Chapter 7 - Grace Led Us to the Hidden Ward—Because the Children Who Couldn't Speak Had Been Taught to Recognize One Secret SymbolGrace knew the facility better than we did.
She led us down a hidden hallway.
Past an elevator.
Through a locked storage room.
Then to a basement ward.
There were eight children.
Some as young as four.
Some older.
All carrying the same genetic marker.
They had been used for research.
Their parents had been told they died.
Grace recognized several of them.
The youngest girl had the same crescent birthmark.
Another boy had been in the facility longer than Grace.
Adrian called every federal agency he knew.
Within hours, the building was surrounded.
Richard's network began collapsing.
But he had one final advantage.
He had people inside law enforcement.
One federal officer entered the building claiming to be sent for the children.
Grace immediately became frightened.
“Don't trust him.”
I looked at her.
“Why?”
“He has the black star.”
The officer wore a tiny symbol on his cuff.
Vesper.
The same organization that had controlled Adrian's family.
The same symbol from the documents.
He drew a weapon.
Security fired.
The officer escaped.
Richard had infiltrated the rescue.
That meant the network was much larger than Meridian.
We found a list.
Twenty-three officials.
Six hospitals.
Four pharmaceutical companies.
Three judges.
And one name at the top.
Senator Michael Graves.
Richard's financial partner.
He had funded the project.
Adrian stared at the name.
“He controls half the medical legislation in Illinois.”
“Then we expose him.”
Grace looked at me.
“Will he come after us?”
“Yes.”
She swallowed.
“But you'll protect me.”
“Yes.”
“Daddy too?”
Adrian stepped closer.
“Yes.”
She nodded.
“Then I'm not scared.”
I hugged her.
My daughter.
The child I had mourned.
Alive.
Brave.
Waiting for me.
Then Lucas cried.
I looked down.
His little hand reached toward Grace.
Grace reached back.
Their fingers touched.
They were brother and sister.
May you like
Together.
For the first time.
Related Stories
