Chapter 10 - What My Mother SoldLinda dropped the gun.
“No.”
The voice outside laughed softly.
“Tell him.”
I stared at my mother.
“Tell me what?”
She said nothing.
“Mom.”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“I was seventeen.”
That wasn't an answer.
“I was eighteen when I met Nathan.”
Still nothing.
“Why did you sell me?”
Emily gasped.
Linda looked at her.
“Because they said Daniel would die if I refused.”
I felt numb.
“What did you do?”
“I gave them access.”
“To me?”
“To your medical records.”
“And?”
“To your memories.”
Silence.
The locked door rattled.
Linda stepped toward me.
“I thought they only wanted data.”
“What did they do?”
“I didn't know.”
“You're lying.”
“No.”
“You knew about the camera.”
“Yes.”
“You knew about Project Lullaby.”
“Yes.”
“You watched Emily.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Linda started crying.
“Because someone had to.”
I couldn't understand.
Then Emily spoke.
“What did you see?”
Linda looked at her.
“You were pregnant.”
Emily's expression hardened.
“You knew?”
“I knew before Daniel did.”
“From the cameras?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you tell him?”
“Because the moment Ethan was born, the program activated.”
I stared at my son.
“Activated what?”
Linda pointed to the screen.
“A protocol.”
The steel door suddenly unlocked.
All four of us froze.
The door opened.
A man walked in.
Black suit.
Silver hair.
Calm face.
I knew him.
Everyone knew him.
He was Victor Hale.
CEO of the company I worked for.
I had met him three times.
He smiled.
“Daniel.”
I couldn't move.
He looked at Ethan.
“Hello, little one.”
I stepped between them.
“Stay away from my son.”
Victor sighed.
“You've inherited your father's stubbornness.”
“What do you want?”
“Your cooperation.”
“You sent the men.”
“I did.”
“You shot Tom.”
“No.”
He paused.
“Someone else did.”
“Then who?”
Victor smiled.
“Your mother.”
Linda screamed:
“That's a lie!”
Victor looked at her.
“You always did panic when cornered.”
Then he turned back to me.
“Daniel, I'm going to give you a choice.”
“What choice?”
“Come with us willingly.”
“And if I refuse?”
Victor looked at Ethan.
“We take the child.”
I tightened my grip.
“Try.”
Victor smiled.
Then the lights went out.
A scream came from the corridor.
May you like
And when the emergency lights turned on, Victor was gone.
So was Linda.
