Chapter 6 - The Child Knew Adrian Before Anyone Had Told Him—and His Next Sentence Revealed Where the Missing Children Were Being HeldLuca was sedated.
The medication contamination had been stopped.
But his statement wouldn't leave my mind.
“My dad told me about you.”
Which dad?
Vincent?
Adrian?
His grandfather?
I waited until Luca stabilized.
Then I asked him gently.
“Who is your grandfather?”
He frowned.
“He says he's Daddy's dad.”
Vincent was right outside.
He entered.
“Luca.”
The boy looked at him.
“Dad.”
“Who is your grandfather?”
Luca went silent.
Then he said:
“He says I have special blood.”
Vincent closed his eyes.
I asked:
“Where does he live?”
Luca pointed down.
“Under the hospital.”
My blood went cold.
“What?”
“He has rooms downstairs.”
Marcus looked at me.
“There are old service tunnels beneath this hospital.”
We found a locked elevator.
The hospital records showed nothing.
But the black circle symbol appeared beside the access panel.
Vincent entered a code.
The elevator descended.
Two floors.
Three.
Four.
We stepped into a hidden medical facility.
Rows of rooms.
Empty beds.
Computer monitors.
Refrigerators containing blood samples.
And photographs of children.
Twelve.
The names from my mother's list.
Some were missing.
Some were there.
Alive.
I nearly collapsed.
“It's them.”
Vincent stared.
“We have to get them out.”
We moved quickly.
But someone had already alerted the facility.
Doors began locking.
Alarms sounded.
We heard footsteps.
A man appeared at the end of the corridor.
Adrian Moretti.
Older.
Gray-haired.
Alive.
He smiled.
“Sarah.”
Vincent raised his gun.
“You're supposed to be dead.”
Adrian laughed.
“I prefer people to think that.”
I looked at him.
“Where is my mother?”
His smile disappeared.
“She knew too much.”
“You killed her.”
“Yes.”
Vincent fired.
The bullet missed.
Adrian ran.
Security chased.
I stayed with the children.
We freed them.
Then Marcus found something.
A server room.
The main database.
It contained the full research program.
Adrian had been using hospitals across the country.
The children weren't random.
They were selected by genetic markers.
My family was one of them.
Vincent's family was another.
The children were simply the latest generation.
And Luca was the most valuable.
Then we found Adrian's personal notes.
DR. SARAH JENKINS — PRIMARY CANDIDATE.
My stomach twisted.
He had known me.
He had planned around me.
Everything suddenly became terrifyingly clear.
My career.
My position.
My hospital.
My encounter with Luca.
Someone had moved all the pieces.
Then the server displayed one final line.
PHASE TWO: FAMILY INTERSECTION.
Vincent looked at me.
“What does that mean?”
I stared.
“It means this isn't about Luca anymore.”
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“What is it about?”
“Me.”
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