The alarm continued for nearly thirty seconds before the overhead announcement finally came.<\/p>\n
\u201cSecurity alert. All staff remain in their assigned areas.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emily covered her ears.<\/p>\n
I pulled her against me.<\/p>\n
Daniel stood near the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cStay here,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
I looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou're not leaving.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI need to help them find him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
He stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don't get to disappear again.\u201d<\/p>\n
His eyes met mine.<\/p>\n
\u201cI won't.\u201d<\/p>\n
The officer stepped between us.<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Bennett, you're staying here until we know what's happening.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel nodded.<\/p>\n
For once, he didn't argue.<\/p>\n
Dr. Harris checked Emily's monitor.<\/p>\n
Her heart rate had risen sharply.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe's frightened.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
Emily looked at the ceiling.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo hospitals have secret rooms?\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
She swallowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cDad said there was a room under the old clinic.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel stared at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily, when did I tell you that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we left.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhich clinic?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe one with the blue doors.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel closed his eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Mercer clinic.\u201d<\/p>\n
The police officer leaned closer.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat was in the room?\u201d<\/p>\n
Emily shook her head.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you ever see it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMercer took me downstairs once.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel looked horrified.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy didn't you tell me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou weren't there.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was outside.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe told me not to tell you.\u201d<\/p>\n
The officer wrote something down.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you see?\u201d<\/p>\n
Emily's breathing became faster.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoxes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat kind?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhite boxes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMedical boxes?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat else?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA computer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnything written on it?\u201d<\/p>\n
She closed her eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cI saw names.\u201d<\/p>\n
The room became quiet.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow many?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you remember any?\u201d<\/p>\n
She shook her head.<\/p>\n
Then she opened her eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhich one?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnna.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel looked at the officer.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat may be enough.\u201d<\/p>\n
The officer radioed the information.<\/p>\n
Within minutes, security began checking the hospital's service areas.<\/p>\n
Dr. Harris stayed with us.<\/p>\n
He kept glancing toward the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou knew about Mercer before tonight,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow much?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEnough to know he was dangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why did you keep treating Emily?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I didn't know she was connected to his research until tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou saw her name.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI saw the pattern.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat pattern?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSymptoms that appeared after exposure to a specific class of compounds.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Emily.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you suspected?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI suspected someone was recreating the same experiment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel spoke.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat's why you asked about the other children.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy didn't you tell me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I needed confirmation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel laughed bitterly.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople keep saying that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Harris looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause suspicion isn't evidence.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cChildren don't care about the difference.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
The answer was quiet.<\/p>\n
And honest.<\/p>\n
An hour passed.<\/p>\n
The alarm stopped.<\/p>\n
The hospital returned to normal.<\/p>\n
But Mercer was still missing.<\/p>\n
A detective arrived and introduced herself as Detective Laura Reed.<\/p>\n
She examined the folder carefully.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere did this come from?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe hallway,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid Mercer have access to your daughter's records?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid your ex-husband?\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Daniel.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
She turned toward him.<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Bennett, I need you to tell me exactly what happened after you left your family.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel sat down.<\/p>\n
\u201cI found out Mercer was conducting unauthorized testing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the parents contacted me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhich parent?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnna's mother.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cName?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRachel Cole.\u201d<\/p>\n
The detective wrote it down.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did she tell you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat her daughter had been getting sick after every appointment.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe asked me whether Emily had similar symptoms.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Daniel.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou never told me that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was afraid.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOf Mercer?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd the police?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause the first time I reported it, the case disappeared.\u201d<\/p>\n
The detective looked up.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe complaint was closed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBy whom?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you have proof?\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel looked at the folder.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat's what the missing files were supposed to prove.\u201d<\/p>\n
The detective opened another document.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis isn't missing.\u201d<\/p>\n
She held up a photocopy.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was hidden inside the folder.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel stared.<\/p>\n
I stepped closer.<\/p>\n
It was a discharge record.<\/p>\n
Anna Cole.<\/p>\n
The date was two years earlier.<\/p>\n
At the bottom, someone had written:<\/p>\n
CAUSE OF DEATH: NATURAL.<\/p>\n
I looked at Daniel.<\/p>\n
He shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt wasn't natural.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe had the same compound in her blood.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho told you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDr. Harris.\u201d<\/p>\n
The doctor nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cI reviewed the toxicology privately.\u201d<\/p>\n
The detective stared at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy privately?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause the official report had been altered.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nobody spoke.<\/p>\n
Then Emily whispered, \u201cThe bird.\u201d<\/p>\n
We all looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat bird?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe one on Anna's bracelet.\u201d<\/p>\n
She pointed toward the folder.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt's there.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked down.<\/p>\n
A tiny photograph had fallen from the back of the file.<\/p>\n
A little yellow bracelet.<\/p>\n
A bird charm.<\/p>\n
On the back was a handwritten number.<\/p>\n
Not a date.<\/p>\n
A room number.<\/p>\n
\u201cRoom 214,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
Dr. Harris immediately shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is no room 214 in this hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n
The detective looked at the photograph.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe not here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know where it is.\u201d<\/p>\n
I turned.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe old Mercer clinic.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt's been closed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOfficially.\u201d<\/p>\n
The detective stared at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel looked at the photograph.<\/p>\n
\u201cMercer never abandoned that building.\u201d<\/p>\n
He reached into his pocket.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have a key.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou've had a key this whole time?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I was planning to go back.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTonight.\u201d<\/p>\n
The detective took the key from his hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo one is going anywhere without police.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel nodded.<\/p>\n
Emily suddenly began crying.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom.\u201d<\/p>\n
I knelt.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe knows.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked toward the hallway.<\/p>\n
\u201cMercer.\u201d<\/p>\n
The detective's radio crackled.<\/p>\n
A patrol officer spoke.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe found a vehicle outside the hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat vehicle?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDark sedan.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLicense plate?\u201d<\/p>\n
The officer read it.<\/p>\n
Daniel's face changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat belongs to Mercer.\u201d<\/p>\n
The detective grabbed her coat.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere is the vehicle?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGone.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGone?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSomeone drove it away two minutes ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Emily.<\/p>\n
She was staring at the floor.<\/p>\n
Then she whispered:<\/p>\n
\u201cHe wants the key.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel slowly looked at his empty hand.<\/p>\n
The key was gone.<\/p>\n
The alarm continued for nearly thirty seconds before the overhead announcement finally came. \u201cSecurity alert. All staff remain in their assigned areas.\u201d Emily covered her ears. I pulled her against … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":323,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-329","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-best-one-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bestonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/329","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bestonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bestonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=329"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/bestonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/329\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":341,"href":"https:\/\/bestonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/329\/revisions\/341"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/323"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bestonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=329"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=329"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=329"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}