Emily's words seemed to remain suspended in the room.<\/p>\n
It was me.<\/p>\n
The detective looked from Emily to the folder.<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you saying you were one of the children listed at that facility?\u201d<\/p>\n
Emily shook her head.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. I mean I was there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel stepped closer.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter the clinic.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhich time?\u201d<\/p>\n
Emily pressed her palms against her temples.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Harris lowered himself beside her bed.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon't force yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I remember the room.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat room?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe one with the blue wall.\u201d<\/p>\n
The detective opened the file.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is no room listed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emily shook her head.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt's not on the papers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel's expression changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause it was below the facility.\u201d<\/p>\n
The detective looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI found references to a lower level in Mercer's notes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou never told us.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn't know whether it was real.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emily whispered, \u201cIt was real.\u201d<\/p>\n
The detective glanced toward the clock.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a location. We have evidence. We have a potential victim who can identify the facility. But we're not taking a child into an unknown building without a plan.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emily looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey'll move them.\u201d<\/p>\n
The detective's expression hardened.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe children.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause that's what happened before.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel took a step back.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily, you were there?\u201d<\/p>\n
She nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cI woke up in a room.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was eight.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel covered his mouth.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought Mercer said you were discharged.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe lied.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Daniel.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou believed him?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou left our daughter there.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought she was safe.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emily looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn't.\u201d<\/p>\n
He closed his eyes.<\/p>\n
The detective asked, \u201cWhat happened when you woke up?\u201d<\/p>\n
Emily took a slow breath.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was a woman sitting beside me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did she look like?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDark hair. Glasses.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Harris suddenly stiffened.<\/p>\n
\u201cRachel?\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know her?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI've seen her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe nurse?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
He shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnna's mother.\u201d<\/p>\n
The name made the room feel smaller.<\/p>\n
Rachel Cole.<\/p>\n
The woman who had first warned Daniel about Mercer.<\/p>\n
The woman whose daughter had died.<\/p>\n
The woman whose complaint had supposedly disappeared.<\/p>\n
Emily continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe told me not to speak.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said the walls could hear.\u201d<\/p>\n
The detective looked at the recording device on the table.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you see cameras?\u201d<\/p>\n
Emily nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery room.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you see other children?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow many?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSix.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut you said seven.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was the seventh.\u201d<\/p>\n
I reached for her hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were counted separately?\u201d<\/p>\n
Emily nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey called us numbers.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat was yours?\u201d<\/p>\n
She hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cSeven.\u201d<\/p>\n
My throat tightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened to the other children?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were moved.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTo where?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid they come back?\u201d<\/p>\n
Emily shook her head.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot while I was there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel looked toward the floor.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow long were you there?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDays?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWeeks?\u201d<\/p>\n
Emily closed her eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThree nights.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel stared at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cThree nights?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou told me she was with you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought she was.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou said she was at her grandmother's.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was told she had been discharged.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emily's eyes filled.<\/p>\n
\u201cDad.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou came once.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel went completely still.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe second night.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did I do?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou argued with Mercer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy don't I remember?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe gave you something.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel's face drained of color.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don't know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Harris looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat could explain the memory gaps.\u201d<\/p>\n
The detective immediately wrote it down.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid Mercer give you medication, Mr. Bennett?\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel nodded slowly.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said I was having a panic attack.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou never told me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn't remember.\u201d<\/p>\n
The detective looked at Dr. Harris.<\/p>\n
\u201cCould that compound affect memory?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDepending on the substance, yes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emily suddenly sat straighter.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe took Dad away.\u201d<\/p>\n
Everyone looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnother room.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you see him afterward?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow did you get out?\u201d<\/p>\n
Emily looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou came.\u201d<\/p>\n
My heart stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cI did?\u201d<\/p>\n
She nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were shouting.\u201d<\/p>\n
I couldn't remember.<\/p>\n
I had no memory of ever entering that building.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou found me?\u201d<\/p>\n
Emily shook her head.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomeone else took me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked toward Dr. Harris.<\/p>\n
He didn't move.<\/p>\n
\u201cDoctor?\u201d<\/p>\n
Emily whispered, \u201cYou.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Harris stared at her.<\/p>\n
I felt my heart pounding.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou rescued her?\u201d<\/p>\n
He nodded slowly.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn't know it was her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was called there because I had become suspicious.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen you knew.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew Mercer was hiding patients.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut not Emily?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emily looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou carried me.\u201d<\/p>\n
He swallowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI remember.\u201d<\/p>\n
The detective stepped closer.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened after?\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Harris looked at Daniel.<\/p>\n
\u201cI took her to another facility.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy wasn't that in her records?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause Mercer controlled the records.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy didn't you report it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI tried.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe complaint disappeared.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
The detective looked at the evidence folder.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen this may finally connect everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
A police officer entered.<\/p>\n
\u201cDetective, we've confirmed activity at the rural facility.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow recent?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWithin the last hour.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emily's face went pale.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey're moving them.\u201d<\/p>\n
The detective stood.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe leave now.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at my daughter.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan you stay here?\u201d<\/p>\n
Emily shook her head.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know the way.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou're not going inside.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel knelt beside her.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen tell us everything you remember.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emily looked toward the window.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is a gate.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBehind the building.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat else?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA generator.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnything else?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA red light.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cA red light?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt blinks when they move someone.\u201d<\/p>\n
The detective looked at her officers.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen we know what to look for.\u201d<\/p>\n
As they prepared to leave, Emily caught my hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is something else.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked frightened.<\/p>\n
\u201cMercer wasn't the one who started it.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho was?\u201d<\/p>\n
Emily looked at Daniel.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomeone Dad knows.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emily's words seemed to remain suspended in the room. It was me. The detective looked from Emily to the folder. \u201cAre you saying you were one of the children listed … <\/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-332","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\/332","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=332"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/bestonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/332\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":344,"href":"https:\/\/bestonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/332\/revisions\/344"}],"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=332"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=332"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestonestory.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=332"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}