Chapter 8: The Boy in the Darkness
“Vanessa… it’s time to tell him everything.””
The voice came from the darkness beyond the steel door.
Marcus froze.
He knew that voice.
Not because he had heard it recently.
Because he had heard it years ago.
A voice that had once belonged to someone he trusted.
Someone he had believed was dead.
“Sarah?””
Vanessa's face collapsed.
“No.””
The voice came again.
“Marcus?””
He stepped toward the passage.
“Who is there?””
A figure slowly emerged from the shadows.
Marcus stared.
For one impossible second, he thought his mind was playing a cruel trick on him.
Then the figure stepped beneath the weak ceiling light.
Marcus's knees nearly gave out.
It was Sarah.
His wife's younger sister.
Alive.
Older than the photographs.
Thinner.
A scar ran from her temple to her cheek.
But it was her.
Marcus could barely speak.
“Sarah?””
She looked at him.
Tears filled her eyes.
“Yes.””
Behind Marcus, Grace gasped.
Peter lowered his head.
Reed looked away.
Vanessa backed into the wall.
Marcus shook his head.
“No.””
Sarah took another step.
“I know.””
“You're dead.””
“I know what they told you.””
“You died two years ago.””
“They wanted you to believe that.””
Marcus stared at her face.
“Who?””
Sarah looked toward Vanessa.
Then toward Peter.
Then toward Reed.
“Every person in this hallway knows part of the truth.””
Marcus's voice cracked.
“And you know all of it?””
Sarah shook her head.
“No.””
She looked at Vanessa.
“But she does.””
Vanessa began crying.
“Sarah, please.””
“You had three years.””
“I was scared.””
“So was I.””
“You don't understand.””
Sarah laughed bitterly.
“I understand perfectly.””
Marcus stepped between them.
“What happened to my wife?””
Sarah's expression changed.
“She found out about the baby.””
Marcus looked at Vanessa.
“The baby you said was yours.””
Vanessa nodded, tears streaming down her face.
“Yes.””
“Who is he?””
Sarah pointed deeper into the darkness.
Marcus heard the crying again.
He followed the sound.
A small door stood at the end of the passage.
Sarah walked toward it.
She opened it slowly.
Inside was a narrow room.
A mattress lay against one wall.
A lamp sat on the floor.
And in the corner, curled beneath a blanket, was a little boy.
He looked about six years old.
He was clutching a stuffed dinosaur.
Marcus stopped breathing.
The boy looked up.
Their eyes met.
Same dark eyes.
Same small crease between the brows.
Marcus slowly crouched.
“What's your name?””
The boy hesitated.
“Eli.””
Marcus looked at Vanessa.
She covered her mouth.
“Eli…”
The boy looked at her.
“Mom?””
Marcus's heart clenched.
Vanessa walked toward him.
Then stopped.
For the first time all night, there was no performance in her face.
Only shame.
Marcus looked back at the boy.
“Where is your father?””
Eli pointed toward Marcus.
“You.””
The hallway went silent.
Marcus shook his head.
“No.””
Sarah whispered:
“Yes.””
Marcus turned.
“No.””
Sarah stepped closer.
“Eli is your son.””
Marcus stared at the child.
His mind refused to accept it.
“My wife…”
Sarah nodded.
“She knew.””
“Why didn't she tell me?””
“Because she was trying to protect him.””
“From Vanessa?””
“From everyone.””
Marcus looked at Vanessa.
“You lied to me.””
Vanessa nodded.
“I know.””
“You told me you couldn't have children.””
“I lied.””
“You said Ava was everything.””
“She is.””
“And this boy?””
“He is too.””
Marcus's voice became raw.
“You had my son hidden under my house.””
Vanessa began sobbing.
“I didn't know what else to do.””
“You kidnapped him?””
“No.””
Sarah answered for her.
“She didn't.””
Marcus looked at her.
“Then who did?””
Sarah's eyes shifted toward Peter.
Peter closed his eyes.
“I did.””
Marcus stared.
“You?””
Peter nodded.
“Your wife asked me to move him.””
“Where?””
“First to the guesthouse.””
“Then?””
“After she died, Vanessa told me to keep him hidden.””
Marcus turned toward Vanessa.
“You knew he was alive.””
“Yes.””
“For three years.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Vanessa's voice was barely audible.
“Because your wife left instructions.””
“What instructions?””
“She said if anything happened to her, Eli had to disappear.””
Marcus stared.
“Why?””
Sarah answered.
“Because someone was coming for him.””
“Who?””
Sarah looked at Reed.
The doctor didn't move.
Marcus turned.
“Ethan.””
Reed raised his eyes.
Sarah said quietly:
“The child wasn't the only secret.””
Marcus felt his stomach tighten.
“What else?””
Reed finally spoke.
“Your wife discovered a medical file.””
“What file?””
“Eli's.””
Marcus frowned.
“My son was sick?””
“No.””
Reed swallowed.
“He was part of a clinical study.””
Marcus's face hardened.
“What kind?””
“Genetic research.””
“Why?””
Reed looked toward the boy.
“Because Eli carried a rare genetic marker.””
Marcus stared.
“What marker?””
Reed hesitated.
“One that made him extremely valuable to the people funding the research.””
Marcus looked around.
“This sounds insane.””
“It sounds insane because nobody told you.””
“Who funded it?””
Reed said nothing.
Marcus stepped closer.
“Who?””
Sarah answered.
“Your company.””
Marcus stared at her.
“No.””
“Your company had a medical research division before your wife died.””
“I shut it down.””
“You shut down the public program.””
Marcus's face changed.
“The private program continued.””
Sarah nodded.
“And Vanessa was involved.””
Vanessa whispered:
“I didn't know what they were doing.””
Sarah looked at her.
“You knew enough.””
Marcus turned toward Vanessa.
“You used my company.””
“I didn't start it.””
“Who did?””
She looked at Reed.
“Your board.””
Marcus frowned.
“My board?””
Reed nodded.
“They used shell companies to fund the trials.””
Marcus looked at the files in the surveillance room.
“The money I thought Vanessa stole…”
“It wasn't all for her,” Sarah said.
Marcus looked at her.
“Then where did it go?””
“To the research program.””
“And Eli?””
“Was one of the children they were studying.””
Marcus's face went pale.
“My son was experimented on?””
Reed spoke softly.
“Not illegally at first.””
Marcus turned on him.
“What does that mean?””
“They had consent documents.””
“Whose signature?””
Reed didn't answer.
Marcus's eyes shifted toward Vanessa.
“No.””
Vanessa broke down.
“I signed them.””
“You signed medical experiments for your own child?””
“I was told they could help him.””
“Who told you?””
“Dr. Reed.””
Reed closed his eyes.
“I was wrong.””
Marcus's voice rose.
“You were wrong?””
“I believed the research was safe.””
“And when my wife found out?””
“She threatened to expose everything.””
Sarah nodded.
“She copied the records.””
Marcus looked at the memory card in his hand.
“That’s what's on here.””
“Yes.””
“Why did she hide it in Ava's necklace?””
“Because she knew nobody would search a child.””
Marcus looked toward Ava.
His daughter stood at the end of the passage with Grace, watching him.
Her small face was pale.
Marcus suddenly realized she had been listening to every word.
He walked to her.
“Ava.””
She looked up.
“Is Eli your brother?””
Marcus nodded.
“Yes.””
Ava looked toward the little boy.
He slowly stepped out of the room.
The two children stared at one another.
Eli held his dinosaur tighter.
Ava took one small step forward.
“Hi.””
Eli whispered:
“Hi.””
Ava smiled faintly.
“I like your dinosaur.””
Eli looked down at it.
“He protects me.””
Ava nodded.
“I have a rabbit.””
She held up her stuffed rabbit.
“For protection.””
Eli smiled.
For one brief second, the terror in the hallway disappeared.
Marcus watched them.
Then he heard Vanessa whisper behind him.
“I'm sorry.””
He turned.
“You don't get to say that yet.””
Vanessa lowered her eyes.
Marcus held up the memory card.
“How much of this is recorded?””
“Everything.””
“Everything about the research?””
“Yes.””
“About my wife's death?””
Vanessa nodded.
Marcus looked at Sarah.
“You said my wife was poisoned.””
“She was.””
“By whom?””
Sarah's expression became grim.
“You're asking the wrong person.””
Marcus frowned.
“What do you mean?””
“You need to watch the final recording.””
“Where is it?””
“On the card.””
Marcus looked at the small piece of plastic in his hand.
“Then let's watch it.””
Sarah shook her head.
“Not here.””
“Why?””
“Because the person who killed your wife knows we're here.””
Marcus went still.
Sarah pointed toward the ceiling.
“There are cameras in this room.””
Everyone looked up.
A tiny red light blinked above them.
Marcus stared.
“Whose cameras?””
Sarah whispered:
“Vanessa's.””
Marcus looked at his wife.
She shook her head.
“I didn't put those there.””
Peter suddenly stepped forward.
“I did.””
Marcus turned.
“You?””
Peter looked ashamed.
“I was told to monitor the room.””
“By whom?””
Peter's face tightened.
Before he could answer, every light in the underground passage went out.
Darkness swallowed them.
Ava screamed.
“Daddy!””
Marcus grabbed her.
“I'm here!””
A metal door slammed somewhere behind them.
Then another.
Then another.
Someone was moving through the passage.
Fast.
Peter whispered:
“Everybody stay still.””
Marcus held Ava against his chest.
A man's footsteps approached.
Slow.
Measured.
Then stopped directly outside the room.
A voice spoke through the darkness.
“You should never have opened that file.””
Marcus recognized it.
His blood went cold.
Dr. Reed stepped backward.
Sarah covered Eli's mouth.
Vanessa began shaking.
Marcus whispered:
“Daniel.””
A shadow appeared beneath the door.
Then the handle slowly turned.
And from the other side came the voice of the man who had supposedly disappeared three years ago:
“Marcus, your wife was never my target.””
May you like
The door opened.
“I was looking for you.””
