Chapter 10 - THE GIRL MARCUS WANTED TO SAVE
Danny stared at Sophia’s photograph.
“So Rose is his daughter.”
Graham nodded.
“And Sophia?”
“Also his daughter.”
Danny’s face twisted.
“He wants one daughter to save the other.”
Claire scrolled through the files.
“It’s worse.”
“How?”
“Transfer isn’t clean.”
She opened medical graphs.
“Whenever Rose takes damage from another person, her body somehow processes part of it. But the more severe the condition, the greater the shock.”
Graham looked at her.
“What happens if she takes terminal cancer?”
Claire didn’t answer.
Danny did.
“She dies.”
Claire looked at him.
“Yes.”
Danny stood so fast the chair fell backward.
“He knows that?”
“Yes.”
“And he’s still doing it?”
Graham watched the boy’s anger become something darker.
“He loves Sophia.”
Danny turned on him.
“Don’t defend him.”
“I’m not.”
“It sounded like it.”
“I’m telling you why dangerous men do terrible things.”
Graham’s voice hardened.
“They usually have a reason that sounds good in their own head.”
Claire opened another file.
“Wait.”
“What?”
“Anna recorded more.”
A second video loaded.
Anna appeared in a hospital stairwell.
“There’s something Marcus doesn’t know,” she said.
Graham leaned closer.
“Rose isn’t stable.”
Danny whispered, “What does that mean?”
Anna continued.
“The transfer is changing. She’s learning to refuse it.”
Claire frowned.
Anna looked over her shoulder nervously.
“I saw it happen with a lab animal. Rose touched it, but nothing transferred until she became distressed. The response may be emotional.”
Graham asked, “She chooses?”
Claire shook her head.
“Maybe.”
Anna’s recording continued.
“If Rose survives long enough, I believe the ability will weaken naturally.”
Danny’s eyes filled with hope.
“She could become normal.”
Claire nodded slowly.
“Possibly.”
Anna’s final words were quiet.
“If Marcus finds out, he won’t wait.”
The video ended.
Nobody spoke.
Then Cal entered from outside.
“Bad news.”
Graham laughed dryly.
“Get in line.”
“Vale went public.”
Cal turned on the television.
Marcus stood behind a podium outside Halcyon Medical Institute.
Silver hair.
Perfect suit.
Sad father’s face.
“Our eight-month-old daughter, Rose Vale, has been abducted by individuals attempting to exploit her medical condition.”
Danny shouted, “Liar!”
Marcus continued.
“One of those individuals is Graham Whitmore.”
Reporters erupted.
A picture of Graham appeared beside Marcus.
Then Danny.
Then Maya.
Then Eli.
“Police are now searching for the children,” the reporter said.
Danny looked terrified.
“They have our faces.”
Graham’s phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
“Marcus.”
“Graham.”
“You always did enjoy television.”
“And you always hated losing control of the room.”
“You murdered Anna.”
A pause.
“I made mistakes.”
“You call a bullet a mistake?”
“I didn’t authorize it.”
“But you created the men who did.”
Marcus exhaled.
“Sophia is dying.”
“That doesn’t give you Rose.”
“You don’t understand.”
“I understand perfectly. You want one child to die so the other can live.”
Silence.
Then Marcus said, “If Claire were dying, wouldn’t you do anything?”
Graham’s eyes moved to his daughter.
Claire stared back.
Marcus continued.
“You’ve already lost one person you loved because you couldn’t save her.”
Graham’s face tightened.
His wife.
“Don’t.”
“You remember the crash, don’t you?”
Graham’s blood turned cold.
Marcus’s voice softened.
“The drunk driver. The rain. Your wife bleeding beside you.”
“Shut up.”
“You begged God to trade places with her.”
Graham hung up.
Claire stared.
“What did he say?”
“Nothing.”
His phone rang again.
This time a text.
A photograph.
Eli.
Graham looked up.
Eli was no longer in the room.
Danny spun around.
“Eli?”
Maya ran outside.
“Eli!”
Cal cursed and grabbed his gun.
On Graham’s phone, another message appeared.
A photo of Eli inside a car.
Terrified.
Alive.
Then four words:
May you like
MIDNIGHT.
ROSE FOR ELI.
