Chapter 14 - THE LAST DOORMarlo refused to run.
She refused to hide.
She refused to lose Poppy again.
Elias wanted to call the police.
Samuel said they would arrive too late.
So they went to Victor.
The location was an abandoned hospital.
The original facility.
The place where Poppy had been born.
Inside, the corridors were empty.
The walls still smelled of antiseptic.
Marlo held the blue envelope.
It was incomplete.
The final pages were missing.
Samuel carried the old master key.
Elias carried a weapon.
They entered the central wing.
A light flickered.
Victor's voice came over the intercom.
“Welcome home.”
Marlo stepped forward.
“Where is my daughter?”
“Safe.”
“Show me.”
A screen turned on.
Poppy was sitting beside Margaret.
Margaret's wrists were tied.
Poppy looked at the camera.
“Mommy!”
Marlo nearly broke.
Victor spoke.
“One final exchange.”
“The envelope.”
“And the donor.”
Elias stepped forward.
“What?”
Victor smiled.
“You.”
Marlo looked at him.
“What do you want with Elias?”
“The same thing I wanted eleven years ago.”
“What?”
“His blood.”
Elias's expression changed.
Victor explained.
“Your mutation stabilized the treatment.”
Samuel stepped forward.
“You already have it.”
“No.”
Victor laughed.
“You misunderstood.”
He looked at Marlo.
“He isn't the father.”
“He never was.”
Marlo felt the same cold shock as before.
Victor continued.
“He donated genetic material.”
“And Jonah?”
Victor smiled.
“The real father.”
Samuel closed his eyes.
Marlo looked at him.
“You?”
Samuel nodded.
“Yes.”
Silence.
Poppy cried.
“Mommy!”
Marlo looked at Victor.
“Let her go.”
“Give me the envelope.”
Marlo slowly lifted it.
Victor approached.
Then Margaret suddenly headbutted the man beside her.
Everything exploded into chaos.
Elias fired.
Samuel rushed forward.
Marlo ran toward Poppy.
A gunshot.
Margaret fell.
“Mom!”
Marlo reached her.
Blood spread across her blouse.
Margaret smiled weakly.
“I finally did one thing right.”
“You're not dying.”
“Listen.”
Marlo leaned close.
“Poppy must never know.”
“Know what?”
Margaret touched her cheek.
“That Victor didn't create the program.”
Marlo froze.
“Who did?”
Margaret whispered,
“Your father.”
Samuel looked shocked.
“What?”
Margaret smiled through the pain.
“He started it.”
Samuel staggered backward.
“No.”
Margaret looked at Marlo.
“He wanted to save your brother.”
“Which brother?”
Margaret's eyes moved toward Elias.
“Not Elias.”
Marlo felt her blood freeze.
“Then who?”
Margaret whispered,
“Jonah.”
The lights went out.
A door slammed.
When emergency lights returned, Victor was gone.
So was Poppy.
So was Samuel.
Only Elias remained.
Marlo looked around wildly.
“No.”
Elias grabbed her.
“We'll find them.”
“How?”
He pointed toward the floor.
A trail of blood.
It led to a steel door.
Marlo followed.
The door opened.
Inside was a laboratory.
And in the center stood Jonah.
A teenage boy.
Pale.
Silent.
Poppy was beside him.
Victor stood behind them.
Samuel was on the floor.
Victor raised a syringe.
“This is the last step.”
Elias raised his gun.
“Don't.”
Victor smiled.
“You still don't understand.”
He looked at Poppy.
“She was never the cure.”
Then he looked at Jonah.
“He was.”
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And Jonah opened his eyes.
They were identical to Poppy's.
