Chapter 9 - Subject 02
Her real name was Anna Mercer.
At least that was the name Daniel remembered.
She arrived at Blackridge at nine years old.
Her parents had died in a house fire.
William Bennett’s foundation became her legal guardian through a charitable placement program.
“She was one of the first children,” Daniel said.
“One of the experiments?”
“Yes.”
“What did they do to her?”
“Identity replacement.”
Alexander stared.
Daniel explained that Blackridge researchers believed children under extreme pressure could be conditioned to accept new familial roles.
Names changed.
Histories changed.
Caregivers rotated.
Children were punished for using their original names.
Anna became Rebecca.
Then Sarah.
Then Rebecca again.
“She learned survival meant becoming whoever they asked,” Daniel said.
“And Claire knew her?”
“Yes.”
“They escaped together?”
“For a while.”
Alexander understood something.
“Rebecca didn’t simply infiltrate my family.”
“No.”
“She was trained to.”
Daniel nodded.
It did not excuse what she did to Lily.
Nothing could.
But it changed the shape of the monster.
Rebecca had been created by the same system she now served.
“Why would she help William?”
“Maybe she isn’t.”
Alexander frowned.
Daniel opened another file.
“Anna hated him.”
“Then why torture Lily?”
“I don’t know.”
Detective Price entered.
“We traced Rebecca’s calls.”
Alexander looked up.
“Where?”
“One tower hit near an estate outside Greenwich.”
“North House?”
“Possibly.”
Daniel asked for the address.
Price gave it.
Daniel went still.
“You know it.”
“That property belonged to Dr. Nathaniel Vale.”
“Who?”
“Blackridge’s chief neurologist.”
Alexander knew the name.
Vale had served on the Bennett Foundation medical board until seven years ago.
Officially retired.
“Is he alive?”
Price nodded.
“Eighty-one. No public appearances in years.”
They drove to Greenwich that afternoon.
The estate was surrounded by private security.
Price obtained an emergency warrant based on kidnapping evidence.
When police entered, they found no one.
The house looked recently abandoned.
Meals still sat on tables.
Computers had been wiped.
A medical room occupied the basement.
Alexander found a wheelchair beside one wall.
Adult size.
A blue blanket draped across it.
He touched the fabric.
Claire had owned an identical blanket.
Price called from the next room.
“Alexander.”
A surveillance screen displayed a paused image.
Rebecca stood in the room forty-eight hours earlier.
Beside her was a woman.
Thin.
Dark hair.
Scar across one cheek.
Alexander moved closer.
Claire.
Alive.
His hand touched the screen.
“Claire.”
The timestamp showed two days earlier.
She stood without restraints.
That bothered him.
Rebecca and Claire appeared to be arguing.
Price recovered partial audio.
Claire’s voice crackled through the speaker.
“You weren’t supposed to go near Lily.”
Rebecca shouted back.
“You don’t understand what she remembers!”
“She’s a child!”
“She is the archive!”
Claire slapped Rebecca.
Alexander stared.
Rebecca did not retaliate.
Instead she began crying.
“You promised me.”
Claire stepped closer.
“I promised I would free you.”
“You promised we would end them.”
“We will.”
“You chose him.”
Claire’s expression softened.
“I love Alexander.”
Rebecca laughed bitterly.
“That’s what they trained us to do. Love whoever owns the room.”
Claire looked devastated.
Rebecca continued.
“You think you escaped Blackridge because you married a Bennett?”
“I never belonged to them.”
“You had a daughter with one.”
Claire raised her voice.
“Lily is not part of this.”
Rebecca turned directly toward the camera.
“She was born part of it.”
The recording ended.
Alexander stepped back.
Claire had known Rebecca intimately.
Perhaps for years.
There were entire chapters of his wife’s life he had never seen.
Price found another recording.
This one showed Dr. Vale.
Old.
Frail.
Speaking to Claire.
“The archive cannot be opened without Subject Four.”
Claire responded, “Then it stays closed.”
Vale smiled.
“William disagrees.”
Claire froze.
“He’s dead.”
Vale looked toward the camera.
“No, Claire.”
A door opened behind him.
An elderly man entered.
Alexander stopped breathing.
William Bennett.
Older.
Thinner.
But alive.
May you like
His father looked directly into the camera and said:
“Bring me my granddaughter.”
