Chapter 11 - The ShotJonathan shoved me sideways.

The bullet struck the glass wall.

I screamed.

Security lights snapped on.

A second shot.

Jonathan fell.

"Dad!"

I dropped beside him.

Blood soaked his shirt.

The shooter disappeared into the darkness.

I pressed both hands against the wound.

"Stay with me."

He coughed.

"Don't..."

"Don't talk."

"Hannah."

"I'm a doctor."

His eyes widened.

"You never told them."

"I know."

"Good."

I called emergency services.

Then another light came on.

A monitor in the laboratory behind us.

A single word appeared.

ORCHID ONLINE.

The machines began humming.

I looked at Jonathan.

"What is that?"

His face filled with terror.

"We need to leave."

"Now."

He tried to stand.

I helped him.

We ran.

The corridor doors started locking one by one.

Behind us, alarms screamed.

"What is happening?"

"The system detected your presence."

"How?"

"Your blood."

My skin crawled.

"You said contact."

"The facility is reading you."

"Then shut it down."

"I can't."

"Who can?"

He looked at me.

"You."

We reached a sealed door.

A biometric scanner lit up.

I placed my palm against it.

The door opened.

Jonathan stared.

"I haven't seen that happen in fourteen years."

We stepped inside.

It was a control room.

Walls covered with monitors.

Thousands of medical records.

Names.

Dates.

Biological markers.

My name appeared across the largest screen.

ORCHID SUBJECT ONE

Underneath:

STATUS: ACTIVATED

I stopped breathing.

"What does activated mean?"

Jonathan whispered,

"It means they've found you."

"Who?"

The screens changed.

Live camera feeds.

Hospital.

Nate's room.

Detective Bennett.

Khloe.

Dr. Harris.

Then another feed.

A laboratory.

Nate was there.

Alive.

Conscious.

Standing beside Michael Avery.

I stared at the screen.

Nate looked directly into the camera.

As if he could see me.

Then he spoke.

"I know you're watching, Hannah."

Jonathan grabbed my arm.

"It's a trap."

Nate continued.

"I'm sorry."

He lifted something.

A syringe.

"Your blood is the only thing that can stop this."

My heart slammed.

He injected himself.

The screen flashed red.

ORCHID PHASE TWO INITIATED.

Jonathan whispered,

"No."

I looked at him.

"What?"

"He just activated the implant."

"Why?"

Jonathan's voice shook.

"Because once Phase Two starts..."

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He stared at the screen.

"...the entire facility becomes a countdown."