Chapter 12 - The Night Robert Chose
Robert asked to speak to Maya.
Emily refused.
Maya didn't.
"I want to hear him."
Emily stared.
"You don't owe him anything."
"I know."
"You don't need closure today."
"I know."
"Then why?"
Maya looked at her.
"Because I want to see if he lies when he knows I know."
The meeting took place behind secure glass.
Robert sat on one side.
Maya and Emily sat on the other.
Robert picked up the phone.
Maya did the same.
For several seconds he only looked at her.
Then he whispered, "I'm sorry."
Maya's expression didn't change.
"Did you know they took me to the blue house?"
Robert closed his eyes.
"Yes."
Emily's jaw tightened.
Maya continued.
"How many times?"
"Three."
Emily almost stood.
Maya remained still.
"What did they do?"
"Tests."
"What tests?"
"Memory tests."
"You knew?"
"Not at first."
"When did you know?"
"After the second visit."
"Why was there a third?"
Robert couldn't answer.
Maya nodded slowly.
"That's what I thought."
"Maya."
"Did Mom know?"
"No."
"Did you ever plan to tell her?"
Robert began crying.
"I tried."
"That's not yes."
"No."
Maya stared at him.
"Why did you call me dramatic?"
Robert looked confused.
"What?"
"When I said my stomach hurt. Why did you say I was faking?"
His face collapsed.
"Because I knew."
Emily felt rage rise again.
Maya's voice shook.
"You knew it might be the thing inside me."
"Yes."
"And you wanted me to stop talking about it."
"I was afraid Voss would come back."
"He came back anyway."
Robert nodded.
Maya wiped tears from her cheek.
"You weren't protecting me."
"I thought I was."
"No."
Her voice became stronger.
"You were protecting the secret."
Robert bowed his head.
Maya placed the phone down.
Emily reached for hers.
Robert suddenly lifted his head.
"Wait."
Maya paused.
He pressed the receiver back to his ear.
"There is something else."
Emily took the phone.
"What?"
"Voss made me choose."
"When?"
"The night Eli died."
Emily stared.
Robert's face was gray.
"Eli didn't die during treatment."
"Then how?"
"He had a reaction afterward. Voss said they could save him, but only if I signed permission for another procedure."
Emily's pulse quickened.
"What procedure?"
"Harvesting neural tissue."
Maya covered her mouth.
Emily whispered, "While he was alive?"
Robert cried.
"Voss said Eli's brain was already too damaged."
"Was it?"
"I don't know."
The answer was horrifying.
"I was seventeen."
"Stop using your age like a shield."
"I'm not."
"Yes, you are."
Robert looked toward Maya.
"I signed."
Maya's face went white.
Emily could barely breathe.
"That's how Eli became part of the project."
Robert nodded.
"And that's what Voss held over you."
"Yes."
Emily understood the video's threat.
Would you like Emily to know what really happened to Eli?
Robert continued.
"Years later Voss told me Eli's material had survived longer than expected."
"And he wanted Maya."
"Yes."
"Because they were siblings."
"Because he thought their biology would be compatible."
Maya whispered, "So part of Eli is inside me."
Robert looked at her.
"Maybe."
Maya stood.
"I'm done."
They left.
Outside, she leaned against the wall.
Emily held her.
Neither spoke.
Then an alarm sounded.
Not a medical alarm.
Security.
Agent Cole appeared at the end of the hallway running.
"Inside the room. Now."
Emily grabbed Maya.
"What happened?"
"Someone breached the parking structure."
"Voss?"
"We don't know."
Agents moved toward the stairwells.
The hospital floor locked down.
Lights flickered once.
Then twice.
Maya suddenly froze.
Emily grabbed her shoulders.
"What?"
Maya tilted her head.
"Do you hear that?"
"Hear what?"
Maya's eyes widened.
The four-note melody.
Very faint.
Coming through the hospital intercom.
Four notes.
Pause.
Four notes again.
Maya began shaking.
Cole looked upward.
"Kill the speakers."
A security technician cut the system.
Silence returned.
Then Maya's heart monitor accelerated.
Her face twisted in pain.
"Mom."
She doubled over.
Emily caught her.
Doctors rushed in.
Dr. Harris shouted for imaging.
The tissue inside Maya had begun producing electrical spikes.
Maya screamed.
Then, through clenched teeth, she said words no one in the room expected.
"He's downstairs."
Cole stared.
"Who?"
Maya's eyes were shut.
"Voss."
Emily held her.
"How do you know?"
Maya opened her eyes.
They were filled with terror.
"Because he used to play that song when he was coming to get Lucas."
Agent Cole ran for the door.
Seconds later the emergency lights turned red.
A gunshot echoed from somewhere below.
Then another.
And over the restored intercom came a man's voice.
Calm.
Old.
May you like
Almost gentle.
"Hello, Maya."
