Chapter 9: The Third Child
I stopped breathing.
The voice behind me wasn't possible.
It couldn't be.
My father had been dead for six years.
I had stood beside his hospital bed.
I had held his hand when his heartbeat slowed.
I had watched the machines go silent.
I had kissed his forehead and told him I loved him.
Dead people didn't whisper your name from hidden passages beneath your house.
But the voice came again.
"Naomi.""
I turned slowly.
The darkness swallowed everything around me.
My phone light was off.
Elijah was pressed against my chest, his tiny body warm and trembling.
I couldn't see the person behind me.
But I could hear him.
A soft movement.
A slow breath.
"Who are you?""
My voice barely came out.
The figure stepped closer.
A small flashlight turned on.
The beam hit his face.
And my knees almost gave out.
Not because it was my father.
It wasn't.
It was someone else.
Someone I had seen before.
In photographs.
In old family albums.
Someone who had disappeared from our lives long before I was born.
"Who are you?""
The man stared at me.
His eyes looked painfully familiar.
"I'm David.""
The name meant nothing.
Until it did.
I looked at the files in my hand.
At the names.
At the history I thought I understood.
Then I remembered something my mother once said when I was a child.
"You had an uncle who left before you were born.""
An uncle nobody talked about.
An uncle whose photographs were missing from the house.
An uncle who was always mentioned in the past tense.
"You were dead.""
The man gave a sad smile.
"That's what they wanted everyone to believe.""
My grip tightened around Elijah.
"Are you my father's brother?""
He nodded.
"Yes.""
The world felt unreal.
"Why are you here?""
His eyes moved to the files.
"Because I was the first person who tried to stop them.""
I looked down.
The document shook in my hand.
*Project Second Generation.*
*Subject One: Rachel Carter.*
*Subject Two: Elijah Carter.*
*Third child unknown.*
My father's words repeated in my mind.
Don't let them find my third child.
"What does this mean?""
David's expression changed.
"You found the file.""
"Who is the third child?""
He didn't answer.
"Tell me.""
A painful silence.
Then:
"You.""
I froze.
The passage seemed to disappear around me.
"What?""
David looked at me.
"Naomi, your father started this before you were old enough to understand.""
"No.""
"You were the beginning.""
I shook my head.
"No.""
"You were the first child they studied.""
My heart pounded.
"I don't understand.""
"They didn't create you.""
His voice softened.
"But they monitored you.""
I stared at him.
"Why?""
"Because your father believed your family carried certain traits.""
I felt sick.
"They watched me?""
"Yes.""
"My whole life?""
"Yes.""
I looked at Elijah.
The thought made me feel physically ill.
My childhood.
My achievements.
My choices.
Had they all been recorded?
Analyzed?
Controlled?
"Why Rachel?""
David looked at the file.
"Because Rachel found out.""
"About me?""
"About everything.""
I remembered her warning.
The first attempt failed.
The second attempt succeeded.
"Rachel wasn't a failed attempt.""
David shook his head.
"No.""
"Then why did the file say that?""
"Because your father measured people like numbers.""
My anger burned.
"She was his daughter.""
David looked away.
"To him, that made no difference.""
A noise echoed through the passage.
Someone was coming.
David immediately turned off the flashlight.
"Quiet.""
I held Elijah tighter.
Footsteps moved above us.
The people searching the house.
The people who wanted my son.
David whispered:
"There is another exit ahead.""
"Why should I trust you?""
He looked at me.
"Because I was the one who helped Rachel escape.""
I froze.
"You?""
He nodded.
"Daniel helped too.""
My heart tightened.
"What happened that night?""
David looked down.
"Your mother found out Rachel had evidence.""
"And Daniel?""
"He was supposed to bring Rachel back.""
I swallowed.
"Did he?""
"No.""
"Then why did Rachel blame him?""
"Because Daniel made a choice.""
"What choice?""
David looked at me.
"He saved Rachel.""
I frowned.
"Then why did she say he chose them over his wife?""
"Because he couldn't save both.""
The words cut deep.
"What does that mean?""
David's expression was filled with regret.
"That night, your mother gave Daniel an order.""
My stomach dropped.
"What order?""
"Bring Rachel back.""
"And if he refused?""
David looked at me.
"He threatened to expose you.""
My breath caught.
"Me?""
"Your mother knew Daniel loved you.""
"Then why would she threaten him?""
"Because she knew he would sacrifice himself before sacrificing you.""
I thought about Daniel.
The secrets.
The lies.
The fear in his eyes.
Maybe there had always been more.
Maybe I had been seeing only pieces.
"Where is Daniel now?""
David looked away.
"I don't know.""
A sudden sound interrupted us.
A door opening.
Then a voice.
"Naomi!""
My heart stopped.
Daniel.
He was calling my name.
I moved forward.
But David grabbed my arm.
"Wait.""
"That's my husband.""
"Listen.""
We stayed silent.
Daniel's voice came again.
"Naomi, if you can hear me, don't move.""
I froze.
Because he sounded afraid.
Not angry.
Not searching.
Warning me.
David whispered:
"He's not alone.""
My blood ran cold.
Another voice followed.
A woman's voice.
My mother's.
"Naomi!""
I closed my eyes.
They were both upstairs.
Both looking for me.
But I didn't know who I could trust.
David leaned closer.
"You have to decide quickly.""
"Decide what?""
"Whether you want the truth...""
He looked at Elijah.
"...or whether you want the life you had before.""
I looked down at my son.
There was no choice.
The life I had before was built on lies.
I started moving toward the exit.
Then something fell from the files.
A small envelope.
My name was written on it.
Not by my father.
Not by my mother.
By Daniel.
My hands trembled as I opened it.
Inside was a letter.
Only one page.
*Naomi,*
*If you are reading this, then I failed to keep you away from the truth.*
My eyes blurred.
I continued.
*I need you to know one thing. Everything I did was wrong. I should have told you. I should have trusted you.*
I swallowed.
*But I never married you because of your family.*
My breathing stopped.
*I married you because you were the only person who made me want to become someone better.*
I looked at David.
He said nothing.
I kept reading.
*Your mother was right about one thing. Elijah was important. But she was wrong about why.*
The next line made my heart race.
*He was never proof that the program worked.*
I turned the page.
There was one final sentence.
*He was proof that the program was unnecessary.*
I stared.
"What does that mean?""
David looked at the letter.
Then his expression changed.
"Because Elijah was born naturally.""
I looked at him.
"What?""
David nodded.
"Your mother believed the program created him.""
"But?""
"But she never understood the truth.""
He looked at Elijah.
"Your son was never created by their plans.""
A sound came from behind us.
Closer.
Someone had entered the passage.
David turned.
"Go.""
I didn't move.
"Who is it?""
He looked into the darkness.
Then whispered:
"The person who started all of this.""
A figure stepped forward.
I raised the flashlight.
The beam hit the face.
And my heart stopped.
Because the person standing there wasn't a stranger.
It wasn't my mother.
It wasn't Daniel.
It was Rachel.
But she wasn't looking at me.
She was looking at Elijah.
Tears filled her eyes.
"Naomi...""
Her voice broke.
"I need to tell you the truth about your son.""
I held Elijah closer.
"What truth?""
Rachel looked terrified.
Then she whispered:
"He's not the second child.""
May you like
The world went silent.
"He is the third.""
