Chapter 4 - Victor Had Kidnapped Lucy Years Ago and Used Her to Control Her Father—But He Made One Mistake by Leaving Her Photograph Where Eli Could See ItThe clinic was abandoned.
Walls stripped.
Machines gone.
But one room remained intact.
A children's room.
Beds.
Toys.
Photographs.
Lucy was one of them.
Age five.
Six.
Seven.
Every year.
Someone had been documenting her.
Eli saw the pictures.
He didn't cry.
He simply whispered:
“She was alive.”
Parker collapsed into a chair.
“I thought she was dead.”
I stared at him.
“You should have kept searching.”
“I was afraid.”
“That fear cost her years.”
“I know.”
Then we found a recording.
Victor's voice.
“Adrian, you should have stayed obedient.”
Parker looked sick.
Victor continued:
“The boy is becoming difficult.”
“He remembers.”
“And if he remembers, the Moretti family will come.”
That was why Eli had been so desperate.
He knew no adult believed him.
He knew the system was controlled.
But he believed my reputation could break it.
The recording continued.
“You were always useful.”
“Until your wife became inconvenient.”
Parker whispered:
“My wife.”
Victor laughed.
“She knew too much.”
I felt rage rise.
Then he said:
“Lucy is still alive.”
“She will remain alive as long as you cooperate.”
The recording ended.
Parker looked at me.
“I'll kill him.”
I grabbed his arm.
“No.”
“He killed my wife.”
“He stole your daughter.”
“You expect me to forgive him?”
“No.”
I looked at him.
“I'm saying you don't get to become him.”
He stared.
For the first time, I saw a father instead of a frightened doctor.
We searched deeper.
A hidden elevator.
It descended underground.
At the bottom was a facility.
Dozens of rooms.
Medical equipment.
Security doors.
And children.
Six.
No.
Twelve.
More.
Some asleep.
Some sedated.
One room contained Lucy.
She was fourteen now.
Older.
Thin.
But alive.
Eli ran toward her.
“Lucy!”
She froze.
Then screamed.
“Eli?”
They hugged.
Parker dropped to his knees.
“Lucy.”
She looked at him.
For a moment, she didn't move.
Then:
“Dad?”
He cried.
I turned away.
Some reunions aren't meant to have an audience.
But while they embraced, I saw something on the wall.
A list.
Thousands of names.
And one name at the bottom.
LUCY PARKER — TRANSFERRED TO HAVEN LEADERSHIP PROGRAM.
I stared.
Someone had planned to turn Lucy into one of them.
The question was:
May you like
How many children had they already taken?
And how powerful was the organization behind it?
Related Stories
