Chapter 11 - Helen’s Offer
The waste shaft opened beneath Sector Seven.
Emily climbed into a maintenance corridor directly below the medical chamber.
Through the grated ceiling, she heard Maisie crying.
Peter closed his eyes at the sound.
Emily grabbed his shirt.
“You stay focused.”
He nodded.
Ross disabled the first security lock.
Beck positioned two agents at the rear corridor.
Before they could move, the lights turned red.
Helen’s voice filled the chamber.
“Emily, come alone.”
A section of wall opened.
Beyond it was a glass room.
Maisie sat on a medical bed inside.
Helen stood beside her.
Dr. Kline held a syringe.
Evelyn Cross watched from the control panel.
Emily raised her gun.
Helen placed one hand on Maisie’s shoulder.
“Fire, and Samuel injects her.”
Emily stopped.
“What is in the syringe?”
“A sedative,” Kline said.
Ross whispered, “He’s lying.”
Helen looked toward the hidden camera.
“Send the others away.”
“No.”
“Then we finish the extraction.”
Maisie reached toward the glass.
“Momma!”
Emily’s heart shattered at the sound.
She lowered the gun.
“I’ll come in.”
Peter grabbed her arm.
“It’s a trap.”
“I know.”
“Emily…”
“She is our daughter.”
The word our nearly broke him.
Emily entered the glass room.
The door sealed behind her.
Helen smiled.
“You have always been brave. Daniel was brave too.”
“Do not say his name.”
“He could have been wealthy beyond imagination.”
“He already was.”
“Money was never Daniel’s weakness. Conscience was.”
Emily moved closer to Maisie.
Kline raised the syringe.
“Stay where you are.”
“What do you want from me?”
Helen placed a contract on the table.
“You will authorize the property transfer, surrender your Carter Vale shares and publicly state that Peter’s accusations were caused by a deployment-related psychological episode.”
“And Maisie?”
“She remains with Peter.”
Peter shouted from behind the glass.
“No!”
Helen ignored him.
Emily read the first page.
The contract transferred control of the Eos patents to Orison.
“You already forged my signature.”
“The board requested biometric verification after your unexpected return.”
“My voice and fingerprint.”
“Yes.”
“And once you have them?”
“You and your daughter will be free to leave.”
Emily laughed.
“You kept my mother prisoner for twelve years.”
“Elaine would have died without our treatment.”
“You caused the condition that required treatment.”
Helen’s eyes hardened.
“She destroyed the final formula. Millions of lives have been lost because of her selfishness.”
“You murdered trial patients.”
“Progress always has a cost.”
Maisie cried harder.
Emily took a step forward.
Kline touched the needle to the child’s arm.
Emily stopped.
“I’ll sign.”
Peter struck the glass with both fists.
“Don’t!”
Emily placed her thumb on the biometric pad.
The machine scanned it.
Helen relaxed.
“Now read the statement.”
Emily picked up the document.
“My name is Major Emily Carter,” she began.
A green light appeared on the console.
“My husband, Peter Carter, acted out of concern for our daughter after observing symptoms of psychological instability.”
Peter stared at her.
Emily continued.
“The DNA report provided to me was not intended as a legal determination.”
Helen nodded approvingly.
“Continue.”
Emily looked directly into the nearest camera.
“The authentic DNA report confirms that Peter is Maisie’s biological father.”
Helen’s smile vanished.
“And the documents currently stored on Orison’s central network prove that Helen Carter directed illegal human experiments, kidnapping, fraud and murder.”
Evelyn slammed her hand onto the control panel.
“What did she do?”
Emily smiled.
“The biometric scan activated my military distress signature.”
Ross held up a portable transmitter beyond the glass.
The facility’s signal blockers shut down.
Every file began uploading to federal servers.
Helen screamed, “Disconnect the network!”
Alarms erupted.
Kline grabbed Maisie.
Emily lunged across the table.
The syringe fell.
Peter fired at the glass until it cracked.
Beck’s agents forced the door open.
Emily struck Kline and pulled Maisie into her arms.
Helen ran through the rear exit.
Peter followed.
“Peter, stop!” Emily shouted.
He disappeared into the corridor after his mother.
Evelyn activated an emergency switch.
A computerized voice announced:
Cryogenic purge initiated.
Facility sterilization in six minutes.
Ross looked at Emily.
“She’s going to destroy everything.”
Beck pointed toward the exit.
“Get Maisie out.”
May you like
Emily looked toward the corridor where Peter vanished.
Then a gunshot echoed from below.
