Chapter 13 - THE EXPERIMENTDr. Bennett walked deeper into the archive.
Miller raised his weapon.
Daniel whispered:
“Wait.”
“Why?”
“He'll trigger the alarm.”
Too late.
Bennett pressed a button.
Sirens exploded.
Red lights began flashing.
Emergency doors slammed shut.
He smiled.
“You should have stayed dead, Daniel.”
Daniel stepped out.
“You should have stayed a doctor.”
Bennett laughed.
“You still don't understand what you found.”
I stepped forward.
“What did you do to my daughter?”
“Nothing.”
“You erased my memory.”
“I protected the project.”
“What project?”
Bennett held up the file.
“Children with specific genetic markers can be used to create identities that pass every government check.”
“That doesn't explain Caleb.”
“No.”
He smiled.
“Caleb is more valuable.”
Daniel moved toward him.
“Why?”
Bennett finally revealed it.
Emma had been born with a rare genetic marker.
Caleb had inherited part of it.
Together, they could be used to authenticate forged biological identities.
Not just documents.
DNA.
Medical records.
Everything.
The organization had spent years building an underground identity network.
Children were the keys.
My children had been selected because of their genetics.
I felt sick.
“You were going to use them?”
“Yes.”
“Children?”
“Assets.”
I slapped him.
Daniel grabbed my arm before I could do it again.
Bennett smiled.
“You still have no idea how deep this goes.”
Miller pointed his gun.
“Hands where I can see them.”
Bennett laughed.
Then every light in the room went out.
Gunfire.
A scream.
When the lights returned, Bennett was gone.
So was Emma.
I screamed her name.
“EMMA!”
Daniel ran down the tunnel.
Caleb grabbed my hand.
“Mom!”
We found the rear entrance open.
A black van was disappearing into the street.
Emma was inside.
David ran after it.
He disappeared around the corner.
Minutes later, he called.
“It's heading north!”
Miller shouted:
“Get every unit moving.”
I climbed into the police car.
Daniel joined me.
Caleb sat beside us.
I looked at my husband.
“This ends tonight.”
He nodded.
But then my phone rang.
The caller ID showed my own number.
I answered.
Silence.
Then Emma's voice.
“Mommy?”
“Emma!”
A man interrupted.
“You want her back?”
“Yes!”
“Then bring Daniel.”
My heart stopped.
“Where?”
“Where he was supposed to die.”
The line disconnected.
Daniel stared at me.
“The crash site.”
I nodded.
Then my phone buzzed.
A final message appeared.
COME ALONE.
Below it:
OR EMMA DIES.
Caleb looked at the screen.
Then whispered:
“Mom…”
“What?”
“I know where that place is.”
I stared at him.
“How?”
May you like
He looked terrified.
“I've been there before.”
