Chapter 15 - The Names in Ethan’s Memory
Michael stared at his son.
“What other children?”
Ethan’s breathing remained shallow, but his eyes were clear.
“In the dreams.”
Laura brushed damp hair from his forehead.
“What dreams, sweetheart?”
“The white rooms.”
Dr. Carter looked at Michael.
“Could the compound cause hallucinations?”
Michael shook his head slowly.
“Not like this.”
Ethan described long corridors, blue lights, and children sleeping inside glass chambers. Some were younger than him. Some were teenagers. Each chamber had a number instead of a name.
Daniel listened carefully.
“How do you know they’re real?”
Ethan lifted one trembling hand and pointed toward the black evidence box.
“My dad put them in there.”
Michael opened the folder again.
Most pages contained financial records, but Ethan reached for the inside lining of the box.
“There.”
Daniel examined it.
A thin layer of fabric covered the bottom. He cut along the edge with a piece of broken glass.
Underneath lay a transparent sheet covered with tiny printed names.
Thirty-two children.
Beside each name was a date, a number, and one word.
ACTIVE.
Dr. Carter scanned the list.
“I recognize some of these names.”
“Patients?” Olivia asked.
“Children reported dead during experimental treatments.”
Laura’s face went pale.
“They’re alive?”
Michael looked toward Ethan.
“If his memory is accurate, yes.”
Marcus studied the coordinates printed at the bottom of the sheet.
“These match North Harbor.”
Bell began crawling away.
Daniel noticed and pulled him back.
“You knew.”
Bell’s voice cracked.
“They weren’t supposed to survive.”
Michael grabbed him by the jacket.
“What did you do?”
“We preserved the successful cases.”
“They were children!”
“They were assets!”
Michael nearly struck him, but Ethan spoke again.
“Dad.”
Michael released Bell.
Ethan pointed weakly toward the maintenance train outside.
“The medicine is in the third carriage.”
Daniel looked through the broken doorway.
The masked unit had taken positions along the platform. The third carriage stood near the rear, guarded by two men.
Marcus checked his remaining ammunition.
“We cannot reach it directly.”
Michael examined the old station map.
“There’s another tunnel beneath the tracks.”
Daniel noticed a narrow maintenance route leading under the platform.
“Buddy can guide us.”
Laura shook her head.
“No more separating.”
Daniel crouched beside her.
“If we don’t get that stabilizer, Ethan may not survive the next hour.”
She looked toward her son.
Then toward Buddy.
Finally, she nodded.
Daniel placed the jar of coins beside Ethan’s hand.
The boy looked confused.
“You kept it?”
“I told you that you didn’t need to pay me.”
Ethan managed a faint smile.
“Then why bring it?”
Daniel closed Ethan’s fingers around the jar.
“Because every promise inside it still belongs to you.”
A new burst of gunfire shattered the remaining lights.
Emergency lamps turned the corridor red.
Michael opened the floor hatch leading to the lower tunnel.
Daniel, Buddy, and Marcus climbed down first.
Before Michael followed, Bell whispered,
“You don’t understand what’s on that train.”
Michael looked back.
Bell’s eyes filled with terror.
“The stabilizer isn’t medicine.”
“What is it?”
Bell stared toward the third carriage.
“It contains blood taken from the first child who survived.”
Michael froze.
Bell continued.
May you like
“And that child is still alive.”
From somewhere inside the train, a young girl began screaming Michael Parker’s name.
