Chapter 8 - THE EMPTY BLANKETElena screamed.
“My baby!”
Julian spun around.
The blanket she had been holding was on the floor.
Empty.
Three seconds ago Daniel had been in her arms.
Now he was gone.
Adrian raised his weapon.
“Seal the exits.”
Julian grabbed Chloe.
“Where is he?”
She smiled.
“I told you.”
“Where?”
“I already have him.”
Elena lunged.
Julian caught her before she could attack.
“Let me go!”
“Don't!”
“That's my son!”
“I know.”
Chloe raised her pistol.
“Walk away.”
Julian looked at her.
“You're not leaving.”
Chloe laughed.
“You still don't understand.”
She held up the piece of paper.
It was a birth certificate.
Julian stared.
His son's name.
Daniel Sterling.
But beneath the parents' names was another field.
AUTHORIZED GENETIC CUSTODIAN: CHLOE MERCER
Julian felt sick.
“What is that?”
“Your grandfather's old protocol.”
“It's fake.”
“No.”
Adrian stepped forward.
“It isn't.”
Everyone looked at him.
Adrian continued.
“The Sterling family established a legal trust for the Genesis project.”
Julian shook his head.
“You're telling me Chloe has custody?”
“Not exactly.”
“What does she have?”
“Authority.”
“For what?”
“Medical extraction.”
Elena went still.
“What does that mean?”
Adrian's expression changed.
“It means she can authorize the removal of the baby's blood and tissue.”
Elena's face went white.
“No.”
Julian's anger became something primal.
“I'll kill you.”
Chloe's smile vanished.
“That's exactly what your grandfather expected.”
She pressed a button.
A wall behind her opened.
Inside was a monitor.
Live footage.
Daniel lay in a glass chamber.
Connected to tubes.
Elena collapsed to her knees.
“No.”
Julian stepped toward the screen.
“Turn it off.”
Chloe stared.
“Why?”
“You're going to kill him.”
“No.”
She smiled.
“We're going to unlock something.”
Adrian's face went pale.
“What?”
“The Vault.”
The monitor displayed a biometric scan.
Daniel's tiny hand was illuminated.
A red line began pulsing across the screen.
Then:
GENESIS ACTIVATION: 3%
Julian stared.
“What happens at 100?”
Chloe looked at him.
“The Sterling archive opens.”
“And?”
“You'll see what your family buried.”
Elena screamed.
“Take me to him.”
Chloe tilted her head.
“Interesting.”
“What?”
“You sound like me.”
Elena stood.
“You don't know anything about me.”
“I know everything.”
Chloe pointed the gun at her.
“I know about the pregnancy.”
“How?”
“I knew before Julian did.”
Julian's face changed.
“You followed her.”
“Yes.”
“You knew the baby was mine.”
“Yes.”
“You helped me divorce her.”
“Yes.”
“You married me.”
Chloe smiled.
“To get close to the heir.”
Julian felt like he was going to be sick.
“You never loved me.”
“No.”
The honesty was worse than a lie.
“I loved what you could unlock.”
Adrian looked at Chloe.
“What about me?”
Chloe turned.
“You were never part of the plan.”
Adrian smiled.
“That's where you're wrong.”
The lights went out.
Gunfire erupted.
Julian grabbed Elena.
Adrian disappeared into the darkness.
Margaret screamed.
Then Chloe's voice came from somewhere in the black.
“Get the baby!”
Footsteps thundered through the corridor.
Julian ran toward the monitor room.
The door was open.
The chamber was empty.
Daniel was gone.
A single security camera remained active.
On the screen, Adrian carried the baby.
Julian stared.
“Adrian.”
His brother looked directly into the camera.
Then whispered:
“Trust nobody.”
The screen went black.
Julian turned.
Elena stood behind him.
Her face was expressionless.
“He took our son.”
Julian shook his head.
“No.”
She looked at him.
“You still trust him?”
“No.”
“Then why are you not chasing him?”
Julian's eyes hardened.
“Because I think he wants us to.”
Behind them, Margaret spoke.
“Julian.”
He turned.
She held an envelope.
“This belonged to your father.”
“What is it?”
“A letter.”
“From who?”
Margaret opened it.
Julian saw his own name.
Written in his father's handwriting.
To my son, when Daniel is born.
Julian's stomach dropped.
His father had written the letter before the baby was born.
But beneath it was another sentence.
If you are reading this, Elena has already discovered that the baby is not the key.
Julian stared at the page.
“What else is there?”
May you like
Margaret whispered:
“Your son is the lock.”
Related Stories
