Chapter 6 - Emily Carter, Age Nine
The file was dated nineteen ninety-one.
Emily Carter had been nine years old.
Except Carter was not the name printed at the top.
Emily Bennett.
Her maiden name.
Bennett.
The same surname as Dr. Michael Bennett, though they were not related.
The coincidence suddenly felt unpleasant.
Special Agent Grant brought the file to the hospital that evening.
It was sealed in evidence plastic.
The first page contained Emily's childhood photograph.
She recognized the yellow sweater.
She recognized the missing front tooth.
She recognized the school portrait background.
"What is this?"
Grant sat down.
"We hoped your mother could explain."
Helen stared at the photograph.
"No."
Emily turned.
"Mom?"
Helen backed away.
"No."
Grant remained calm.
"Mrs. Bennett, we need the truth."
Helen shook her head.
Emily's anger rose.
"My daughter almost died."
"I know."
"Then talk."
Helen looked at Lily.
Her resistance collapsed.
"When Emily was nine, she became sick."
Emily frowned.
"I don't remember being sick."
"You had fevers."
"I remember chickenpox."
"It wasn't chickenpox."
Emily stared.
Helen continued.
"You had seizures."
"No."
"Three."
Emily looked at Grant.
Then back at her mother.
"I would remember seizures."
"You didn't."
"Why?"
Helen's face crumpled.
"Because they gave you something."
Emily stopped breathing.
"Who?"
"Dr. Vale."
Grant leaned forward.
"Samuel Vale?"
Helen nodded.
"He was developing immune treatments. Experimental treatments."
Emily's knees weakened.
"You let the man next door experiment on me?"
"No."
Helen stood suddenly.
"No. I never agreed."
"What happened?"
"Your father took you."
Emily stared.
"He said it was medicine."
"Medicine for what?"
"You had an immune disorder."
"I don't have an immune disorder."
"You did."
"No doctor has ever told me that."
Helen looked at Lily.
Emily followed her gaze.
The resemblance struck her differently now.
Same eyes.
Same pale skin.
Same immune crisis.
Emily whispered, "Lily inherited it."
Dr. Bennett, standing nearby, spoke.
"Possibly."
Emily turned on him.
"How long have you suspected?"
"I didn't."
"But you knew her condition could be genetic."
"Many autoimmune conditions have genetic components."
"Then why does Daniel have a secret file calling her a candidate?"
No one answered.
Grant opened another evidence folder.
"The basement contained records for twenty-seven children."
Emily felt sick.
"Experiments?"
"Possibly."
"Alive?"
"Some are adults now."
"Some?"
Grant's tone became softer.
"Four are deceased."
Helen began sobbing.
Emily stared at the file containing her childhood face.
"Was I one of the experiments?"
Grant looked at the first page.
"Your file number was E-9."
Silence.
Emily understood immediately.
E-9.
Emily.
Age nine.
L-8.
Lily.
Age eight.
A rage unlike anything she had ever experienced moved through her.
"Daniel knew."
Grant nodded.
"At some point, yes."
"Did he marry me because of this?"
No one answered.
Emily looked down at the wedding ring on her finger.
Thirteen years.
A house.
A daughter.
Christmas mornings.
Anniversaries.
Lies.
She twisted the ring free.
Dropped it onto the table.
"I want him charged with everything you've got."
Grant nodded.
"We will pursue every provable offense."
"That's not enough."
"It's how the system works."
Emily looked toward Lily.
"Then make the system work faster."
At that exact moment, Grant's phone rang.
He answered.
Listened.
His face changed.
"When?"
He stood.
"Secure the scene. Nobody leaves."
Emily watched him.
"What happened?"
Grant disconnected.
"Someone entered 417 Briar Hollow after our search team left."
"Who?"
"We don't know."
"What did they take?"
May you like
Grant looked at the evidence file.
"Every record connected to E-9 and L-8."
