Chapter 15 - The Child They HidWe left the retirement home before Voss could find us.
But his message followed us.
Every radio station suddenly interrupted programming.
The same face appeared.
Dr. Voss.
“This is a public safety announcement.”
Dad turned the radio off.
It turned back on.
Voss smiled.
“Connor Hayes is not missing.”
He displayed my photograph.
“He is dangerous.”
Mom screamed.
Dad threw the radio across the car.
Another device came alive.
The dashboard screen.
Voss's voice continued.
“He has escaped medical supervision.”
Mara ripped the wiring from the dashboard.
Silence.
I stared out the window.
“Why are they doing this?”
“Because they're losing control,” Mara said.
“Of what?”
“You.”
We arrived at an old church.
It had an underground crypt.
Evelyn Thomas's final clue led there.
A priest was waiting.
He looked at me.
“Connor.”
“How do you know me?”
“Because I've been protecting you since you were seven.”
My blood ran cold.
“How?”
He opened a hidden room.
Inside were boxes.
School records.
Medical reports.
Photographs.
Every major event of my childhood.
Someone had been watching me.
“Who are you?”
“My name is Father Gabriel.”
“Who sent you?”
“Your mother.”
Mom stepped forward.
“You knew?”
Gabriel nodded.
“You asked me to watch him.”
Mom stared at the files.
“I forgot.”
“You were supposed to.”
“What?”
“You asked us to erase your memory.”
Everyone froze.
“Why?”
“Because Voss could extract memories.”
Mara whispered:
“Neural conditioning.”
Gabriel nodded.
“Your mother wanted to protect you.”
I stared at Mom.
“You erased yourself?”
She cried.
“I was terrified.”
Gabriel opened a box.
Inside was a medical file.
The name on it:
CONNOR HAYES
Birth date:
MARCH 12, 2007
I stared.
“What?”
My official documents said March 14.
Gabriel pointed to another file.
ADMISSION: MARCH 12
Then:
DISCHARGE: MARCH 14
My entire life had been shifted by two days.
“Why?”
Gabriel looked at Evan.
“Because March 14 was the date the original subject was supposed to die.”
Evan's face changed.
“Me?”
“No.”
Gabriel pointed at me.
“You.”
My stomach tightened.
“What?”
“You were the weak baby.”
He opened a final photograph.
It showed me.
A newborn.
Attached to machines.
Then another photograph.
Evan in the opposite incubator.
Healthy.
Gabriel said:
“Voss wanted to kill the weaker child.”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
“Then why didn't he?”
“Because your mother stole you.”
I stared at Mom.
She looked down.
“She switched you.”
“What?”
“She swapped the babies.”
Gabriel nodded.
“She took the original out of the hospital.”
Evan looked at me.
“You were the one they wanted to kill.”
I felt dizzy.
“So I was hidden.”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
Gabriel's face became grim.
“In a place Voss could never search.”
“What place?”
He pointed at the floor.
“Under the hospital.”
Mara stared.
“Room 34.”
Gabriel shook his head.
“No.”
He pressed a hidden button.
A staircase appeared.
“Below Room 34.”
We descended.
At the bottom was a vault.
Inside sat a single glass container.
Something moved inside.
I stepped closer.
My heartbeat stopped.
There was a baby.
Alive.
The same age appearance.
The same face.
My face.
But the baby opened his eyes.
May you like
And whispered my name.
“Connor…”
