CHAPTER 9 — THE HOUSE THAT KNEW HIS NAME
The words followed me all the way to the car.
Your son was the only child who survived the experiment.
I couldn't make them fit inside my head.
Noah was eight years old.
He loved dinosaurs.
He hated broccoli.
He slept with the same blue blanket he'd had since he was a baby.
He cried when he thought I'd be angry with him.
He laughed so hard at stupid jokes that he sometimes snorted.
He was my little boy.
Not an experiment.
Not a number.
Not a project.
A child.
My child.
And someone had taken him.
I turned to Evan.
“You said Noah was safe.”
“He is.”
“Then where is he?”
“At the Carter estate.”
My heart stopped.
“The place Diane just told us to go?”
“Yes.”
“Then why would you send us into a trap?”
“I didn't.”
He looked at Ryan.
“She did.”
Ryan stared at his brother.
“What are you talking about?”
“Mother didn't send that message.”
“Then who did?”
Evan's expression hardened.
“The person who has been watching all of us.”
I looked at the phone again.
The photograph of Noah was still there.
I zoomed in.
The room looked familiar.
Dark wooden walls.
An old fireplace.
A tall grandfather clock.
I knew that room.
“The library.”
Ryan looked at me.
“What?”
“The photograph was taken in the library at the estate.”
Evan nodded.
“Yes.”
“Then Noah is there.”
“Yes.”
“Then we're going.”
Evan grabbed my wrist.
“Claire.”
I pulled away.
“Don't stop me.”
“You don't understand.”
“I understand enough.”
“No. You don't.”
He looked at Ryan.
“Tell her.”
Ryan didn't answer.
Evan's voice hardened.
“The estate has underground tunnels.”
I froze.
“What?”
“My father built them.”
“How many?”
“Six.”
“Six?”
“Some lead outside.”
“And some?”
“Some lead to rooms no one is supposed to know exist.”
I stared at him.
“Where does the library tunnel lead?”
Evan hesitated.
“To the old laboratory.”
My stomach turned.
“The same laboratory?”
“Yes.”
“So Diane is using it.”
“Probably.”
“Then Noah is in danger.”
“Yes.”
I turned toward the car.
“We're going.”
Evan grabbed Ryan's shoulder.
“You can't go through the front entrance.”
Ryan looked at him.
“Why?”
“Because they'll be waiting.”
“Who?”
Evan looked toward the road.
“Everyone.”
The Carter estate appeared through the trees just after midnight.
I had been there many times.
Family dinners.
Christmas.
Birthdays.
Weddings.
It had always seemed enormous.
Beautiful.
Untouchable.
Now it looked like a prison.
Every window was dark.
The gates stood open.
No guards.
No cars.
No lights.
Too quiet.
Ryan stopped the car.
“This isn't right.”
“No,” Evan said from the back seat.
“It isn't.”
I looked at him.
“You're coming with us?”
“I have to.”
“Why?”
“Because if Noah is inside, I know how to get him out.”
Ryan looked at him.
“And if Mother is there?”
Evan's jaw tightened.
“Then we finish this.”
We got out.
I immediately noticed something.
The front door was open.
I whispered,
“She wants us inside.”
Ryan nodded.
“Definitely.”
I took a step.
Evan grabbed my arm.
“Not that way.”
He pointed toward the side of the house.
“There.”
We followed him around the property.
He stopped beside an old stone wall.
“There used to be a fountain here.”
I looked at the ground.
Nothing but grass.
He crouched.
Moved several stones.
Then revealed a metal hatch.
I stared.
“Another secret door.”
“My father loved secrets.”
He opened it.
A staircase descended into darkness.
Ryan sighed.
“Of course.”
We went down.
The passage smelled of dirt and rust.
The ceiling was low.
I had to duck.
After several minutes, we reached a fork.
Evan pointed left.
“Library.”
We went that way.
A faint light appeared ahead.
I heard voices.
I stopped.
“Someone's there.”
Evan motioned for us to stay quiet.
We moved closer.
A door stood slightly open.
Through the crack, I saw Diane.
She was standing beside the fireplace.
And sitting on the floor was Noah.
His hands were tied.
I almost screamed.
Ryan grabbed my arm.
“Wait.”
Diane wasn't alone.
A man stood beside her.
Tall.
Gray-haired.
Wearing a dark suit.
I couldn't see his face.
Then he turned.
My heart stopped.
It was the man from the photograph.
The man who looked like Ryan.
Evan.
But Evan was standing beside me.
I looked at him.
His face went white.
“That isn't me.”
The man smiled.
Then he removed his glasses.
Ryan whispered,
“Father.”
My heart stopped.
“Your father is dead.”
Ryan shook his head.
“I saw his body.”
Evan stared through the crack.
“He died.”
The man inside laughed.
“I told you they would come.”
Diane smiled.
“Of course they would.”
Noah looked toward the door.
His eyes widened.
“Mom?”
I moved forward.
Ryan held me back.
“Not yet.”
Noah saw Evan.
His face changed.
“Uncle Evan?”
The older man turned.
His smile disappeared.
“Evan.”
Evan stepped into the room.
“Thomas.”
Ryan grabbed my arm.
“That's impossible.”
Evan walked forward.
“I watched you die.”
The man smiled.
“You watched a body die.”
Evan's eyes narrowed.
“Who are you?”
The man laughed.
“You always were the dramatic one.”
Diane stepped between them.
“Enough.”
I couldn't take it anymore.
I entered the room.
“Get away from my son.”
Diane turned.
“Claire.”
“Untie him.”
She smiled.
“Do you know what your son is?”
“My son is a child.”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“He is proof.”
“Proof of what?”
“That my husband succeeded.”
I looked at the older man.
“Your husband?”
Diane nodded.
“Thomas.”
Ryan stepped forward.
“You're alive.”
Thomas looked at him.
“Yes.”
“You let me believe you were dead.”
“I needed to.”
“Why?”
“Because your mother was becoming impossible to control.”
Diane's expression darkened.
“Don't blame me.”
Thomas ignored her.
He looked at Noah.
“The boy was always the objective.”
I felt rage surge through me.
“You experimented on him.”
“No.”
“You monitored him.”
“Yes.”
“You hurt him.”
“No.”
“Your wife did.”
Thomas looked at Diane.
“Did you?”
She said nothing.
Noah began crying.
I moved toward him.
Thomas raised a hand.
“Stop.”
I stopped.
“Touch my son and I swear—”
“You don't understand.”
“I understand perfectly.”
“No.”
He pointed at Noah.
“He is alive because of what we did.”
My voice shook.
“You're proud of that?”
“No.”
He looked exhausted.
“I'm ashamed.”
The room went silent.
Diane stared at him.
“What are you doing?”
Thomas looked at me.
“I'm telling her the truth.”
Diane stepped forward.
“You promised.”
“I promised to protect the child.”
“You promised to protect the program.”
“The program is over.”
“No.”
“It ended years ago.”
“No!”
Diane screamed.
Noah flinched.
I immediately moved closer to him.
Thomas looked at her.
“You've lost.”
Diane shook her head.
“Not yet.”
She pulled a gun from her coat.
Ryan stepped in front of me.
“Mom.”
“Move.”
“No.”
“Move!”
She pointed the weapon at Ryan.
“I gave you everything.”
“You destroyed everything.”
“I protected you.”
“You destroyed Evan.”
“I protected the family.”
“You destroyed our father.”
Diane's hand trembled.
“He betrayed us.”
Thomas looked at her.
“I betrayed you.”
She turned.
“You?”
“I ended the program.”
“You had no right.”
“I had every right.”
“You promised me.”
“I changed my mind.”
Diane raised the gun.
Thomas didn't move.
Then Noah shouted.
“STOP!”
Everyone froze.
Noah looked at Diane.
“You don't have to hurt anyone.”
She stared at him.
“You don't understand.”
“I do.”
“No.”
“I know why you hit me.”
Diane's face changed.
Noah continued.
“You wanted me scared.”
Silence.
“So I wouldn't tell Mom.”
Diane's eyes narrowed.
“And Dad?”
Noah looked at Ryan.
“Dad was scared too.”
Ryan lowered his head.
“I was.”
Noah looked at Thomas.
“You all wanted me quiet.”
Thomas closed his eyes.
Noah's voice trembled.
“But I told Mom.”
I felt tears burn my eyes.
“Yes, baby.”
He looked at me.
“I told you.”
“Yes.”
“You believed me.”
“Always.”
Diane lowered the gun slightly.
Then a sound came from the hallway.
Footsteps.
Several people.
Thomas looked toward the door.
“They're here.”
Ryan frowned.
“Who?”
Thomas whispered,
“The people who funded the program.”
Evan stepped forward.
“How many?”
“Enough.”
The doors burst open.
Three men entered.
Then two women.
All dressed in dark clothing.
One of them held a folder.
Another held a syringe.
My blood ran cold.
Diane looked at them.
“You're late.”
The woman with the syringe shook her head.
“No.”
She smiled.
“You're early.”
Then she looked at Noah.
“The child is ready.”
I moved in front of him.
“You're not touching him.”
The woman laughed.
“We're not here for him.”
I froze.
“Then what do you want?”
She looked at Ryan.
“We want the heir.”
Ryan frowned.
“What heir?”
She smiled.
“Your father left the estate to you.”
Ryan shook his head.
“That's not possible.”
“It is.”
She raised the folder.
“But there's a problem.”
“What?”
“The inheritance activates only if the family line is proven.”
She looked at Noah.
“And the child is the key.”
I felt sick.
“What are you saying?”
She opened the folder.
Inside was a legal document.
At the bottom was my signature.
I stared.
“No.”
Ryan looked at me.
“What?”
I shook my head.
“I never signed that.”
The woman smiled.
“You did.”
She turned the page.
The date was eight years earlier.
The day Noah was born.
My signature.
My handwriting.
But I had never seen the document.
Ryan looked at me.
“I don't understand.”
Neither did I.
Then Thomas spoke.
“You weren't supposed to remember signing it.”
I stared at him.
“What did you do to me?”
He looked away.
“I was trying to protect you.”
Diane laughed.
“You see?”
She raised the gun again.
“They always say they were protecting you.”
Then the lights went out.
A gunshot exploded.
Noah screamed.
I dropped to the floor and covered him.
Another shot.
Glass shattered.
People shouted.
Someone grabbed me.
I fought.
“LET GO!”
Ryan screamed my name.
Then Evan shouted,
“RUN!”
A hand pulled me through a hidden doorway.
I grabbed Noah.
Ryan followed.
The door slammed behind us.
We ran through darkness.
“Where are we going?” I gasped.
Evan shouted,
“Down!”
We descended a narrow staircase.
Behind us, footsteps followed.
Fast.
Getting closer.
Noah was crying.
“Mom!”
“I have you.”
“I don't want to go back!”
“You won't.”
We reached a metal door.
Evan opened it.
A room appeared.
Inside were dozens of boxes.
Old photographs.
Medical records.
And a wall covered with names.
I looked at it.
My breath stopped.
Every child from the files.
Every missing child.
Every number.
And at the very bottom—
NOAH CARTER — SUBJECT 17.
Underneath his name was another line.
STATUS: SUCCESSFUL.
Then I saw the final entry.
SUBJECT 18 — PENDING.
I stared.
“What is Subject 18?”
Evan's face changed.
“I don't know.”
Ryan looked at him.
“You're lying.”
“No.”
Thomas's voice suddenly echoed from the other side of the door.
“You want to know?”
Everyone froze.
His voice was calm.
“Subject 18 is already here.”
I looked at Noah.
Then at Ryan.
Then at Evan.
And finally at the door.
May you like
The lock began turning.
Slowly.
