Chapter 4 - Emma Carter, Subject 14
At 3:12 in the morning, Emma learned that her husband had been keeping secrets about her before they ever met.
Lydia sat beside the hospital bed with both hands wrapped around a paper cup.
"Daniel found metal filing cabinets."
"In the room?"
"Yes."
"What was inside?"
"I don't know everything."
"Tell me what you do know."
Lydia stared into her coffee.
"He sent me one photograph."
She took out her phone.
Her fingers shook as she searched.
Then she turned the screen toward Emma.
A photograph showed an old manila folder lying on a steel table.
On its tab were typed four words.
CARTER, EMMA
SUBJECT 14
Emma felt something inside her chest collapse.
"When was this taken?"
"Two days before Daniel died."
Jack moved closer.
"What else did he send?"
Lydia swiped.
The next photograph showed a stack of documents.
Most were too blurred to read.
But one line was clear.
BLACK PINE FAMILY INTEGRATION PROGRAM
Emma stared.
"I've never heard of that."
"Neither had Daniel."
"What does family integration mean?"
Lydia shook her head.
"He wouldn't explain over the phone."
Emma looked at Jack.
"Have you heard of it?"
"No."
Lydia continued.
"He told me he was going back the next morning with someone he trusted."
"Who?"
"He didn't say."
Emma's eyes moved toward Jack.
Jack shook his head.
"It wasn't me."
Lydia swiped again.
A third picture appeared.
It showed a faded photograph of several children standing in front of a building.
The image looked decades old.
Emma counted.
Fourteen children.
At the bottom of the picture someone had written numbers.
1 through 14.
The final child was a girl.
Dark brown hair.
Seven or eight years old.
Number 14.
Emma stared at her.
Jack leaned closer.
Lydia said nothing.
Emma whispered, "That's me."
She knew the face.
She had seen photographs of herself at that age.
But she had no memory of the building.
"No."
Her voice weakened.
"That's impossible."
Lydia placed the phone down.
"Daniel thought so too."
Emma studied the other children.
"Where was this taken?"
"The back says Black Pine Residential Center, 1998."
Emma looked up sharply.
"I was eight in 1998."
Jack's face had gone pale.
"What?"
Emma turned to him.
Jack pointed at the building.
"I've seen that place."
"Where?"
"Other side of the mountain."
"What is it?"
"It was demolished in 2001."
"What kind of center?"
"They told everyone it was a temporary group home."
Emma tried to remember.
Her childhood before age nine existed as disconnected images.
Her mother driving.
A red bicycle.
An apartment with green curtains.
Then nothing.
At nine, she had gone to live with her aunt after her mother's death.
Emma had always been told trauma had erased some memories.
"My mother never put me in a residential center."
Jack slowly asked, "Are you sure?"
Emma looked at him.
"Yes."
But the answer no longer felt solid.
Lydia said, "Daniel started looking into your childhood after finding the photograph."
"Why didn't he tell me?"
"He wanted proof first."
Emma's anger rose.
"He always did that."
"What?"
"Protected everyone by deciding what they were allowed to know."
Lydia looked down.
"Yes."
Emma took a breath.
"What did he discover?"
"Your school records before age nine are incomplete."
"I know."
"Your birth certificate was reissued."
Emma stared.
"What?"
"In 2000."
"That doesn't make sense."
"And Daniel found another document."
Lydia swiped again.
This one was clearer.
A form.
TRANSFER AUTHORIZATION
SUBJECT 14
PLACEMENT FAMILY: WILKES
Emma's stomach turned.
"Wilkes was my aunt's last name."
Lydia nodded.
Emma whispered, "Placement family?"
Before Lydia could answer, Emma's phone rang.
Unknown number.
Everyone went still.
Emma answered.
"Hello?"
Silence.
Then breathing.
"Evan?"
A whisper came through the phone.
"Emma?"
She closed her eyes.
It was him.
"Evan, where are you?"
"I didn't know they were going to push the car."
Emma's eyes opened.
"What?"
"I swear."
"You stood over me with a knife."
"I was supposed to cut the seat belt."
"You told me I should've sold the cabin."
"I'm sorry."
"Where are you?"
Evan was crying now.
"They said Dad killed my mother."
Emma froze.
Jack looked up.
"What are you talking about?"
"They showed me proof."
"Who did?"
"The people helping me."
"Evan, listen to me. Where are you?"
"I can't tell you."
"You're in danger."
"No."
A noise came through the phone.
A door opening.
Evan's breathing changed.
"Emma..."
"What?"
His whisper became terrified.
"Don't let the police take you to the cabin."
The call ended.
Emma stared at the phone.
Lydia asked, "Why?"
Emma looked toward the door.
At that exact moment, Deputy Marcus Hale entered.
His uniform was wet.
His expression was serious.
"We found Evan's abandoned car."
Emma watched him carefully.
Marcus continued.
"And we found something else."
"What?"
"A handwritten map."
Emma's pulse quickened.
Marcus pulled a clear evidence bag from his coat.
Inside was a drawing of Daniel's cabin.
Beneath it, someone had written:
May you like
ENTRY BELOW FIREPLACE.
OPEN ONLY WITH SUBJECT 14 PRESENT.
