Chapter 6 - The Boy Before Alex Carter
The flash drive remained hidden at Hale Meridian.
Getting it out was the problem.
Detective Grant wanted a warrant.
Alex knew that would take hours.
Clara believed they did not have hours.
“Jonathan knows I’m alive now,” she said.
“He’ll assume you made copies.”
“He’ll destroy anything he can reach.”
Grant stood at the end of the hospital bed.
“We can secure the building.”
Alex shook his head.
“Hale Meridian has its own security force.”
“So?”
“So Jonathan created it.”
Grant understood.
“If I request a tactical response, he’ll know before we enter.”
“He’ll know anyway.”
Alex checked the time.
8:42 a.m.
Hale Meridian employees would already be arriving.
He called one person.
Marcus Lee.
Deputy Director of Internal Audit.
Marcus answered immediately.
“Alex? Jesus, I heard about Clara.”
“Are you at work?”
“Yes.”
“Go to my office.”
“Why?”
“Don’t ask.”
A pause.
“Okay.”
“Lock the door.”
“Done.”
“Open the awards cabinet.”
“What?”
“The walnut cabinet.”
“I know what cabinet.”
“Remove the plaque from the 2023 compliance award.”
Marcus laughed nervously.
“This is weird.”
“Do it.”
Metal clicked through the phone.
“Okay.”
“Press the wooden panel behind it.”
Another pause.
“Holy shit.”
“You see a flash drive?”
“Yes.”
“Take it.”
“Got it.”
“Put it in your pocket and leave the building.”
Marcus’s voice lowered.
“Alex.”
“What?”
“Security just entered your department.”
Alex stood.
“How many?”
“Four.”
“Leave through the east stairwell.”
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
“They’re standing outside your office.”
Alex looked at Grant.
“Jonathan’s moving.”
Marcus whispered, “Someone’s trying my door.”
Alex’s pulse accelerated.
“Do you still have the drive?”
“Yes.”
“Can you reach the service shaft?”
“The old document chute?”
“Yes.”
“That hasn’t been used in years.”
“It still opens.”
Alex remembered building plans from a renovation investigation.
“Drop the drive into it.”
“Where does it go?”
“Basement archive.”
“That area is locked.”
“I’ll handle it.”
Someone pounded on Marcus’s office door.
“Corporate Security.”
Marcus whispered, “They’re coming in.”
“Drop it.”
A metallic sound.
Then Marcus cursed.
The door opened.
The call ended.
Grant was already moving.
“I’ll get officers to Hale Meridian.”
Alex called another number.
Building engineer, Thomas Reed.
“Tom.”
“Alex?”
“I need access to the basement archive.”
“Right now?”
“Right now.”
“You’re not here.”
“I will be.”
Clara grabbed his arm.
“You promised not alone.”
Grant turned at the doorway.
“He won’t be.”
Twenty-three minutes later, Alex entered Hale Meridian through the underground parking structure with Detective Grant and six officers.
The lobby security desk had already received instructions to deny him access.
Grant presented a warrant authorizing preservation of company records.
Corporate counsel arrived within minutes.
Then Jonathan Hale appeared.
Perfect navy suit.
Silver tie.
Calm expression.
“Alex.”
Alex looked at him.
“My wife woke up.”
Jonathan smiled.
“I heard. Extraordinary.”
“You don’t seem surprised.”
“News travels quickly.”
“Who told you?”
“Your mother called my office.”
Alex watched his face.
“You spoke to her?”
“This morning.”
“She’s being questioned by police.”
“I’m aware.”
Grant stepped between them.
“We need access to the basement archive.”
Jonathan spread his hands.
“Of course.”
Too easy.
Alex felt it immediately.
They descended by service elevator.
The basement archive smelled like paper and dust.
Tom Reed unlocked the old document chute.
Inside the collection bin sat one flash drive.
Alex reached for it.
Jonathan said, “Careful.”
Alex looked over.
“Why?”
“If Clara found confidential company data, possessing it outside authorized systems could create legal problems.”
Alex laughed.
“You tried to bury her.”
Jonathan’s expression remained calm.
“That accusation is beneath you.”
Grant took the drive as evidence.
They connected it to an isolated police laptop.
Folders appeared.
Financial records.
Photographs.
Audio files.
Then a video directory.
HARBOR 1999.
Alex stared at the year.
He had been eleven.
Grant opened the first file.
Grainy footage appeared.
A lake.
A large wooden house.
Children standing outside.
A man’s voice came through the recording.
William Vale.
“Subject seven shows strong pattern recognition, low panic response, and high attachment adaptability.”
The camera shifted.
A boy stepped forward.
Dark hair.
Thin shoulders.
Alex.
His younger self looked directly into the lens.
Another voice.
Teresa.
“I want him.”
Alex stopped breathing.
Arthur replied, “You already have Derek.”
Teresa said, “Derek isn’t suitable.”
Alex stared at the screen.
The boy was wearing a hospital identification band.
Not Carter.
The zoom made the name visible.
ALEXANDER REED.
Alex whispered, “My name wasn’t Carter.”
Jonathan, standing behind them, finally lost his calm expression.
Grant turned.
“You knew.”
Jonathan said nothing.
The video continued.
William Vale spoke again.
“Then it’s settled. Alexander Reed goes to Arthur and Teresa Carter.”
Alex looked at Jonathan.
“My parents adopted me?”
Jonathan’s eyes lowered.
“No.”
“What do you mean, no?”
Jonathan looked toward the screen.
“You weren’t adopted.”
Alex stepped closer.
May you like
“Then what was I?”
Jonathan whispered, “You were assigned.”
