Chapter 9 - The Child They HidI stared at my father.
He looked terrified.
Not of me.
Of what he was about to say.
“Our child is the archive?”
“Not exactly.”
“Then explain.”
“She carries the information.”
“How?”
“Her cells.”
I couldn't breathe.
“Your grandfather designed a biological storage system.”
“That makes no sense.”
“It wasn't supposed to.”
My father explained that the original Helix experiment had attempted to encode data into living tissue.
Scientific research.
Medical information.
Genetic records.
A human archive.
The second child had inherited the marker perfectly.
She could survive the treatment.
And more importantly, her cells contained a sequence containing the original Helix research.
Proof of everything.
“Where is she?”
My father's voice shook.
“With Sophie.”
“What?”
“She took her.”
“When?”
“Three years ago.”
That answer made no sense.
“She wasn't even born three years ago.”
My father looked down.
“She was born.”
Then he corrected himself.
“You were told she wasn't.”
I remembered the second miscarriage.
I remembered Sophie screaming.
I remembered the hospital lights.
The doctor saying there was nothing they could do.
I remembered my own grief.
But now every memory felt contaminated.
“What happened?”
“The baby survived.”
“Where was she?”
“A private facility.”
“You knew?”
“Yes.”
“How could you?”
“Because I arranged it.”
I struck him.
He didn't defend himself.
“You stole my daughter.”
“I saved her.”
“You kidnapped her!”
“I kept her away from your grandfather.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because he would've killed you.”
“You let me divorce Sophie.”
“I thought that would keep you alive.”
My hands shook.
“Then why is Sophie sick?”
My father hesitated.
“She was exposed while trying to retrieve your daughter.”
“When?”
“Two years ago.”
Before our divorce.
Meaning Sophie had been sick while sitting across from me every night.
While I accused her of withdrawing.
While I accused her of abandoning me.
She had been fighting for our child.
Alone.
My father continued:
“The cancer is treatable.”
I looked at him.
“Then why is she getting worse?”
“She stopped treatment.”
“Why?”
“Because she made a deal.”
“With whom?”
“With the organization that controls Helix.”
“What deal?”
“She would give them the child in exchange for your life.”
My heart broke.
“She gave them our daughter?”
“No.”
“Then where is she?”
My father looked at me.
“That is what we have to find out.”
“Where is Sophie?”
He handed me a folded map.
“There.”
I opened it.
An old research facility.
Parker Biological Complex.
Abandoned.
Supposedly.
Then my father's phone rang.
He answered.
“Hello?”
His face changed.
“What?”
He stepped away.
Then came back.
“They have Sophie.”
My chest tightened.
“Where?”
“They sent coordinates.”
“Read them.”
He shook his head.
“I can't.”
“Why?”
“Because the location is impossible.”
“Why?”
“It's beneath your grandfather's old estate.”
My blood froze.
“That house burned down.”
“I know.”
“Then what's there?”
My father looked at me.
“An underground facility.”
I grabbed my weapon.
“Let's go.”
He didn't move.
“Ethan.”
“What?”
“There is one more thing.”
“What?”
He looked toward me.
“Sophie didn't get cancer by accident.”
I stared at him.
“What did you do?”
He closed his eyes.
“I infected her.”
I couldn't breathe.
“You what?”
“She asked me to.”
I stepped forward.
“Why?”
“To make them believe she was dying.”
The room went silent.
“What are you saying?”
“She isn't dying.”
May you like
My father whispered:
“She is undercover.”
