The lights went out.
\nNot flickered.
\nNot dimmed.
\nThey simply disappeared.
\nFor one terrifying second, the hotel room became completely black.
\nNicole couldn’t see David.
\nCouldn’t see Leo.
\nCouldn’t see the door.
\nThen Leo screamed.
\n\u201cMommy!\u201d
\nNicole moved instinctively.
\nShe reached through the darkness and grabbed him.
\n\u201cI’ve got you.\u201d
\nHe buried his face against her.
\nDavid’s voice came from somewhere near the desk.
\n\u201cDon’t move.\u201d
\nNicole froze.
\n\u201cWhy?\u201d
\n\u201cI heard something.\u201d
\nA soft metallic sound came from the hallway.
\nThen another.
\nA click.
\nA pause.
\nAnother click.
\nDavid whispered,
\n\u201cSomeone is trying the doors.\u201d
\nNicole’s heart hammered.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The emergency lights in the hallway should have illuminated the room through the gap beneath the door.<\/p>\n
Nothing.<\/p>\n
David pulled out his phone.<\/p>\n
Its screen cast a faint glow across his face.<\/p>\n
He walked toward the door.<\/p>\n
Nicole whispered,<\/p>\n
\u201cDon’t.\u201d<\/p>\n
He stopped.<\/p>\n
Then the emergency power suddenly returned.<\/p>\n
The room filled with light.<\/p>\n
The door was still closed.<\/p>\n
But the photograph was gone.<\/p>\n
Nicole looked at the desk.<\/p>\n
Her phone was there.<\/p>\n
The photograph wasn’t.<\/p>\n
David’s expression changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere is it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don’t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou had it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
He walked toward the door.<\/p>\n
Nicole grabbed his arm.<\/p>\n
\u201cDavid.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomeone was inside this room.\u201d<\/p>\n
He didn’t deny it.<\/p>\n
Instead, he looked toward the ventilation grate above the bathroom.<\/p>\n
Then toward the window.<\/p>\n
Then the closet.<\/p>\n
\u201cStay with Leo.\u201d<\/p>\n
He opened the closet.<\/p>\n
Empty.<\/p>\n
He checked the bathroom.<\/p>\n
Empty.<\/p>\n
Finally, he returned.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe photograph wasn’t taken.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole stared at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was printed recently.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLook at the edges.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole picked up the empty envelope.<\/p>\n
The paper inside had left a faint chemical smell.<\/p>\n
David continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomeone wanted you to see it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole swallowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd then they took it back.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause you weren’t supposed to keep evidence.\u201d<\/p>\n
A cold silence settled over the room.<\/p>\n
Nicole looked at Leo.<\/p>\n
Her son had stopped crying, but his small hands were still wrapped around her sweater.<\/p>\n
She kissed his forehead.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe’re leaving.\u201d<\/p>\n
David nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cAgreed.\u201d<\/p>\n
They packed quickly.<\/p>\n
Nicole put Leo’s coat on him.<\/p>\n
David carried the folder.<\/p>\n
They took the service elevator instead of the main one.<\/p>\n
Nobody spoke until they reached the underground parking garage.<\/p>\n
The fluorescent lights above them buzzed.<\/p>\n
Nicole kept looking over her shoulder.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you think we’re being followed?\u201d<\/p>\n
David didn’t answer immediately.<\/p>\n
Then he said,<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
She stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou’re serious?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don’t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen how do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n
David pointed toward the far end of the garage.<\/p>\n
A black sedan sat there.<\/p>\n
Engine running.<\/p>\n
Lights off.<\/p>\n
Nicole stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat’s been there since we arrived.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI saw it through the lobby window.\u201d<\/p>\n
David’s face tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you see the driver?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNeither did I.\u201d<\/p>\n
They moved toward David’s vehicle.<\/p>\n
The black sedan remained motionless.<\/p>\n
David unlocked his SUV.<\/p>\n
\u201cGet inside.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole put Leo into the back seat.<\/p>\n
She climbed in beside him.<\/p>\n
David started the engine.<\/p>\n
The black sedan’s headlights came on.<\/p>\n
Nicole’s stomach dropped.<\/p>\n
\u201cDavid.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI see it.\u201d<\/p>\n
He pulled away.<\/p>\n
The sedan followed.<\/p>\n
They drove for twenty minutes.<\/p>\n
The sedan stayed behind them.<\/p>\n
Sometimes it disappeared around a corner.<\/p>\n
Then it appeared again.<\/p>\n
Nicole held Leo’s hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere are we going?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy office.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause that’s the one place I can secure.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou said my grandmother created the trust.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you said she knew everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen tell me the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n
David glanced at her through the mirror.<\/p>\n
\u201cI will.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNow.\u201d<\/p>\n
He hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour grandmother came to me six months before she died.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole waited.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe told me someone had been asking questions about you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe didn’t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said they were interested in your childhood.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy childhood?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said there were records missing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat records?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHospital records.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole’s breathing changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cHospital records?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom when I was born?\u201d<\/p>\n
David nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour birth records.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole stared through the windshield.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have a birth certificate.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI’m not talking about the certificate.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe original hospital file.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat was in it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat’s what your grandmother was trying to find out.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe found a copy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole’s voice became barely audible.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did it say?\u201d<\/p>\n
David tightened his grip on the steering wheel.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt said you were born at a different hospital than the one listed on your birth certificate.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole stared at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat isn’t possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour grandmother thought the same thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere was I born?\u201d<\/p>\n
David didn’t answer.<\/p>\n
\u201cDavid.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked at her through the mirror.<\/p>\n
\u201cSt. Catherine’s Medical Center.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole shook her head.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy parents always said I was born at Westchester General.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI remember pictures.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPictures can be moved.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI remember my mother telling me about the delivery.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe may have been telling you what she wanted you to believe.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole felt sick.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy would my parents lie about where I was born?\u201d<\/p>\n
David looked forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat’s the question your grandmother spent her final year trying to answer.\u201d<\/p>\n
They reached David’s office shortly before midnight.<\/p>\n
The building was dark.<\/p>\n
He unlocked a private entrance.<\/p>\n
Inside, the security system activated automatically.<\/p>\n
The doors locked behind them.<\/p>\n
Nicole carried Leo upstairs.<\/p>\n
He was exhausted.<\/p>\n
Within minutes, he fell asleep on a leather couch in David’s private conference room.<\/p>\n
Nicole stood by the window.<\/p>\n
\u201cTell me everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
David placed the folder on the table.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour grandmother believed your parents had been given money to keep certain information hidden.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole turned.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy parents?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot necessarily willingly.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour father had debts. Serious ones. Your mother knew.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat part I already knew.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour grandmother believed those debts were being used against them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy whom?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe never found out.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen how do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n
David pulled out another document.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I found this after she died.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole took it.<\/p>\n
It was a bank transfer.<\/p>\n
A large one.<\/p>\n
The sender was a company she didn’t recognize.<\/p>\n
The recipient was an account in Richard’s name.<\/p>\n
Nicole stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTwenty-eight years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole’s fingers trembled.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was the year before I was born.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked up.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow much?\u201d<\/p>\n
David told her.<\/p>\n
Nicole nearly dropped the paper.<\/p>\n
It was more money than her father had ever earned in several years.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat was it for?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don’t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why did you keep it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour grandmother asked me to.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause she said one day you might need it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole walked toward the window.<\/p>\n
The city stretched beneath them.<\/p>\n
She felt as though every memory of her childhood was becoming unreliable.<\/p>\n
The family photographs.<\/p>\n
The stories.<\/p>\n
Her birth.<\/p>\n
Her parents.<\/p>\n
Her grandmother.<\/p>\n
Even her own name.<\/p>\n
\u201cSubject Nine,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n
David’s face hardened.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does it mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don’t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know more than you’re telling me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen tell me.\u201d<\/p>\n
David remained silent.<\/p>\n
Nicole turned around.<\/p>\n
\u201cDavid.\u201d<\/p>\n
He finally spoke.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour grandmother found the phrase in a medical document.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat kind of document?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA research file.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cResearch?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole felt a chill.<\/p>\n
\u201cResearch on what?\u201d<\/p>\n
David shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cGenetics.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole laughed nervously.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat sounds insane.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought so too.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why are you taking it seriously?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause the company that funded the research still exists.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole stopped laughing.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat company?\u201d<\/p>\n
David opened his laptop.<\/p>\n
He turned the screen toward her.<\/p>\n
A corporate logo appeared.<\/p>\n
Nicole recognized it immediately.<\/p>\n
She had seen the name before.<\/p>\n
On one of Terrence’s business cards.<\/p>\n
On a report in her father’s office.<\/p>\n
And once, years ago, on a letter her grandmother had burned in the fireplace.<\/p>\n
Nicole whispered the name.<\/p>\n
\u201cMeridian Biotech.\u201d<\/p>\n
David nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cExactly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole stared at the screen.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy would a biotechnology company send my father money before I was born?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don’t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy would my grandmother investigate my birth?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don’t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy was I labeled Subject Nine?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don’t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole’s voice broke.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut you know where the records are.\u201d<\/p>\n
David didn’t answer.<\/p>\n
She stepped closer.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know where the original medical records are.\u201d<\/p>\n
His silence confirmed it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
David closed the laptop.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere’s an archive.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUnder St. Catherine’s.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole stared at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cAn underground archive?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was used by the hospital’s research department.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIs it still there?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen we’re going.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole’s expression hardened.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have a four-year-old son asleep in the next room.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd that’s exactly why I’m going.\u201d<\/p>\n
David shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cNicole, whoever sent that photograph knows where you are.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen waiting makes me safer?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cExactly.\u201d<\/p>\n
David looked at her for a long moment.<\/p>\n
Finally, he nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut we go in the morning.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole glanced at Leo.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I have one contact there.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSomeone who worked with your grandmother.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIs she alive?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat’s her name?\u201d<\/p>\n
David hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cDr. Miriam Vale.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy does that name sound familiar?\u201d<\/p>\n
David’s eyes narrowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause you met her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you were six.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole froze.<\/p>\n
\u201cI’ve never met her.\u201d<\/p>\n
David quietly replied,<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don’t remember her.\u201d<\/p>\n
At 2:17 a.m., Leo woke up.<\/p>\n
\u201cMommy?\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole rushed to him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI’m here.\u201d<\/p>\n
He sat up.<\/p>\n
\u201cAre we going home?\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole brushed his hair back.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked around the unfamiliar room.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere’s Grandma?\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe’s not here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leo looked toward the hallway.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes she is.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole froze.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was standing there.\u201d<\/p>\n
He pointed.<\/p>\n
Nobody was there.<\/p>\n
David walked over.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore I woke up.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did she look like?\u201d<\/p>\n
Leo frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cGrandma.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhich Grandma?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour Grandma.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole’s heart began racing.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy mother?\u201d<\/p>\n
Leo shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy grandmother?\u201d<\/p>\n
He nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was old.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole stared at David.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy grandmother has been dead for years.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leo shrugged.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe told me to tell Mommy something.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
Leo whispered,<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked toward Nicole.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon’t let them take you back to the house.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole felt the room go cold.<\/p>\n
David crouched beside him.<\/p>\n
\u201cLeo, did she tell you who they were?\u201d<\/p>\n
Leo nodded.<\/p>\n
He pointed toward the window.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe men.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole walked to the window.<\/p>\n
Below, three black vehicles were parked across the street.<\/p>\n
Her stomach dropped.<\/p>\n
David pulled the blinds shut.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow many?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThree.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo they have lights?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen they’re waiting.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do we do?\u201d<\/p>\n
David picked up his phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe leave through the basement.\u201d<\/p>\n
They reached the underground garage five minutes later.<\/p>\n
David had arranged for a second vehicle.<\/p>\n
Nicole carried Leo.<\/p>\n
They reached the exit.<\/p>\n
Then the garage lights went out.<\/p>\n
Again.<\/p>\n
Nicole’s breath caught.<\/p>\n
David stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cStay behind me.\u201d<\/p>\n
A door slammed somewhere in the darkness.<\/p>\n
Then footsteps.<\/p>\n
Slow.<\/p>\n
Measured.<\/p>\n
Coming toward them.<\/p>\n
Nicole held Leo tightly.<\/p>\n
David whispered,<\/p>\n
\u201cDon’t speak.\u201d<\/p>\n
The footsteps stopped.<\/p>\n
A man’s voice echoed through the garage.<\/p>\n
\u201cNicole.\u201d<\/p>\n
She recognized it.<\/p>\n
Her father’s voice.<\/p>\n
She almost stepped forward.<\/p>\n
Then David grabbed her arm.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut that’s my father.\u201d<\/p>\n
David shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour father is upstairs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole stared at him.<\/p>\n
The voice came again.<\/p>\n
\u201cNicole, it’s me.\u201d<\/p>\n
David whispered,<\/p>\n
\u201cThat’s not Richard.\u201d<\/p>\n
The lights returned.<\/p>\n
A man stood thirty feet away.<\/p>\n
White hair.<\/p>\n
Dark coat.<\/p>\n
His face was partly hidden by shadow.<\/p>\n
Nicole stopped breathing.<\/p>\n
Leo buried his face against her shoulder.<\/p>\n
The man slowly stepped into the light.<\/p>\n
Nicole stared.<\/p>\n
The resemblance was unmistakable.<\/p>\n
He looked like Richard.<\/p>\n
But older.<\/p>\n
Much older.<\/p>\n
David whispered one sentence.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat’s your grandfather.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole’s mouth opened.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
The man smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wondered how long it would take.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole couldn’t move.<\/p>\n
Her grandfather had supposedly died thirty-three years ago.<\/p>\n
Yet he was standing in front of her.<\/p>\n
Alive.<\/p>\n
And looking directly at her.<\/p>\n
Then he said the words that destroyed everything Nicole thought she knew about her birth.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were never supposed to be Subject Nine.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole held Leo tighter.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
The old man smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour grandmother changed the records.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTo save you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom who?\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked at Leo.<\/p>\n
Then back at Nicole.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom your father.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole shook her head.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy father didn’t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
The old man’s smile disappeared.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe knew.\u201d<\/p>\n
A car engine roared somewhere behind them.<\/p>\n
David grabbed Nicole’s shoulder.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have to go.\u201d<\/p>\n
The old man stepped aside.<\/p>\n
\u201cGo to St. Catherine’s.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole stared at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause the original records are still there.\u201d<\/p>\n
He reached inside his coat.<\/p>\n
Nicole tensed.<\/p>\n
But he pulled out a small envelope.<\/p>\n
He threw it onto the hood of David’s vehicle.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour grandmother wanted you to have this on your thirty-third birthday.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole stared at the envelope.<\/p>\n
Her birthday was six weeks away.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy now?\u201d<\/p>\n
The old man looked at Leo.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause they know about the boy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicole’s blood ran cold.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do they want with my son?\u201d<\/p>\n
The man didn’t answer.<\/p>\n
Instead, he whispered,<\/p>\n
\u201cAsk your father what happened to Subject Ten.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then he disappeared into the darkness.<\/p>\n
They drove through the city without speaking.<\/p>\n
Leo slept against Nicole’s side.<\/p>\n
David drove.<\/p>\n
The envelope sat unopened on Nicole’s lap.<\/p>\n
Finally, she tore it open.<\/p>\n
Inside was a single handwritten letter.<\/p>\n
The handwriting was unmistakable.<\/p>\n
Her grandmother.<\/p>\n
Nicole read the first line.<\/p>\n
My dearest Nicole,<\/strong><\/p>\n Her eyes filled with tears.<\/p>\n She continued.<\/p>\n If you are reading this before your thirty-third birthday, then something has gone terribly wrong.<\/strong><\/p>\n Nicole stopped.<\/p>\n She read the next paragraph.<\/p>\n I need you to understand one thing before you learn the rest. Your mother did not give birth to you in the way you were told.<\/strong><\/p>\n Nicole covered her mouth.<\/p>\n David kept driving.<\/p>\n She continued.<\/p>\n You were born from an experiment that was never meant to become a child.<\/strong><\/p>\n Nicole’s hands shook.<\/p>\n There were twelve children.<\/strong><\/p>\n She stopped reading.<\/p>\n Twelve.<\/p>\n Her eyes moved lower.<\/p>\n They were numbered according to the order in which they were created.<\/strong><\/p>\n Nicole whispered,<\/p>\n \u201cSubject Nine.\u201d<\/p>\n She kept reading.<\/p>\n Eight died.<\/strong><\/p>\n Her heart pounded.<\/p>\n Two disappeared.<\/strong><\/p>\n She swallowed.<\/p>\n One was taken by the company.<\/strong><\/p>\n Her eyes moved to the final line.<\/p>\n And one escaped.<\/strong><\/p>\n Nicole stared at the page.<\/p>\n Twelve children.<\/p>\n Eight dead.<\/p>\n Two missing.<\/p>\n One taken.<\/p>\n One escaped.<\/p>\n She slowly looked at Leo.<\/p>\n Then she read the final sentence.<\/p>\n The child who escaped was you.<\/strong><\/p>\n Nicole stopped breathing.<\/p>\n David looked at her.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat does it say?\u201d<\/p>\n Nicole couldn’t answer.<\/p>\n She folded the letter.<\/p>\n Then opened it again.<\/p>\n As though reading it twice might change the words.<\/p>\n It didn’t.<\/p>\n She whispered,<\/p>\n \u201cI wasn’t supposed to survive.\u201d<\/p>\n David’s face was grim.<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n Nicole looked at him.<\/p>\n \u201cI wasn’t supposed to be raised by my parents.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen why did they take me?\u201d<\/p>\n David didn’t answer.<\/p>\n Nicole stared at the letter.<\/p>\n There was one final line written at the bottom.<\/p>\n A line she hadn’t noticed before.<\/p>\n And Nicole, if you ever have a child of your own, do not let them take his blood.<\/strong><\/p>\n Nicole’s entire body went cold.<\/p>\n Leo stirred.<\/p>\n \u201cMommy?\u201d<\/p>\n She immediately pulled him closer.<\/p>\n \u201cI’m here.\u201d<\/p>\n He looked at her sleepily.<\/p>\n \u201cAre we safe?\u201d<\/p>\n Nicole looked through the windshield.<\/p>\n Ahead, the road toward St. Catherine’s disappeared into the darkness.<\/p>\n Behind them, two black vehicles had begun following.<\/p>\n She kissed Leo’s forehead.<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n \u201cWe’re not.\u201d<\/p>\n Then she looked at David.<\/p>\n \u201cDrive faster.\u201d<\/p>\n Because somewhere beneath an abandoned hospital, a file labeled SUBJECT NINE<\/strong> was waiting.<\/p>\n And inside that file was the answer to the question Nicole had been too afraid to ask:<\/p>\n Who was her real mother?<\/strong><\/p>\n But when they finally reached the hospital, they discovered something even worse.<\/p>\n The archive door was already open.<\/p>\n And on the floor in front of it was a fresh trail of blood…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n PART 4 The lights went out. Not flickered. Not dimmed. They simply disappeared. For one terrifying second, the hotel room became completely black. Nicole couldn’t see David. Couldn’t see Leo. … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2978,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6436","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6436","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6436"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6436\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6439,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6436\/revisions\/6439"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2978"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6436"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6436"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nexttaleus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6436"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}CLICK HERE TO CONTINUOUS READ FULL ENDING STORY PART\ud83d\udc49 (5): – “On Thanksgiving, My Parents Told Me and My 4-Year-Old Son to Leave and Never Return.”<\/a><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"