Chapter 10 - THE DEAD WOMANMy father was taken away in handcuffs.
I stood in the lobby watching him disappear.
He turned once.
“Bella.”
I couldn't answer.
Mercer stayed beside me.
“This is fabricated.”
“I know.”
“We'll prove it.”
“How?”
He looked at the evidence.
“The body.”
We rushed to the morgue.
The body was covered.
I stood outside the room.
“That's my mother.”
Mercer opened the file.
“Identification is preliminary.”
“DNA?”
“Pending.”
“Then don't tell me she's dead.”
We entered.
The body was damaged badly.
But I knew my mother's face.
Or I thought I did.
I stared.
Something felt wrong.
The scar on the left wrist.
My mother had a crescent scar.
This woman had none.
I looked at Mercer.
“That's not her.”
He frowned.
“How certain?”
“One hundred percent.”
We checked again.
The corpse's fingerprints did not match.
The DNA was inconclusive.
Someone had staged the body.
Then a message arrived.
From my mother.
You are looking in the wrong place.
I nearly dropped the phone.
“How?”
Another message.
Your father knows where I am.
I called him.
No answer.
Mercer frowned.
“He can't receive calls.”
“Then someone has access to his secure phone.”
A video appeared.
My mother sat in a dark room.
Alive.
She looked older.
Tired.
But unmistakable.
“Isabella.”
I began crying.
“Mom.”
She smiled sadly.
“I am sorry.”
“Where are you?”
“I can't tell you.”
“Dad was arrested.”
“I know.”
“They say you are dead.”
“I know.”
“Then help me.”
She shook her head.
“Listen carefully.”
Her voice trembled.
“The person you must fear isn't Nathan.”
“Eleanor.”
“No.”
I froze.
“Then who?”
My mother looked away.
“The person closest to you.”
I stared.
“Who?”
She whispered:
“Kyle.”
I felt cold.
“He's helping us.”
My mother shook her head.
“He's helping himself.”
The video ended.
I turned to Mercer.
He said nothing.
Then Kyle walked into the morgue.
I stared at him.
“What are you doing here?”
“I came to tell you.”
“What?”
“That Nathan has your mother.”
My phone rang.
I answered.
Nathan.
“Hello, Isabella.”
I gripped the phone.
“If you hurt her…”
“You'll do what?”
“Kill me?”
He laughed.
“You still don't understand.”
“Where is my mother?”
“Come alone.”
“Where?”
“To the place where your father first betrayed her.”
I frowned.
“The Calder research facility.”
He ended the call.
Mercer stepped closer.
“We're going.”
“No.”
“Isabella.”
“He wants me alone.”
“That means we don't go alone.”
I nodded.
We drove to the abandoned research facility.
Inside, we found an old laboratory.
Dust covered the equipment.
A projector flickered on.
My mother's voice played.
“I created a genetic key.”
I stared at the screen.
She continued.
“Only Isabella can access the archive.”
Mercer looked at me.
“What archive?”
The screen changed.
A DNA sequence appeared.
Then a phrase.
PROJECT EVE
My mother continued.
“Eleanor never wanted Isabella dead.”
“She wanted Isabella activated.”
The door behind us locked.
A man stepped out of the shadows.
Nathan.
He smiled.
“Now you understand.”
I looked at him.
“What is Project Eve?”
Nathan's smile faded.
“The beginning of everything.”
He pressed a button.
The wall opened.
Behind it was a vault.
Inside sat dozens of servers.
At the center was a glass chamber.
Inside the chamber was my mother.
Alive.
But unconscious.
I ran forward.
Nathan raised a gun.
“One more step.”
I stopped.
He looked at me.
“Welcome home, Isabella.”
Then another voice came from behind him.
Eleanor Voss.
“Bring her to me.”
Nathan turned.
Eleanor smiled.
“And kill the boy.”
May you like
A gunshot exploded.
Mercer fell.
