Chapter 4 - Jonathan barely slept.At dawn, he ordered every camera outside the mansion reviewed.
There was no record of Kane leaving.
No vehicle.
No fingerprint.
No trace.
It was as if the man had appeared from the rain and dissolved back into it.
But Jonathan had seen him.
And the message remained burned into his mind.
SHE WAS NEVER YOUR DAUGHTER.
His wife, Evelyn, had died believing Lily was dead.
At least that was what Jonathan had thought.
Except Lily hadn't even been born during the accident.
The timeline was impossible.
Unless he had misunderstood everything.
Jonathan went into Evelyn's old study.
He had kept it locked for thirteen years.
Nobody entered.
He hadn't even touched her desk.
Dust covered the bookshelves.
Her perfume had disappeared years ago.
But the room still felt like her.
He opened a drawer.
Inside were letters.
Hundreds.
He recognized the handwriting.
Most were research notes.
Some were addressed to him.
He opened the first.
Jonathan,
If you're reading this, then I failed to stop them.
His hands trembled.
He read faster.
There are children they call subjects. There are six of them. They aren't experiments in the way you think. Their cells react to damaged human tissue. They can restart dead nerves. Heal organs. Repair genetic damage.
Jonathan stared.
He turned the page.
But there is a cost.
The next page had only one sentence.
They don't heal people for free.
Jonathan's heart pounded.
He searched the desk.
Another letter.
Subject Six is different.
The baby.
Lily.
He kept reading.
She doesn't simply repair damaged tissue. She can trigger the body to rebuild itself. But the reaction becomes stronger when she comes into physical contact with the person. That's why Kane wants her.
Jonathan whispered:
"Why?"
He found the final line.
Because he believes Subject Six can make him immortal.
A noise came from behind him.
Jonathan spun around.
Nobody.
Then something fell from the bookshelf.
A small wooden box.
He opened it.
Inside was a photograph.
Evelyn holding a newborn baby.
Not Lily.
A different baby.
Jonathan's breath caught.
Written on the back:
Our daughter.
He stared at the photograph for a long time.
Their daughter.
He and Evelyn had been told the baby died during childbirth.
Stillbirth.
Fourteen years ago.
Jonathan's fingers shook.
He remembered the funeral.
The tiny white coffin.
The closed lid.
The doctor telling him there was nothing more they could do.
His wife never recovered.
But now he knew.
The baby had never been buried.
She had been taken.
And Project Echo had begun before Jonathan's accident.
He called Daniel.
"Find everything about the birth of my daughter."
Daniel went silent.
"Sir?"
"Everything."
"What are you looking for?"
"The truth."
At the same time, across the city, Michael was waking up inside the church basement.
The old woman had given them blankets.
Food.
Water.
Dry clothes.
But she refused to let them leave.
Michael noticed photographs on the wall.
One photograph showed six children.
He recognized three.
The girl in the middle was Emma.
The little boy was Noah.
And the baby in the woman's arms was Lily.
Michael stared.
"When was this taken?"
The old woman turned away.
"You weren't supposed to see that."
"Who are you?"
She said nothing.
"Who are you?"
She finally whispered:
"My name is Sister Agnes."
Michael looked at the photograph.
"You knew us."
Agnes closed her eyes.
"I knew your mothers."
Michael froze.
"Our mothers?"
"Your mothers were part of the project."
Emma woke.
"What project?"
Agnes looked at the three children.
Then toward Lily.
"They volunteered."
Michael shook his head.
"My mother died."
"Yes."
"Emma's mother died too."
"Yes."
"Then why do you know them?"
Agnes answered:
"Because I helped hide their children."
Michael's face changed.
"From who?"
Agnes turned toward the basement door.
"They will come for you."
The door exploded inward.
Men in black rushed down the stairs.
Agnes screamed:
"TAKE THE BABY AND RUN!"
Michael grabbed Lily.
Emma took Noah's hand.
They ran through a second door.
Behind them, gunshots erupted.
Agnes stepped into the hallway.
A man aimed a gun.
"Where are the children?"
She smiled.
"You've already lost."
The man shot her.
Michael heard the gunshot.
He wanted to turn back.
But Agnes had screamed one final sentence.
"RUN TO JONATHAN VALE!"
Meanwhile, Daniel entered Jonathan's study carrying a birth certificate.
His face was pale.
"Sir."
Jonathan looked up.
"What did you find?"
Daniel placed the certificate on the desk.
"The hospital records were altered."
"How?"
"The original record says your daughter was born alive."
Jonathan stopped.
"Alive?"
Daniel nodded.
"But someone changed it."
"Who?"
Daniel looked at the bottom of the page.
There was a signature.
Jonathan recognized it instantly.
Evelyn's.
He looked closer.
Underneath her signature was another line.
TRANSFERRED TO PROJECT ECHO.
Jonathan's entire body went cold.
Then Daniel whispered:
"Sir... your daughter was never stillborn."
Jonathan looked up.
"Then where is she?"
Daniel pointed to another document.
A medical photograph of Lily.
"According to this..."
May you like
He swallowed.
"She's the baby those children are protecting."
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