Chapter 10 - THE SHOT
Claire stopped.
Rebecca buried her face against her.
Marcus disappeared around the corner.
Daniel ran after him.
Laura screamed Sophie’s name.
Another gunshot followed.
Then silence.
Claire forced the wheelchair forward.
Natalie tried to stop her.
“Stay with Ethan.”
“I am.”
She held the newborn against her chest.
They reached the laboratory.
Marcus stood over Dr. Pierce.
Pierce was on the floor.
Blood spread across his shoulder.
Daniel held a gun.
His hands shook.
Sophie stood behind a metal table.
Alive.
Laura ran to her.
Sophie collapsed into her arms.
Claire watched from across the room.
Her biological daughter.
For the first time, Claire saw her without glass between them.
Sophie looked over Laura’s shoulder.
Their eyes met.
Neither moved.
Claire wanted to run to her.
She also knew she had no right to demand anything from a frightened eight-year-old.
So she stayed where she was.
Sophie looked at Ethan.
Then Rebecca.
Rebecca slowly stepped forward.
“Hi.”
Sophie wiped her eyes.
“Hi.”
“My name is Rebecca.”
“I know.”
Rebecca looked surprised.
Sophie glanced at Laura.
“Mom told me about you last year.”
Laura froze.
“You knew?”
“Not everything.”
Sophie looked at Rebecca.
“She said there was another girl who was important.”
Rebecca gave a tiny smile.
“That was vague.”
Sophie almost smiled back.
Then Pierce groaned.
Marcus kicked the syringe away from his hand.
“What was in that?”
Pierce laughed weakly.
“A sedative.”
Daniel aimed the gun.
“Give me one reason not to finish this.”
Claire’s voice cut through the room.
“Because our children have watched enough adults decide they’re above the law.”
Daniel looked at her.
Slowly, he lowered the weapon.
Pierce smiled.
“You think the law will help you?”
Natalie plugged her flash drive into the lab computer.
“It will after they see this.”
She began copying files.
Pierce’s smile disappeared.
“No.”
He tried to rise.
Marcus pushed him down.
Natalie scanned the folders.
Then her expression changed.
“Claire.”
“What?”
“There’s another file.”
She opened it.
PROJECT EIGHT-YEAR RETURN.
Inside was a legal strategy drafted by Charles Bennett.
Claire read the first page.
The plan anticipated eventual discovery of the switched infants.
Charles had prepared for it.
He intended to reunite each biological child with the original mother when the girls turned eight.
Not out of guilt.
For research.
He wanted to study attachment disruption.
Claire covered her mouth.
Laura whispered.
“He was going to switch them again?”
Natalie nodded.
“He wanted to measure psychological response.”
Rebecca stared at the screen.
“You mean he wanted Mom to give me away?”
Claire pulled her close.
“No one is giving you away.”
Sophie moved closer to Laura.
Pierce laughed from the floor.
“You all pretend love is sacred.”
“But attachment is chemistry.”
Claire stared at him.
“You never had children, did you?”
His expression changed.
She knew.
“No.”
Claire looked at Rebecca.
Then Sophie.
Then Ethan.
“That’s why you think you can measure this.”
Police sirens became faintly audible outside.
Daniel looked toward the windows.
“Who called them?”
Marcus raised his phone.
“I did.”
Pierce suddenly smiled again.
“You think this ends with me?”
Natalie stopped copying files.
Pierce looked at Claire.
“Charles had a partner.”
Margaret’s voice came from the doorway.
“Yes.”
Everyone turned.
May you like
Margaret Bennett stood there holding a pistol.
“And he should have chosen his partners more carefully.”
