Chapter 17 - The Child They Wanted
I could still feel Noah's weight against me.
Then suddenly—
nothing.
My arms were empty.
I screamed his name.
“NOAH!”
Ethan dropped to the floor.
“Where is he?”
Dad shouted into the darkness.
“Lock the doors!”
Daniel ran toward the hallway.
I saw movement behind the nursery glass.
A shadow.
I ran.
Dad caught my shoulder.
“Camila!”
“That's my son!”
We reached the doorway.
Empty.
Noah was gone.
The carrier strap lay on the floor.
A small blanket was twisted beside it.
My vision blurred.
“No.”
Ethan picked up the blanket.
“They had seconds.”
Dad looked around.
“Security camera.”
Daniel pointed.
“It's been looping.”
“Since when?”
“Thirty-seven seconds.”
Dad looked at me.
“Someone was already inside.”
I felt sick.
“Who?”
A monitor flickered.
A live video appeared.
Noah was in a room.
He was crying.
A man stood behind him.
His face was hidden.
Then he stepped into the light.
I froze.
The man looked like Dad.
Older.
But unmistakably familiar.
Dad whispered:
“Edward Carter.”
I stared.
“You said he died.”
“I was wrong.”
The man on the screen lifted Noah.
Then he looked directly at the camera.
“Michael.”
Dad stepped forward.
“Where is my grandson?”
Edward smiled.
“You still think this is about the child.”
“Put him down.”
“Why?”
“You know what I'll do.”
“I know exactly what you'll do.”
He turned Noah toward the camera.
“No harm has come to him.”
I moved closer.
“Give me my son.”
Edward looked at me.
“There you are.”
His expression changed.
Recognition.
Not surprise.
“Camila.”
“How do you know me?”
“I've watched you since you were born.”
My skin crawled.
“You watched me?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I was supposed to raise you.”
Dad's face hardened.
“She was never yours.”
Edward smiled.
“That depends on what you believe a father is.”
Ethan stepped forward.
“You're the man behind Carter Ridge.”
Edward nodded.
“Partly.”
“What does that mean?”
“Diane was useful.”
“She tried to destroy my marriage.”
“She was supposed to pressure Camila into exposing Michael's identity.”
I looked at Dad.
“You targeted me because of him.”
“Yes.”
Edward's voice was calm.
“But that was never the end goal.”
“What was?”
“To locate C-13.”
I felt cold.
“My twin.”
“Yes.”
“Where is he?”
Edward smiled.
“Ask your father.”
Dad didn't answer.
“You know where he is.”
“No.”
Edward laughed.
“You always were a terrible liar.”
Dad stepped toward the screen.
“You don't understand what you're dealing with.”
“I understand perfectly.”
“You have Noah.”
“I don't want Noah.”
I felt my heart stop.
“Then why take him?”
“To make sure you would come here.”
“Where?”
Edward nodded.
“Exactly.”
The screen went black.
A phone rang.
Dad answered.
“Hello?”
A voice said:
“One hour.”
Then the call ended.
Dad turned to us.
“There's a secondary facility.”
“Where?”
“Virginia.”
Ethan stared.
“How do you know?”
“Because that's where the relocation program began.”
“We're going.”
Dad shook his head.
“No.”
I stared at him.
“What?”
“I'm going alone.”
“No.”
“Camila, this is not negotiable.”
“You already lost me once.”
His face tightened.
“I won't lose you again.”
“You don't get to decide.”
Ethan stepped between us.
“She's right.”
Dad looked at him.
Ethan's voice was steady.
“I'm coming too.”
Dad stared.
“You could die.”
“So could you.”
Dad turned away.
Then Harper appeared at the doorway.
“She's right.”
We all turned.
“How did you get here?”
“Your people let me in.”
Dad's eyes narrowed.
“Why?”
“Because I know where the facility is.”
She handed him another file.
“This is the original C-12 registry.”
Dad opened it.
There were 14 names.
One had been blacked out.
Another had been circled.
C-13.
Status: transferred.
Transfer authorized by:
General Michael Moretti.
Dad stared.
“I didn't sign this.”
Harper pointed to the signature.
“You did.”
“That's impossible.”
“Not according to the records.”
Dad's hands shook.
Then Harper said something that silenced him.
“The transfer occurred after your hospitalization.”
He looked at her.
“So someone used my identity.”
“Yes.”
“Who had access?”
She answered:
“Richard Vale.”
Dad's face changed.
“Vale wasn't running this.”
Harper shook her head.
“No.”
“Then who?”
She looked at me.
“Your mother.”
I couldn't breathe.
“My mother?”
“Elena discovered what Carter was doing.”
“She ran.”
“Yes.”
“She took me.”
Harper nodded.
“And C-13?”
“Was taken back.”
My chest tightened.
“By whom?”
She looked toward the black monitor.
“Your father.”
I stared at Dad.
“You took my twin?”
Dad's face crumpled.
“No.”
Harper said quietly:
“He believed C-13 was the dangerous one.”
I stepped backward.
“And you believed it?”
Dad's eyes filled with tears.
“I was lied to.”
“But you did it.”
“I didn't know.”
“You still did it.”
He looked at me.
“I remember holding a baby.”
My voice cracked.
“Was it him?”
He whispered:
“Yes.”
I stared at him.
“You separated us.”
“I thought I was saving you.”
I turned away.
Behind me, Ethan asked Harper:
“Where is C-13 now?”
She answered:
“That's the part we haven't been able to find.”
A phone vibrated.
Mine.
The message was from an unknown number.
A photograph.
A teenage boy.
Dark hair.
Gray eyes.
Standing in front of a school.
He looked directly into the camera.
Underneath:
C-13 HAS BEEN WATCHING YOU TOO.
Then another message appeared.
Tell Michael I remember what he did.
My hands went numb.
May you like
Because the photograph had been taken that morning.
In front of Ethan's office.
