Chapter 38 - The Choice at the Elevator
Rachel looked at the biometric panel beside the elevator.
A soft green light pulsed where a hand was meant to be placed.
“No,” Marcus said immediately. “Absolutely not.”
Detective Ortega nodded.
“We are not letting them control the next move.”
Kevin kept reading the protocol.
“If Rachel doesn’t authenticate, B3 stays sealed.”
“That’s good,” Marcus replied.
Kevin hesitated.
“Not exactly.”
Marcus turned.
“What?”
Kevin swallowed.
“There’s a failsafe countdown.”
A timer appeared on the screen.
14:59
14:58
14:57
Rachel’s voice shook.
“What happens when it reaches zero?”
Kevin scanned the code.
“I don’t know yet.”
The woman’s voice returned through the speaker.
“If Rachel refuses, the lower archive purges.”
Ortega narrowed her eyes.
“Destroys evidence?”
“Evidence. Records. Names. Locations.”
A pause.
Then the woman added:
“And Hannah Pierce.”
Rachel covered her mouth.
Marcus stepped toward the speaker.
“Prove she’s alive.”
A small monitor beside the elevator switched on.
Hannah appeared on-screen, tied to a chair in a concrete room. Her eyes were open. Afraid. Alive.
Rachel whispered, “Oh my God.”
Hannah looked toward someone off-camera.
Then she spoke quickly, as if she had been ordered to read.
“Rachel... don’t let them erase Evergreen.”
The video cut off.
The timer continued.
13:21
Marcus looked at Rachel.
“You don’t have to do this.”
Rachel looked down at Noah, then at the frozen image of Hannah’s face still burned into her memory.
All morning people had tried to decide her life for her.
Daniel.
The lawyer.
The court.
The police.
Evergreen.
Now everyone was waiting for Rachel Carter to choose.
She stepped toward the elevator.
Marcus reached out.
“Rachel.”
She stopped but did not turn around.
“They built this whole system because they believed mothers like me were too weak to fight back.”
Her voice trembled, but her hand did not.
“Maybe it’s time they learn they were wrong.”
Before Marcus could stop her, Rachel placed her palm against the glowing scanner.
The machine beeped once.
Then the elevator doors slid fully open.
From somewhere far below, a second set of doors unlocked.
The speaker crackled.
May you like
This time, the woman sounded pleased.
“Welcome to Evergreen, Mrs. Carter.”
