Chapter 9 - The Boy Who Changed His Mind
The pumping station had been abandoned for eleven years.
Marcus refused to approach directly.
He called state police from a diner twenty miles away after the jammer signal faded.
Only two people responded.
Detective Lena Ortiz and Sergeant Paul Briggs.
Emma noticed Marcus did not tell them everything.
"Why not?"
"Because I don't know who to trust."
That answer scared her more than anything.
At 9:30 a.m., the five of them parked a mile from the pumping station.
Emma remained in Jack's truck with Lydia.
At least that was the plan.
Ten minutes after Marcus disappeared into the trees, a gunshot echoed.
Emma opened the door.
Lydia grabbed her.
"No."
"That's Evan."
"You don't know that."
Emma pulled free.
She moved through the woods on crutches.
Every step burned.
Jack followed.
When they reached the station, the front door hung open.
Inside, Marcus stood over a man in a black coat.
The same stranger from the hillside.
Blood spread across his shoulder.
Detective Ortiz aimed a weapon at him.
"Evan?" Emma called.
A sound came from a back room.
"Emma?"
She rushed forward.
Evan sat tied to a chair.
His lip was split.
Bruises covered his face.
Emma stopped.
For a moment she remembered him standing beside the wreck with the box cutter.
Then he began crying.
"I'm sorry."
Emma cut the ropes.
He collapsed against her.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
She did not forgive him.
Not then.
But she held him.
Because he was seventeen.
Because he had been used.
Because Daniel would have wanted her to keep him alive long enough to understand the truth.
Marcus entered.
"We need to move."
The injured stranger laughed from the floor.
"You're already too late."
Emma looked at him.
"Who are you?"
He smiled despite the blood.
"Someone who knew your mother."
Emma froze.
"What was her name?"
"Helen Vale."
"What happened to her?"
"You really want to know?"
"Yes."
"She survived."
Emma stopped breathing.
"What?"
The stranger smiled wider.
"Your mother didn't die in 1999."
Jack stepped forward.
"You're lying."
"Ask Thomas Carter."
"Thomas is dead."
The stranger's smile faded.
"That's what they told you?"
Lydia went still.
Emma stared.
"My father-in-law died twelve years ago."
"No."
The man coughed.
"Thomas Carter disappeared twelve years ago."
Marcus crouched beside him.
"Name."
The stranger looked at Emma.
"Caleb Shaw."
Jack flinched.
Emma saw it.
"You know him."
Jack whispered, "Caleb Shaw worked security at Black Pine."
Caleb laughed.
"Finally."
Emma crouched painfully.
"Why did Evan try to kill me?"
Evan cried harder.
"I didn't."
Emma turned.
"You were holding a knife."
"They told me the crash would scare you. They said they'd stop the car before the guardrail."
"What?"
Caleb looked amused.
Evan continued.
"They said you were hiding what Dad did to Mom."
"Who said?"
Evan looked toward Caleb.
"And a woman."
"What woman?"
"I never learned her real name."
"Describe her."
Evan swallowed.
"Dark hair. Green eyes. Maybe forty."
Emma's pulse changed.
Lydia whispered, "Emma."
"What?"
Lydia held up the old photograph from Rachel's file.
A woman stood in the background.
Dark hair.
Green eyes.
Emma recognized her.
Her childhood photograph labeled Subject 4.
The active subject.
Evan pointed.
"That's her."
Marcus looked at the file.
"Subject Four?"
Emma stared.
Subject Four had survived the program.
And was now recruiting Evan to murder Subject Fourteen.
Caleb spoke.
"You shouldn't have brought that file out of the mountain."
Emma turned.
"Why?"
"Because Subject Four knows you're alive now."
"She already knew."
Caleb shook his head.
"No."
His smile returned.
"She thought the crash worked."
Emma realized something.
"Then who sent the men to burn the cabin?"
Caleb's expression changed.
He had said too much.
Marcus grabbed his coat.
"Who ordered the fire?"
Caleb laughed again.
"Ask your deputy."
Everyone looked at Marcus.
Marcus froze.
"What?"
Caleb whispered, "Tell them about your father, Marcus."
Marcus's face drained of color.
Emma backed away.
"Who is your father?"
Marcus said nothing.
May you like
Caleb answered for him.
"Thomas Carter."
