Chapter 21 - THE SISTER THEY ERASED
Eleanor stared at the woman.
She couldn't speak.
The woman looked about thirty years old.
Dark hair.
Brown eyes.
A familiar expression.
She looked like Eleanor.
Not exactly.
But enough.
Daniel whispered,
“Who is she?”
The woman answered.
“My name is Claire.”
Eleanor's breath caught.
“Claire.”
Claire nodded.
“I was the first.”
“The first what?”
“The first daughter.”
Eleanor looked at Henry.
“You told me she died.”
Henry's face remained cold.
“She should have.”
Claire smiled bitterly.
“That's how they described it.”
Eleanor stepped closer.
“Are you my sister?”
Claire nodded.
“Same mother.”
“Margaret.”
“Yes.”
“Same father?”
Claire looked toward Thomas.
“No.”
Eleanor froze.
“Then who?”
Claire whispered,
“Henry Vale.”
Eleanor stared.
Henry smiled.
“You finally understand.”
Claire looked at him with hatred.
“He created me.”
Eleanor's voice trembled.
“What does that mean?”
“I was born naturally.”
“Then why did he say—”
“He altered my records.”
Claire looked at Henry.
“He needed me to disappear.”
“Why?”
“Because I was the first child to show the mutation.”
Eleanor felt sick.
“So you were the original.”
“Yes.”
“And Lily inherited it.”
Claire nodded.
“Part of it.”
“What about Emily?”
“Different.”
Eleanor looked at her.
“Can you explain?”
Claire sighed.
“The mutation doesn't behave the same way in every child.”
“Then what does it do?”
Claire looked toward Noah.
“It allows the body to repair damaged cells.”
Eleanor stared.
“That sounds like a cure.”
“It could be.”
“Could?”
“Without the second sequence, it becomes unstable.”
Eleanor's stomach tightened.
“Emily.”
Claire nodded.
“Emily carries the second sequence.”
“So together…”
“They complete it.”
Eleanor's face went pale.
“That's why they want both girls.”
“Yes.”
Henry stepped forward.
“Now you're beginning to see the value.”
Eleanor turned toward him.
“They're children.”
“They are the key to decades of research.”
“They are my daughters.”
Henry smiled.
“And that's why you will cooperate.”
“No.”
His expression hardened.
“You don't have a choice.”
Claire stepped forward.
“She does.”
Henry looked at her.
“You should have stayed hidden.”
Claire laughed.
“You spent twenty years trying to kill me.”
“And yet you're still here.”
“Because your experiments failed.”
Henry's face darkened.
“You know nothing.”
“I know enough.”
She looked at Eleanor.
“I know what he did to you.”
Eleanor's heart raced.
“What?”
Claire hesitated.
“He didn't just alter your memories.”
“What did he do?”
“He implanted false ones.”
Eleanor froze.
“My memories aren't real.”
“Some aren't.”
“Which ones?”
Claire pointed toward Henry.
“The accident.”
Eleanor stared.
“The accident was staged.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To make you believe your father died.”
Eleanor looked at Thomas.
“Did he?”
Thomas nodded.
“Not the way you were told.”
“How?”
“Henry ordered the vehicle destroyed.”
Eleanor's eyes widened.
“Why?”
“To erase evidence.”
Claire continued.
“And to make you easier to control.”
Eleanor shook her head.
“But I was five.”
“Yes.”
“Why would a five-year-old matter?”
Claire looked at her.
“Because you remembered me.”
Eleanor froze.
“I remembered you.”
“Yes.”
“You were in the red door.”
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
Claire's voice became quiet.
“You saw Henry inject me.”
Eleanor covered her mouth.
“I screamed.”
“Yes.”
“Then what?”
“Your father found you.”
“Thomas.”
“Yes.”
“He took you away.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To save you.”
Eleanor looked at Thomas.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because Henry threatened Sarah.”
Eleanor turned.
“Where is she?”
Claire looked toward the tunnel entrance.
“Coming.”
Everyone turned.
Sarah appeared.
But she wasn't alone.
Margaret stood beside her.
And behind them was Lily.
Eleanor rushed forward.
“Lily!”
Her daughter ran into her arms.
“Mommy!”
Eleanor held her tightly.
“Where is Emily?”
Lily began crying.
“She's still there.”
“Where?”
“Henry took her.”
Eleanor turned.
Henry was gone.
The SUV was gone.
Only a small device remained on the ground.
A countdown flashed.
00:59.
00:58.
Claire grabbed Eleanor.
“Run.”
“What is it?”
“A tracker.”
“No.”
Claire looked at her.
“A bomb.”
Everyone ran.
The tunnel exploded behind them.
Concrete collapsed.
Dust filled the air.
Eleanor held Lily against her chest.
Daniel grabbed Claire.
Thomas pulled Sarah toward the exit.
They escaped into the freezing Boston night.
Sirens screamed in the distance.
Eleanor looked back at the smoke.
“My daughter is still with him.”
Claire held her arm.
“We'll get her.”
“How?”
Claire stared toward the skyline.
“I know where Henry took her.”
“Where?”
Claire's face became pale.
“Washington, D.C.”
Eleanor frowned.
“Why there?”
Claire whispered,
“Because that's where the original files are.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“What files?”
Claire looked at Eleanor.
“The ones that prove who really ordered the experiments.”
Eleanor's heart pounded.
“And who was it?”
Claire hesitated.
Then she said,
“Not Henry.”
Eleanor stared.
“Who?”
Claire looked at Sarah.
Sarah closed her eyes.
“It was someone inside the White House.”
Silence.
Eleanor's blood ran cold.
Before anyone could speak, Eleanor's phone buzzed.
A message appeared.
ONE CHILD RETURNED.
ONE CHILD REMAINS.
A second message arrived.
COME TO WASHINGTON.
NO POLICE.
NO HUSBAND.
AND BRING YOUR SISTER.
Eleanor looked at Claire.
Claire nodded.
“We're going.”
Then Eleanor noticed one final line beneath the messages.
It contained a name.
DANIEL WHITMORE.
May you like
Underneath it were two words.
NEXT SUBJECT.
