Chapter 11 - They reached Vanessa with thirty seconds left.She was inside an empty room surrounded by mirrors.
No windows.
No exits.
A gun lay on the floor.
Vanessa stood in the middle.
"I didn't know which one was real."
Adrian entered slowly.
"Real what?"
"The memories."
Elena stared at her.
Vanessa looked exhausted.
"He altered everything."
"Who?"
"My memories."
She looked toward Daniel.
"His father."
Daniel's face was hard.
"What did he do?"
"He drugged me."
"When?"
"After Claire disappeared."
Adrian's jaw tightened.
"What did he make you remember?"
"That I killed her."
Silence.
Vanessa looked at Elena.
"I didn't."
Elena believed her.
Not completely.
But enough.
"What happened?"
"Claire was taken."
"By who?"
"Your father."
Vanessa looked at Adrian.
"He said he would give her back if I helped him."
"Help him do what?"
"Bring you here."
Adrian looked at Elena.
Vanessa continued.
"He wanted Elena close because he was afraid she remembered."
"Remembered what?"
"The red door."
Elena closed her eyes.
The memory returned again.
Her mother.
A hallway.
A red door.
A man carrying a baby.
And herself hiding beneath a table.
Then another memory.
A little girl screaming.
Claire.
She opened her eyes.
"I saw him."
Vanessa whispered.
"Who?"
"My father."
Elena shook her head.
"I don't know if that's true."
"It is."
She looked at Adrian.
"He was there the night Claire vanished."
Adrian stared.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because he threatened Olivia."
Everyone went silent.
Vanessa looked at Olivia.
"He said if I talked, he would make sure your daughter disappeared too."
Adrian's fists tightened.
"What did you do?"
"I obeyed."
Daniel stepped forward.
"Where is Claire now?"
Vanessa looked toward the wall.
Behind the mirror was a hidden door.
They opened it.
Claire was inside.
Alive.
Shivering.
Elena rushed to her.
Claire grabbed her hand.
"He knows."
"Who?"
"The doctor."
"What doctor?"
"The one downstairs."
Daniel's face changed.
"Dr. Mercer."
Adrian stared.
"He's dead."
Claire shook her head.
"No."
She pointed toward the floor.
"He's the one who gives him the medicine."
Maya looked horrified.
"There's a clinic under the archive."
Daniel nodded.
"Then that's where he keeps the originals."
They ran.
The clinic was filled with monitors.
Medical charts covered the walls.
A surgical table stood in the center.
Elena stopped.
There were photographs of her.
At different ages.
Six.
Ten.
Fourteen.
Sixteen.
Twenty.
Every year documented.
"Why?"
Daniel answered.
"Because he was waiting for your memory to return."
A monitor flickered.
The old man appeared.
"She is remembering."
Adrian stepped forward.
"Come out."
"No."
"Then I'll come find you."
The old man smiled.
"You still think this is about revenge."
The screen changed.
It showed a live feed of Olivia.
She was standing alone.
Adrian spun around.
"Olivia?"
She wasn't with them.
Maya's face went white.
"When did she leave?"
A door slammed.
Then another.
Adrian ran.
They found Olivia in the corridor.
She was holding a file.
"No."
Adrian rushed toward her.
"Give me that."
Olivia shook her head.
"I know who he is."
"Who?"
She looked at him.
"The man behind all of this."
Adrian's heart stopped.
"Who?"
May you like
Olivia whispered:
"Your mother."
