Chapter 7: The Missing Child
The woman standing in the doorway was holding a hospital bracelet between two fingers.
She looked older than my mother but younger than the grief in her face suggested.
Her eyes found mine.
Then she whispered the name I hadn't heard in decades.
“Michael.””
The boy beside me stiffened.
My mother stumbled backward.
“Claire?””
The woman nodded.
“You remember me.””
My mother’s face had gone completely white.
“That's impossible.””
Claire looked down at the bracelet.
“That's what everyone said.””
I stepped between them.
“Who are you?””
Claire looked at me for a long moment.
Then she said, “The woman who delivered the third baby.””
Nobody spoke.
Emma stared at her.
“Third?””
Claire nodded.
My heart seemed to stop.
Michael's hand tightened around mine.
“There were three,” he whispered.
Claire looked at him.
“Yes.””
My mother shook her head.
“No. There were two.””
Claire's voice remained calm.
“There were three babies in that room.””
She raised the bracelet.
The plastic was yellowed with age.
A name had been written across it in faded blue ink.
*SARAH HART*
My knees nearly gave out.
“Sarah?””
Claire nodded.
“Your sister.””
My mother whispered, “She died.””
Claire's expression changed.
“No.””
The word was soft.
Absolute.
“She didn't.””
My mother covered her mouth.
I looked at the bracelet again.
“Where is she?””
Claire looked toward the open floor beneath us.
“That depends on which story you believe.””
I stared at her.
“What story?””
“The one your father told.””
She looked at my mother.
“Or the one Dr. Voss wrote.””
Megan stepped closer.
“We don't have time for riddles.””
Claire nodded.
“You're right.””
She walked into the yellow room and shut the door behind her.
Then she locked it.
My mother stared.
“Why did you lock us in?””
“Because Voss is below us.””
Michael looked toward the floor.
“He's coming.””
Claire nodded.
“I know.””
A heavy metallic clang rose from beneath the room.
Something hit the underside of the floor.
Emma jumped.
Claire turned toward her.
“Come here.””
Emma hesitated.
Then slowly approached.
Claire crouched.
“Do you remember me?””
Emma's face tightened.
“No.””
“You were four.””
“I don't remember.””
“You wouldn't.””
Claire touched the birthmark beneath Emma's ear.
“I watched them take blood from you.””
Emma recoiled.
Megan pulled her back.
“Don't touch her.””
Claire withdrew her hand.
“I understand.””
I looked at her.
“You said there were three babies.””
“Yes.””
“What happened to Sarah?””
Claire glanced at my mother.
“That's the part Evelyn never told you.””
My mother's eyes filled with tears.
“Because I couldn't.””
“Because you wouldn't.””
My mother looked at her.
“You weren't there when it happened.””
“I was there for all of it.””
“No.””
“Yes.””
Claire's voice sharpened.
“I was there when Thomas came into the room.””
My mother turned away.
“And I was there when you begged him to take one child and leave the other two behind.””
Megan stared at my mother.
“You did what?””
My mother shook her head.
“It wasn't like that.””
Claire laughed bitterly.
“Then tell them.””
My mother couldn't.
Claire looked at me.
“Your father didn't steal one child.””
She pointed to the three names on the wall.
“He stole all three.””
A thud shook the floor.
Michael grabbed my arm.
“They're here.””
I crouched beside him.
“Who?””
“The men who wear masks.””
“What men?””
“The ones from the yellow rooms.””
Claire answered for him.
“Voss never worked alone.””
Another metallic impact sounded beneath us.
The floor trembled.
Claire moved quickly to the far wall.
She pressed three places in sequence.
A hidden compartment opened.
Inside were old videotapes, notebooks, medical envelopes, and a small recorder.
She grabbed the recorder.
“Listen.””
She pressed play.
Static filled the room.
Then my father's voice.
Young.
Terrified.
“No. I won't do this.””
A second voice answered.
Voss.
“You already agreed.””
“I agreed to save Michael.””
“You agreed to save your family.””
“You promised all three children would leave.””
“We changed the terms.””
My father swore.
Then came a woman's sob.
My mother's.
I looked at her.
She whispered, “Turn it off.””
I didn't.
The recording continued.
Voss said, “One child has to remain.””
My father's voice:
“Why?””
“Because the experiment needs a control.””
“Use me.””
“You're not genetically compatible.””
“Then use nobody.””
“We already have.””
A baby began crying.
Then another.
Then another.
Three distinct cries.
The room went silent when the recording ended.
I stared at the recorder.
“Three babies.””
Claire nodded.
I turned to my mother.
“Why did you tell me there were two?””
She looked like she was barely standing.
“Because Sarah disappeared.””
“Where?””
“I don't know.””
Claire shook her head.
“You knew.””
My mother whispered, “No.””
“You saw her taken.””
“I saw a woman carry her out.””
“Which woman?””
My mother's lips trembled.
“Dr. Voss's wife.””
The name meant nothing to me.
Claire's expression changed.
“Helena.””
My mother nodded.
Claire stepped back.
“Oh God.””
“What?””
“She took Sarah.””
“Where?””
Claire looked at the old files.
“Home.””
I frowned.
“Whose home?””
“Yours.””
The words didn't make sense.
Then they did.
My father's house.
Our house.
The walls.
The tunnels.
The hidden rooms.
I looked around.
“Sarah has been here?””
Claire nodded.
“She was raised inside this house.””
Emma whispered, “That's why she knows the passages.””
I stared at her.
“How would you know?””
Emma's face went blank.
Then she whispered:
“Because she taught me.””
Megan stiffened.
“You've met Sarah?””
Emma nodded slowly.
“She sings to me.””
My mother nearly collapsed.
“No.””
Emma turned toward her.
“She says you're afraid of her.””
My mother whispered, “She's dead.””
Emma shook her head.
“No.””
Then she looked at me.
“She told me you're not Ryan.””
The room seemed to lose all air.
I could hear my own heartbeat.
“Who does she say I am?””
Emma opened her mouth.
A voice answered from behind us.
“Michael.””
Everyone turned.
The wall panel had opened.
A girl stood inside the passage.
She was older than Emma.
Maybe seventeen.
Her hair hung over one shoulder.
Her skin was pale.
And beneath her ear was the same crescent-shaped birthmark.
She looked at Michael.
Then at me.
And smiled.
Michael stepped back.
“Sarah.””
My mother made a broken sound.
The girl looked at her.
“You lied.””
My mother began crying.
“Sarah…”
“You told them I died.””
“I thought you were dead.””
“You didn't look.””
The girl stepped out of the passage.
She wasn't afraid.
Not of us.
Not of the room.
Not of anything.
She looked at me carefully.
“You look like Dad.””
My throat tightened.
“Who are you?””
She laughed softly.
“You already know.””
“I don't.””
“You will.””
She walked toward me.
Michael stood between us.
“Don't touch him.””
Sarah stopped.
“I wasn't going to.””
She looked at Michael.
“You're still protecting him.””
Michael frowned.
“From what?””
Sarah's eyes shifted to me.
“From himself.””
I felt a chill.
“What does that mean?””
She looked at Claire.
“You told them about the third baby.””
Claire nodded.
Sarah looked at my mother.
“But you didn't tell them which baby came home.””
My mother started shaking.
I turned to her.
“Which baby came home?””
She couldn't answer.
Sarah did.
“None of them.””
Silence.
Megan whispered, “What?””
Sarah looked at me.
“The baby your mother brought upstairs wasn't one of the three.””
I stared at her.
“That’s impossible.””
“No.””
She touched her own birthmark.
“It's the reason Voss never stopped looking.””
My mother sank onto the bed.
“I wanted to save you.””
Sarah's voice softened.
“You didn't save anyone.””
A terrible grinding noise came from beneath the floor.
The entire room shook.
The wall cracked.
Voss's voice boomed through the speaker.
“Sarah.””
She looked toward the ceiling.
For the first time, fear crossed her face.
He spoke again.
“Come home.””
Sarah whispered, “No.””
The floor split open.
A metal platform rose from below.
Voss appeared behind it, holding a gun.
Megan pulled Emma behind her.
I stepped toward Sarah.
Voss smiled.
“There you are.””
Sarah backed away.
“You promised.””
“I promised your mother.””
“No.””
Sarah pointed at me.
“You promised *him*.””
Voss looked at me.
His smile disappeared.
“I never promised you anything.””
Sarah's eyes filled with tears.
“You said if I protected him, you'd let the others go.””
Voss raised the gun.
“Your brother is not one of the others.””
Michael looked at me.
“What does he mean?””
Voss answered.
“The child you call Ryan was never meant to survive.””
My stomach dropped.
Voss pointed the gun directly at me.
“Because the real Ryan died in that room thirty-eight years ago.””
My mother's cry echoed through the yellow room.
Sarah looked at me.
May you like
Then she whispered the words that shattered everything I thought I knew.
“That's why I was the one who raised you.””
