Chapter 14 - The Child They BuriedThere had been two babies that night. Only one was allowed to exist.
Nobody spoke.
I stared at my mother.
"Twins?"
She nodded.
"You had another baby?"
Daniel closed his eyes.
"Your sister."
I looked at him.
"Where is she?"
He didn't answer.
My mother began crying.
"Your sister was born first."
Daniel looked at me.
"Her name was Rose."
The archive suddenly felt colder.
"What happened to her?"
My mother swallowed.
"Your grandfather took her."
Nathaniel stepped forward.
"My father?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because the bloodline marker was stronger in Rose."
Dr. Cole looked at the records.
"The biometric trigger."
Mom nodded.
"Your grandfather discovered that the trust could only be fully activated through one of the twins."
"Rose."
"Yes."
"So what happened to her?"
Daniel stared at the floor.
"We were told she died."
My heart hurt.
"Was it true?"
Daniel's eyes filled with tears.
"No."
A file opened on the archive terminal.
A current photograph appeared.
A teenage girl.
Sixteen.
Dark hair.
Green eyes.
A small silver pendant.
I stared.
She looked like me.
Except older.
My hands began shaking.
"That's her."
Daniel whispered:
"Rose."
Nathaniel stepped closer to the screen.
"When was this taken?"
"Three months ago."
"Where?"
Daniel opened the location file.
"St. Catherine's Residential School."
Marcus stared.
"That's in Vale territory."
Margaret's face went pale.
"Leonard has been keeping her there."
Daniel nodded.
"All these years."
I looked at the screen.
"Why didn't he kill her?"
"Because he needed the other half of the key."
Nathaniel looked at me.
"The twins."
Daniel nodded.
"Ruby activates the archive."
"Rose activates the financial trust."
My heart pounded.
"So he needed both."
"Yes."
"And the eviction..."
"Was his way of finding you."
Everything suddenly made sense.
The wallet.
The tower.
The pink notice.
The guards.
The photographs.
Someone had been searching for the missing half of the family.
My sister.
I looked at Nathaniel.
"We have to find her."
He didn't hesitate.
"We will."
The rescue began immediately.
Marcus located the school.
Police arrested the remaining board members.
The archived documents were copied to federal investigators.
But Leonard had one last card.
As we prepared to leave, Nathaniel received a call.
He answered.
Leonard's voice came through.
"You found Rose."
Nathaniel froze.
Leonard laughed.
"You think you've won."
"Where is she?"
"Alive."
"Where?"
"Come alone."
Nathaniel shook his head.
"No."
Leonard sighed.
"Then she dies."
The line ended.
Nathaniel looked at us.
Daniel stepped forward.
"No."
"I won't risk her."
"We all go."
He looked at me.
Then at my mother.
Then at Nathaniel.
"Together."
Hours later, we reached the school.
The place was abandoned.
Too abandoned.
Doors hung open.
Hallways empty.
A child's drawing lay on the floor.
Two girls holding hands.
One was labeled Ruby.
The other:
Rose.
At the end of the hallway stood a red door.
We opened it.
Inside was a small room.
A chair.
A blanket.
And a mirror.
No Rose.
Then I heard a voice behind me.
"You're late."
I turned.
A girl stood in the doorway.
Sixteen years old.
Green eyes.
Silver pendant.
She looked at me.
I looked at her.
Neither of us spoke.
Then she smiled through tears.
"You're my sister."
May you like
Before I could reach her, a gunshot exploded.
Rose fell.
