Chapter 6 - VIVIAN’S REAL PLANVivian stood calmly in the doorway.
No panic.
No anger.
No fear.
Just a small silver key between her fingers.
Ethan stepped in front of Emmie.
“You lied.”
Vivian tilted her head.
“About which part?”
“The building.”
“Yes.”
“The countdown.”
“Yes.”
“The children.”
“Yes.”
Her calmness was more frightening than shouting ever could have been.
“You're insane.”
Vivian smiled.
“That's what desperate people say when they discover the rules are different than they imagined.”
Ethan clenched his fists.
“Open the exits.”
“You came here to rescue one child.”
“I found seven.”
“Six.”
He glanced at the children.
“Seven.”
Vivian's gaze moved to Emmie.
“She doesn't count.”
Emmie stiffened.
“What does that mean?”
Vivian took one step forward.
“You were never part of the group.”
Ethan looked at Emmie.
“Then why was she here?”
Vivian's voice softened.
“Because she was useful.”
The words hit harder than a slap.
Emmie looked at the floor.
Ethan knelt beside her.
“Don't listen to her.”
Vivian laughed softly.
“You still think you're the hero.”
“What am I?”
“A key.”
She lifted the silver key.
“Your family has spent years protecting information that should have been destroyed.”
Ethan felt a cold sensation spread through his chest.
“You know my family.”
“I knew your father.”
Silence.
Ethan stared.
“My father died.”
“Yes.”
“He was a surgeon.”
“Yes.”
“And you worked with him.”
Vivian smiled.
“For twelve years.”
The children watched them.
Ethan's voice dropped.
“What did you do together?”
Vivian didn't answer.
Instead she walked to the computer and entered a code.
One screen illuminated.
A medical file appeared.
PROJECT HALCYON
Then:
SUBJECT COMPATIBILITY
Ethan's name appeared.
He stared.
His date of birth.
His blood type.
His childhood medical records.
All of it.
Below his name was another.
His brother.
The line beneath it read:
FAILED TRANSFER
Ethan stopped breathing.
“What is Halcyon?”
Vivian said, “A cure.”
“For what?”
She looked at Emmie.
“For a disease that doesn't exist yet.”
Ethan's face hardened.
“That makes no sense.”
“It will.”
The countdown changed.
00:11:32
Vivian walked toward Emmie.
“She's carrying the final component.”
Ethan pulled the girl behind him.
“What component?”
“A biological sequence.”
Emmie whispered:
“They told me it was medicine.”
Vivian shook her head.
“No, sweetheart.”
She smiled.
“It was a message.”
Ethan felt the room go silent.
“A message to who?”
Vivian's expression disappeared.
“To your brother.”
Ethan stared.
“He's dead.”
Vivian looked directly into his eyes.
“No.”
The door behind her unlocked.
A monitor turned on.
A live video feed appeared.
A man sat in a dark room.
Older.
Thinner.
But unmistakable.
Ethan stopped moving.
His knees nearly gave out.
“Daniel?”
The man raised his head.
Ethan's dead brother looked into the camera.
And said:
“Ethan…”
May you like
The screen flickered.
“…you were never supposed to find me.”
