Chapter 5 - The gunshot shattered the farmhouse.Harris fired.
The old man ducked behind the doorway.
The bullet struck the wall.
“Police! Don't move!”
The man ran.
Harris chased him upstairs.
Daniel followed.
Claire grabbed the file and stayed close behind.
They burst through the front door just in time to see the stranger disappear into the forest.
Harris stopped at the edge of the trees.
“He knows the terrain.”
Daniel stared into the darkness.
“Who is he?”
Harris shook his head.
“Your father?”
Daniel looked at him.
“My father was buried in 2014.”
“Did you identify the body?”
Daniel went silent.
His mother had.
He had not.
The thought hit him like ice water.
Claire approached.
“There was another file.”
“What?”
“Subject 17.”
She held it up.
“Lena Shaw.”
Harris took it.
“We need to get this evidence back to the station.”
Daniel shook his head.
“No.”
Harris frowned.
“Why?”
“Because somebody inside the police department may be involved.”
Harris stared at him.
“That's a serious accusation.”
“Thomas Bell was murdered after we found his records.”
Claire added quietly:
“And somebody knew we were coming here.”
Harris lowered his gun.
“Fair enough.”
They returned to the city before dawn.
Emily remained unconscious.
Daniel spent the night in the hospital hallway.
At 6:10 a.m., Dr. Adrian Shaw arrived.
He walked quickly toward Emily's room.
Daniel stood.
“You knew my wife as a child.”
The doctor stopped.
“What?”
“I found her medical records.”
Dr. Shaw's expression barely changed.
“She had childhood illnesses.”
“Poisoning.”
The doctor's face tightened.
“Where did you find that?”
Daniel stared.
“You didn't ask whether the record was real.”
Silence.
Dr. Shaw looked toward Claire.
Then back at Daniel.
“You should let her rest.”
“Who is Lena Shaw?”
The doctor's expression collapsed.
For the first time, genuine fear appeared on his face.
“My daughter.”
Claire stepped forward.
“She died two years ago.”
“No.”
Daniel stared.
Dr. Shaw shook his head.
“She died the night Emily disappeared.”
“What happened?”
The doctor said nothing.
Daniel grabbed his coat.
“Tell me.”
Dr. Shaw looked around the hallway.
Then spoke softly.
“Emily discovered something.”
“What?”
“A patient registry.”
“Which patients?”
“Children.”
Claire's eyes narrowed.
“How many?”
“Seventeen.”
“Why?”
“Those children were used in illegal drug trials.”
The silence was absolute.
Daniel felt sick.
“By whom?”
Dr. Shaw looked directly at him.
“Your father.”
Daniel's chest tightened.
“My father is dead.”
“No,” the doctor whispered.
“He disappeared.”
Dr. Shaw continued.
“He created a private medical network. Your family funded it.”
Daniel shook his head.
“I knew nothing about it.”
“I believe you.”
Claire asked:
“Why was Emily involved?”
“Because she discovered the children.”
“What did she do?”
“She planned to expose him.”
“Then why was she targeted?”
Dr. Shaw's voice dropped.
“Because she found the final patient.”
Daniel frowned.
“Who?”
The doctor looked toward Emily's room.
“She found Lena.”
Claire frowned.
“But Lena is your daughter.”
Dr. Shaw closed his eyes.
“She wasn't.”
Claire stared.
“What?”
“She was one of the children.”
Dr. Shaw looked at Daniel.
“Emily discovered that Lena had survived the trials.”
“And then?”
“Someone found out.”
Daniel's voice was barely audible.
“Who?”
Dr. Shaw didn't answer.
Instead, he whispered:
“The man who is pretending to be your father.”
Behind them, Emily suddenly woke.
She pushed herself upright.
Her voice was weak but urgent.
“Get away from him.”
Daniel turned.
“Emily?”
Emily stared at Dr. Shaw.
Her face filled with terror.
“Adrian…”
The doctor stepped back.
Emily pointed at him.
“He was there.”
Adrian Shaw turned pale.
Emily whispered:
“He was there when they put me in the coffin.”
Claire froze.
Daniel stared at the doctor.
“You?”
Dr. Shaw shook his head.
“No.”
Emily's voice rose.
“Yes.”
The doctor looked toward the hallway.
Then he ran.
Harris shouted and chased him.
Claire turned to Emily.
“Tell us everything.”
Emily grabbed her hand.
“There isn't time.”
“Why?”
Emily looked toward the window.
A black car had stopped outside.
Two men stepped out.
Emily's eyes widened.
May you like
“They found me.”
Then the hospital lights went out.
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