Chapter 8 - The Mother Who Chose the Lie
The old Bellweather Military Hospital had been abandoned for twenty-six years.
Broken windows overlooked a hill outside town. Weeds covered the ambulance entrance, and rainwater had flooded the lower corridors.
Nolan insisted on going alone.
Elena allowed him to believe he had convinced her.
At midnight, he entered through the main doors carrying a duplicate red ledger.
Elena followed through a service tunnel with Rebecca and two federal tactical officers. Daniel remained in a command vehicle monitoring their signals.
The hospital’s power had been restored in one section.
Lights flickered along the maternity wing.
Nolan stopped outside Room 214.
It was the room where Margaret had delivered her first son.
The door opened automatically.
Margaret sat inside.
She was not bound.
She wore a dark green dress and held a glass of wine.
Nolan froze.
The photograph had been staged.
“You came,” Margaret said.
“Where is Voss?”
“He is not here.”
“You told Mason to attack the house?”
“I told him to frighten Elena.”
“He nearly killed you.”
Margaret looked away.
“Mason has become careless.”
Elena listened through a transmitter hidden in Nolan’s jacket.
Nolan stepped into the room.
“Am I Voss’s son?”
Margaret set down the wine.
“You are my son.”
“That is not what I asked.”
“You were the child I raised.”
“Was Thomas my father?”
Margaret remained silent.
Nolan’s voice broke.
“Answer me.”
“No.”
The word filled the empty hospital room.
Nolan turned away.
For all his anger, Elena heard the wounded child beneath it.
Margaret stood.
“Thomas’s son lived for forty-one minutes. He was too weak. The doctors could not save him.”
“And Voss brought you another baby.”
“Yes.”
“His baby?”
Margaret shook her head.
“I do not know.”
Nolan faced her.
“You never asked?”
“I was grieving.”
“For thirty-seven years?”
“He told me the child needed a family and I needed a child.”
“What did Thomas say?”
“He knew the truth when I returned home.”
“And he accepted me?”
Margaret’s expression softened.
“He loved you.”
“Then why did you help kill him?”
Margaret flinched.
“I did not.”
“You authorized Project Lantern payments.”
“I signed what Voss placed in front of me.”
“You declared Elena dead.”
“I was protecting you.”
“From her?”
“From what would happen if she came home.”
Nolan stared at her.
“You were never protecting us. You were protecting the lie.”
Margaret’s face hardened.
“That lie gave you everything.”
“It gave me someone else’s name.”
“It gave you power.”
“It gave Voss power.”
Margaret slapped him.
The sound echoed through the hospital.
Elena moved closer to the room.
Rebecca signaled for the tactical officers to hold.
Nolan did not react to the slap.
“Where is Father’s body?” he asked.
Margaret stepped back.
“What?”
“His casket was closed. Samuel never saw the body. Elena never saw it.”
“He was cremated.”
“No. The certificate was signed by a doctor connected to Lantern.”
Margaret’s fear became visible.
Nolan continued.
“Did Voss kill him?”
“I do not know.”
“Did you see him dead?”
Margaret looked toward the old hospital window.
“No.”
Elena’s pulse changed.
Thomas might have survived.
Nolan reached into his coat and placed the duplicate ledger on the bed.
“You asked for this.”
Margaret looked at it.
“Leave it and go.”
“No.”
“Nolan.”
“Tell me where Voss is.”
“I cannot.”
“Then tell me where Father is.”
“I cannot.”
“Because you do not know or because he is alive?”
The lights went out.
Elena drew her weapon.
A mechanical lock sealed the maternity wing.
Mason’s voice came through the ceiling speakers.
“Families are most honest in the dark.”
Emergency lights activated.
Red illumination filled the corridor.
Margaret grabbed Nolan’s arm.
“You brought her.”
Nolan looked toward Elena’s concealed position.
“I brought everyone.”
Gunfire erupted from the stairwell.
The tactical officers returned fire.
Elena entered Room 214.
Margaret backed away.
“You betrayed me,” she said to Nolan.
“No,” he replied. “I stopped obeying you.”
Mason appeared behind the glass partition separating the room from the old nursery.
He wore body armor and held a detonator.
“Elena,” he said through the glass. “Still collecting damaged people?”
“Where is Voss?”
“Closer than you think.”
He pressed the detonator.
An explosion shook the lower floors.
The building tilted.
Concrete cracked above them.
Rebecca shouted that the east wing was collapsing.
Mason fired through the glass.
Elena pushed Margaret and Nolan to the floor.
Bullets tore through the wall.
Elena shot back, striking Mason’s shoulder.
He disappeared into the nursery.
They followed.
Behind a row of rusted infant beds, a service elevator stood open.
Mason descended before Elena reached it.
On the elevator floor lay a silver identification bracelet.
Elena picked it up.
May you like
The engraved name was Thomas Ward.
A fresh spot of blood marked the clasp.
