Chapter 6 - What Jake InheritedWe escaped through a maintenance tunnel beneath the hospital.
Mara led.
I carried Jake.
Christine followed behind us.
The tunnel smelled of rust and disinfectant.
Every few seconds, another explosion shook the ceiling.
Jake had stopped crying.
That worried me more.
He was too quiet.
"Dad?"
"I'm here."
"What's inside me?"
I looked at Mara.
She didn't answer.
I looked at Christine.
She lowered her eyes.
"Nobody is putting anything inside you," I said.
Jake frowned.
"Then why did Grandpa say I had something?"
My chest tightened.
"What exactly did he say?"
"He said..."
Jake swallowed.
"That Daddy's blood made me special."
Mara stopped walking.
"What else?"
"He said people would hurt me if they knew."
Mara's expression changed.
"How much does he remember?"
I crouched.
"Jake, what did Grandpa make you do?"
"He took blood."
Christine covered her mouth.
Mara swore under her breath.
"What?"
Jake touched his arm.
"Last Christmas."
I stared at Christine.
"You knew?"
"I found out later."
"How much later?"
"I don't know."
"Christine!"
She broke down.
"I thought it was a medical test."
I looked at Mara.
She pulled out her phone.
"Your son carries a rare genetic sequence."
"So?"
"Your family used to be involved in a classified research program."
I stared at her.
"What kind of program?"
"Regenerative medicine."
I waited.
"Military application."
The tunnel seemed to narrow.
Mara continued.
"Years ago, researchers discovered that some members of a specific bloodline had unusual cellular repair responses."
"You?"
"No."
"Then me?"
She nodded.
"Your father."
I froze.
"My father died when I was fourteen."
"That's what you were told."
I felt the floor shift under me.
"My father is alive?"
Mara hesitated.
"No."
Something about the way she said it told me there was more.
"What happened?"
"Your father was one of the original researchers."
I stared at her.
"And my grandfather?"
"Funding."
I looked at Christine.
"And Walter?"
"Broker," Mara said.
"Broker?"
"He connected the program to private buyers."
My hands curled into fists.
"And Jake?"
Mara looked at my son.
"Your son inherited the sequence."
Christine whispered, "That's why Dad wanted him tested."
"Not tested," Mara said.
"Harvested."
Jake heard the word.
"What does harvested mean?"
Nobody answered.
I pulled him closer.
"You don't need to know."
Mara stopped again.
"We need to move."
"What happens if they get Jake?"
She looked directly at me.
"They won't kill him."
Somehow, that was worse.
"They'll keep him alive."
My stomach turned.
"Why?"
"Because whatever your father discovered..."
She looked at Jake.
"...your son may be the first child to inherit the complete sequence naturally."
I heard footsteps behind us.
Mara raised a weapon.
"Run."
We moved.
A gunshot cracked through the tunnel.
Mara fired back.
Christine grabbed Jake.
I turned and saw shadows approaching.
Three.
Then five.
I shoved a steel cart into the tunnel.
"Go!"
Mara stayed behind.
"You're not fighting alone," she said.
We reached a door at the end of the tunnel.
It opened into the parking garage.
My SUV was parked two levels above.
We ran.
Then a voice came through the garage speakers.
Calm.
Almost amused.
"Mr. Cole."
I stopped.
The voice continued.
"You have something we need."
I looked up.
Cameras.
Everywhere.
Then the final sentence.
"And if you think your father died twelve years ago..."
A screen flickered on.
An old photograph appeared.
My father.
Alive.
Standing beside Victor Kane.
And beside them...
Walter Mercer.
The screen went black.
Christine whispered, "Ethan..."
I looked at her.
"Who is Victor Kane to your father?"
She couldn't answer.
Because suddenly I knew.
May you like
Victor Kane hadn't been hunting my family.
He had been part of it.
