeezed my hand with what little strength she had. "Ace, you can't give it to them. If Raven gets that ledger, they'll know who to threaten, who to kill, who to blackmail. They'll be unstoppable."

"And if I don't give it to them, they'll come after you and Jaxon."

"I know." A tear slid down her cheek. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I brought this into our lives."

"Stop." I leaned forward, pressing my forehead gently against hers. "This isn't your fault. None of this is your fault."

"But Jaxon—"

"Is fine. They poisoned him, but the doctors caught it. He's responding to treatment." I pulled back to look at her. "Sofia, I need you to focus. Is there anything else in that box? Anything we can use?"

She thought for a moment, her brow furrowing. "There were flash drives. Raul said they had video evidence. Recordings of meetings, transactions. And a list of safe houses—places Raven uses to move people and goods."

That was it. That was the leverage we needed.

"Okay. Here's what's going to happen." I stroked her hair back from her face. "I'm going to get that ledger. But I'm not giving it to Raven. I'm using it to destroy them. Every location, every contact, every dirty official in that book—I'm burning it all down."

"Gabriel's bombs—"

"I know about the bombs. We're working on it." I didn't tell her about the dead man's switch, about the impossible timeline. She had enough to worry about. "You just need to rest and heal. Let me handle this."

"I can't just lie here while our family is in danger."

"Yes, you can. Because if you don't rest, you'll end up in surgery again. Or worse." I kissed her forehead. "Please, Sofia. Trust me to protect you. To protect all of us."

She looked at me for a long moment, and I could see the war in her eyes—the need to fight warring with the reality of her weakness.

Finally, she nodded. "The key. To the safe deposit box. It's in my apartment. Hidden in the baseboard behind my dresser. Left side, bottom corner."

"I'll find it."

"Ace?" Her voice was getting weaker, exhaustion pulling at her. "Be careful. The people in that ledger... they're powerful. Dangerous. They'll do anything to keep their secrets buried."

"So will I." I stood, pressing one more kiss to her forehead. "Get some rest. I'll bring Jaxon to see you when you wake up."

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too."

As I left the recovery room, I felt something shift inside me. Sofia was awake. She'd given me the weapon I needed. Now it was time to go to war.

Ice was waiting in the hallway. "How is she?"

"Awake. Talking. She knows where the ledger is." I pulled out my phone, already calling Dante. "And she just gave us everything we need to end this."

---

**[Ace's POV - Pediatric ICU]**

Jaxon was still sleeping when I got back to him, his color much better now. Dr. Kim approached with his latest test results.

"The toxin is clearing his system. He should make a full recovery." She smiled. "He's a tough little guy."

"He gets that from his mother." I picked him up carefully, and he stirred but didn't wake. Just nuzzled against my chest with a soft sigh.

My phone buzzed. Dante.

"Boss, we've got Patricia Vega in custody. She's not talking, but we found something interesting on her phone. Text messages from a burner number, giving her instructions on when and how to poison Jaxon. And get this—the messages reference 'the doctor.'"

"What doctor?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out. But Ace, I think there's someone inside the hospital working with Raven. Someone with access to medications, patient records, everything."

A mole. In the hospital where my wife and son were vulnerable.

"Lock it down. I want every doctor, every nurse, every janitor vetted. Anyone who's been on Sofia or Jaxon's floors in the last forty-eight hours. And I want armed guards outside both rooms. Our people, not hospital security."

"Already moving on it."

I looked down at Jaxon, sleeping peacefully in my arms. Thought about Sofia, finally awake but still so fragile. Gabriel's bombs ticking down. Raven's threats. A mole in the hospital.

My phone buzzed again. Another text from the unknown number:

*20 hours until the bombs detonate. 45 hours until we come for your family again. Have you found the ledger yet, Hernandez? Tick tock.*

I pulled up my messages and typed a response:

*I've got your ledger. And I've got something better—every name, every location, every dirty secret in it. You want to play games? Let's play. But when this is over, there won't be a Raven collective left to threaten anyone.*

The response came immediately:

*Big talk from a man whose wife just barely survived surgery and whose son was poisoned in a hospital. You're not in a position to make threats, Ace.*

I smiled, cold and dangerous:

*Neither are you. Because in 19 hours, I'm holding a press conference. Every reporter in Miami, every federal agency, every news camera. And I'm releasing every name in that ledger to the public. Politicians, cartel leaders, corrupt cops—everyone burns. Unless you want to negotiate.*

Silence for three minutes. Then:

*What are your terms?*

*Face to face. You and me. Neutral location. You call off your people, disarm whatever you've got planned, and we talk about how to keep that ledger from destroying both our organizations.*

*And if I refuse?*

*Then we all go down together. But at least I'll have the satisfaction of taking you with me.*

Another pause. Then:

*Bayfront Park. Noon tomorrow. Come alone.*

*I'll be there.*

I looked down at Jaxon one more time, then carefully placed him back in his bassinet. A nurse—one of our vetted people now—took up position outside his room.

Ice appeared in the doorway. "Boss, Dante found three possible locations for Gabriel's bombs. Teams are moving in now."

"And the implant maintenance?"

"Gabriel's due for his next calibration in six hours. If he doesn't get it, the system could malfunction. We've got people watching every clinic."

I walked to the window, looking out at Miami's skyline. Dawn had fully broken now, the city waking up to another day. Somewhere out there, three bombs were ticking down. Raven was planning their next move. Gabriel was lying in his hospital bed, probably laughing at the chaos he'd created.

But for the first time since this nightmare started, I felt like I was on the offensive. I had the ledger. I had leverage. And I had something more important than any of that—I had Sofia awake and fighting. I had Jaxon recovering. I had my family.

They'd come after the people I loved, thinking it would break me.

They were about to learn it had the opposite effect.

"Ice," I said quietly. "Call everyone in. Every soldier, every ally, every resource we have. It's time to end this."

"All of it?"

"All of it." I turned to face him. "By this time tomorrow, either the Hernandez family will control Miami, or we'll all be dead. There's no middle ground anymore."

Ice nodded once, already pulling out his phone.

I took one last look at Jaxon, sleeping peacefully despite everything. Then I walked out of the pediatric ward, my mind already calculating moves and countermoves, strategies and contingencies.

They wanted war? They'd get war.

But they were about to learn the most important rule of warfare: never threaten a man's family unless you're prepared to face the monster you create.

And I was done being human.