Chapter 12 - Midnight at the Sterling Institute
They escaped the cemetery through a maintenance road.
But the meaning of Rebecca's clue had changed everything.
Richard was necessary.
Anna was necessary.
And Mercer now had both.
Daniel drove.
Arthur sat beside him.
Emily and Claire followed in the second vehicle.
"Where is Mercer taking them?" Arthur asked.
"Sterling Institute."
"You sound certain."
"Because that's where this began."
They reached the institute at 11:37 p.m.
The public side of the building was dark.
The research wing was not.
Daniel showed Arthur a service entrance.
"I helped design the security system before deployment."
Arthur stared.
"You were a medical researcher before the Army?"
"Biomedical engineering."
"And you enlisted because?"
Daniel smiled faintly.
"My father hated it."
"Reasonable."
Daniel's smile vanished.
"Also because I wanted to know whether human beings behaved differently when money couldn't control the room."
"And?"
"They do."
They entered through a utility corridor.
Claire stayed outside to contact federal agents and transmit the archive files they already possessed.
Emily came with Arthur and Daniel.
"You should stay outside," Arthur said.
"No."
"That argument has failed several times."
"Then learn."
They reached the basement.
Sterile white corridors replaced the older architecture.
Arthur saw a familiar symbol on one wall.
S-17.
The same code scratched into his dog tag.
Daniel said, "This wing was built after I escaped."
"How do you know?"
"I've been inside."
Arthur stopped.
"When?"
"Two years ago."
"You told Claire you hadn't been back."
"I lied."
Arthur stared at him.
Daniel continued walking.
"Get angry later."
Arthur caught up.
"You're getting very comfortable saying that."
They reached a glass observation room.
Inside sat Anna.
Her wrists were restrained.
Richard sat beside her.
Mercer stood between them.
He applauded slowly as Arthur entered.
"Exactly on time."
Arthur's gaze locked on Anna.
She had Rebecca's eyes.
Daniel moved toward the glass.
Anna saw him.
Relief crossed her face.
"Daniel."
Mercer smiled.
"Family reunion."
Arthur said, "Let them go."
Mercer laughed.
"No."
Daniel held up the music box.
"We found Rebecca's key."
Mercer's expression sharpened.
"Where?"
"Her grave."
Richard closed his eyes.
Mercer turned to him.
"You knew?"
Richard whispered, "No."
Mercer looked toward Anna.
"Do you recognize the song?"
She nodded.
"Good."
He opened the door.
"Come in."
Arthur entered first.
Daniel followed.
Emily remained near the corridor.
Mercer noticed.
"The nurse too."
Emily entered.
Mercer locked the door.
"Now."
He placed the music box on the table.
It played.
Anna began crying.
Richard stared at her.
Mercer said, "What do you remember?"
Anna shook her head.
"Nothing."
Mercer grabbed her hair.
Arthur moved.
A guard raised a weapon.
Arthur stopped.
Mercer whispered into Anna's ear.
"Your mother taught you that song."
Anna squeezed her eyes shut.
"Tell me what you see."
"A room."
"Where?"
"I don't know."
"Again."
He rewound the box.
The melody played.
Anna's breathing changed.
Richard suddenly whispered the lyrics.
Not words anyone else knew.
A private rhyme.
Anna's eyes opened.
She stared at him.
"You sang that."
Richard began crying.
"When you were four."
Anna's face twisted with confusion.
"You visited me."
Richard nodded.
"Every year until Rebecca found out."
"You told me you were Uncle Richard."
He could not look at her.
"I was afraid."
Anna laughed through tears.
"Everyone in this family was always afraid."
The melody ended.
Anna whispered, "Locker 319."
Mercer's eyes brightened.
"Where?"
"Union Station."
Daniel looked at her.
That was not what she had told him.
Arthur noticed.
Anna was lying.
Mercer did not.
He turned to a guard.
"Go."
The guard left.
Mercer smiled.
"At last."
Then Anna looked at Arthur.
And quietly tapped her fingers.
Three.
Two.
Three.
Safe exit.
Arthur understood.
The real archive was already somewhere else.
Daniel understood too.
May you like
Mercer had just sent away one of his armed men.
Anna had created their opening.
