Chapter 14 - WHAT THEY DID TO THE CHILDREN
Daniel read his medical file alone.
Richard watched through the glass.
For twenty minutes, his brother did not move.
Then Daniel began to cry.
Richard had not seen him cry since they were boys.
Not at their father’s funeral.
Not when Elena vanished.
Not even after confessing to Nora’s death.
But now he sat with both hands covering his face.
Elena stood beside Richard.
“Do you feel sorry for him?”
Richard thought about it.
“Yes.”
Elena looked at him.
“That doesn’t mean I forgive him.”
“I know.”
“He kept you underground.”
“I know.”
“He threatened Lily.”
“I know.”
Richard exhaled.
“Two things can be true.”
Elena nodded.
“They hurt him.”
“And he hurt us.”
“Yes.”
The Project Mercy files revealed twenty-seven children had received unauthorized medication.
Nine suffered severe complications.
Five died.
Richard and Daniel survived.
So did another patient.
Victoria Crane.
Richard stared at her file.
“She was part of it too.”
Brooks nodded.
“That explains how she knew the Mercer family.”
Victoria was brought in.
When Brooks showed her the file, she closed her eyes.
“I wondered if it still existed.”
“You knew.”
“Some.”
“What do you remember?”
“Needles.”
“White rooms.”
“Daniel.”
“We were children.”
“You met before seventeen?”
“Yes.”
Richard felt another layer of his history collapse.
Victoria continued.
“We were all brought to the same clinic.”
“Parents were told we had immune problems.”
“Most of us didn’t.”
“Why you?”
“My mother worked for Calder.”
Elena asked, “Did Jonathan know?”
Victoria looked at Richard.
“I don’t know.”
Richard hated that answer.
“Everyone says that.”
“Because it may be true.”
Victoria pointed toward the files.
“Your father shut the program down.”
“How?”
“He discovered children were dying.”
“Then why hide it?”
“Scandal.”
Samuel said from the doorway.
Everyone turned.
He carried an old letter.
“I found this among Jonathan’s papers.”
Richard read it.
Jonathan had written to Thomas Calder.
PROJECT MERCY TERMINATES TODAY.
NO MORE DOSING.
NO MORE CHILDREN.
IF YOU CONTINUE, I GO TO POLICE.
Richard closed his eyes.
Samuel continued.
“Calder answered.”
He handed over another letter.
YOUR SONS ARE ALSO PATIENTS.
IF THIS BECOMES PUBLIC, THEY BECOME EVIDENCE.
Richard understood.
“Calder blackmailed Dad.”
“Yes.”
“But years later Nora discovered everything.”
“Yes.”
“And Daniel killed her.”
Victoria spoke quietly.
“After Calder sent us to stop her.”
Richard looked at her.
“You remember that?”
“I remember Calder telling Daniel that Nora wanted to put all of us in prison.”
“You believed him.”
“We were seventeen.”
“You helped move her body.”
Victoria lowered her head.
“Yes.”
Richard wanted to hate her without qualification.
The truth refused to be that simple.
Then Brooks’s phone rang.
She listened.
“What hospital?”
Richard’s stomach dropped.
She ended the call.
“Mercer has been located.”
“Where?”
“St. Gabriel Medical Center.”
“Why?”
Brooks looked toward the Project Mercy files.
“He broke into the pediatric research archive.”
Richard understood.
“He’s destroying records.”
They rushed to the hospital.
Smoke filled the sixth floor.
Sprinklers poured water into corridors.
Mercer had set fire to storage rooms.
Police cornered him near the roof access.
Richard stayed below with Elena.
Then a nurse screamed.
A man in a white coat ran through the smoke.
Mercer.
He had changed clothing.
He grabbed Elena.
A scalpel appeared against her throat.
Richard stopped.
Mercer dragged her backward.
“Move and she dies.”
Elena froze.
Richard lifted both hands.
“Let her go.”
Mercer laughed.
“You people never stop opening doors.”
“You kept her in a hole for two years.”
“I kept her alive.”
“You drugged her.”
“Victoria fed her.”
“Daniel paid.”
Mercer’s eyes looked wild.
Richard realized the man was terrified.
Not confident.
Terrified.
“Calder is going to kill you.”
Mercer’s face changed.
Richard continued.
“He already tried at the quarry.”
“Shut up.”
“He doesn’t need you.”
“Shut up!”
“He needs someone to blame.”
Mercer pressed the blade closer.
Elena winced.
Richard took one slow step.
Mercer shouted.
“Stop!”
Richard stopped.
Elena met his eyes.
A silent conversation passed between them.
Two years ago, Richard would have charged forward.
He would have tried to overpower the threat.
He would have decided what Elena needed.
Now he waited.
Elena moved first.
She stamped Mercer’s foot and drove her elbow backward.
Mercer lost his grip.
Richard lunged.
They hit the floor.
The scalpel slid away.
Officers rushed in.
Mercer fought wildly.
Then he stopped.
He began laughing.
Brooks cuffed him.
“What’s funny?”
Mercer looked at Richard.
“You think Calder is destroying records?”
“Yes.”
Mercer smiled through blood.
“He’s destroying witnesses.”
Richard’s stomach tightened.
“Who?”
Mercer looked toward Elena.
“Samuel first.”
Richard grabbed his phone.
No answer.
Again.
No answer.
Then Lily’s protective detail called.
“Mr. Hale.”
“What?”
“There’s been an incident.”
Richard closed his eyes.
“Lily?”
“She’s safe.”
“Samuel?”
Silence.
Richard already knew.
They found Samuel in the hospital parking structure twenty minutes later.
Alive.
Barely.
He had been struck by a vehicle.
Beside him lay one of Jonathan’s cassette tapes.
Broken.
On the concrete wall above him, someone had written three words in black marker.
ONE WITNESS LEFT.
Richard stared.
Elena whispered, “Who?”
Mercer answered from behind them as officers moved him.
“Your mother.”
May you like
Margaret Hale knew what happened at Project Mercy.
And Calder was already heading for her.
