Chapter 7 - The Child They Took Twice

Emily woke to Daniel saying her name.

Not softly.

Not gently.

Desperately.

“Emily. Open your eyes.”

She tried.

The ceiling moved.

“Where is she?”

Daniel’s face came into focus.

Blood ran from his nose. His coat was gone. One sleeve of his shirt was torn.

“Emily.”

“Where is Sophie?”

His eyes answered.

She pushed herself upright.

The clinic room was empty except for Lena, who held a cold pack to her own cheek, and Frank, who was wrapping a bruised hand.

“Where is she?” Emily repeated.

Daniel swallowed.

“They took her.”

Emily swung her legs off the bed.

The room tilted violently.

Lena caught her.

“No.”

“Get off me.”

“You were given midazolam and something else I haven’t identified.”

“They took Sophie.”

“I know.”

“I need my boots.”

“Emily.”

“Boots.”

Daniel knelt and put them on her feet himself.

She watched him tie the laces.

His hands shook.

“Why did they take only her?” she asked.

Daniel did not look up.

“Because the five are biologically yours. Taking them would trigger kidnapping charges once the DNA is public.”

Emily stared.

“And Sophie?”

“They have paperwork.”

“Fake paperwork.”

“Official paperwork.”

She stood too quickly and nearly fell.

Daniel caught her.

She shoved him away.

“Don’t.”

He stepped back.

Lena said, “The other five are safe with Frank’s daughter. No networks, private property, retired midwife.”

Emily looked at Frank.

“You trusted someone else?”

Frank nodded.

“My daughter trusts no one. That makes her useful.”

Emily breathed once.

“Good.”

Then she looked at Daniel.

“Find Sophie.”

“I’m trying.”

“Find Cara.”

“She disappeared from her registered address months ago.”

“She was in front of us ten minutes ago.”

“Forty-seven minutes.”

Emily stared.

“I was unconscious that long?”

“Yes.”

Her panic sharpened.

“They have forty-seven minutes.”

“Emily.”

“Do not calm me down.”

“I wasn’t going to.”

She looked at him.

Daniel’s face was pale with anger.

“I was going to tell you I put a tracker in Sophie’s diaper bag.”

Emily blinked.

“What?”

He pulled out a small receiver.

“It’s moving south on Route 30.”

For the first time since waking, she could breathe.

“Then why are we standing here?”

“Because I needed you conscious.”

“I’m conscious.”

“Barely.”

“Drive.”

Lena stepped in front of her.

“I’m coming.”

“No. Go to the other babies.”

“I can do both.”

“You’re a pediatric geneticist, not tactical backup.”

Lena pointed at Daniel.

“And he’s an accountant.”

Daniel sighed.

“I’m never going to hear the end of that.”

Emily grabbed her coat.

“Fine. Come.”

They left Frank to coordinate the five infants’ safety and took an old utility truck from the clinic’s maintenance shed with the owner’s reluctant permission and Daniel’s cash.

The tracker moved steadily south.

Emily sat rigid in the passenger seat.

Daniel drove.

Lena watched the receiver.

“Signal slowed.”

“Where?” Daniel asked.

“Intersection near Long Lake.”

“Maybe changing vehicles.”

Emily said, “Or maybe Sophie is still struggling to breathe.”

Daniel’s knuckles whitened.

“We’ll get her.”

“Do not promise.”

“We’ll try.”

She looked at him.

He had learned.

That hurt too.

Lena frowned at the receiver.

“Signal stopped.”

Daniel accelerated.

They found the diaper bag twenty minutes later in a snowbank beside an abandoned gas station.

Emily got out before the truck stopped fully.

She tore open the bag.

Diapers. Formula. Two pacifiers.

No Sophie.

The tracker sat inside a pocket.

Daniel slammed his palm against the roof of the truck.

“They found it.”

Emily turned on him.

“How?”

“It was passive. No transmission until polled.”

“So they knew to look.”

Lena said, “Someone knew your methods.”

Daniel went still.

Emily stared at him.

“Who?”

His expression closed.

“No.”

“Who, Daniel?”

“There were only three people who knew the trackers I use.”

“Names.”

“Frank.”

“Frank is with the babies.”

“Lena.”

Lena raised both hands.

“I was with you.”

“And?” Emily asked.

Daniel looked toward the road.

“Marcus Hale.”

“Who is Marcus Hale?”

“A federal investigator.”

“Your investigator?”

“He helped me after I escaped.”

“Why haven’t I heard his name?”

“Because I wasn’t sure he was clean.”

Emily laughed once without humor.

“Wonderful.”

Lena said, “Can we call him?”

Daniel shook his head.

“Not yet.”

Emily stepped closer.

“No. We call him now.”

“If he’s compromised—”

“Then I want to hear his voice when we tell him Sophie was taken.”

Daniel studied her.

Then he handed her a satellite phone.

Marcus Hale answered after one ring.

“Marsh.”

Emily said, “Wrong dead man.”

Silence.

“Who is this?”

“Emily Mercer.”

A longer silence.

Then Marcus said, “You should not be on this line.”

“My foster daughter was abducted by a Bellwether placement worker.”

“Where is Daniel?”

“Beside me.”

“Put him on.”

“No.”

“Mrs. Mercer—”

“You have thirty seconds to tell me why Northstar knew to search Sophie’s bag for one of Daniel’s passive trackers.”

Marcus did not speak.

Daniel watched her.

Emily counted.

“One.”

“Emily,” Marcus said.

“Two.”

“I taught Daniel where to buy them.”

“Three.”

“But I did not tell Northstar.”

“Four.”

“Stop counting.”

“Five.”

Marcus swore.

“I have a leak in my task force.”

Daniel leaned toward the phone.

“I told you that six months ago.”

“And I told you I was cleaning it.”

“You missed someone.”

“Apparently.”

Emily said, “Where would they take Sophie?”

“If she is a Hearth control, either Morrow Unit or a mobile intake clinic.”

Daniel looked at her sharply.

“You know Morrow?”

Marcus was silent.

Daniel grabbed the phone.

“You told me you had never heard of it.”

“I told you I couldn’t confirm it.”

“That is not the same thing.”

“No, it isn’t.”

Emily snatched the phone back.

“Where is it?”

Marcus exhaled.

“There are three properties under the Morrow designation. One in Pennsylvania, one outside Syracuse, one in Vermont.”

“Which one holds children?”

“I don’t know.”

Emily closed her eyes.

“Everyone says that.”

“I’m sending coordinates.”

Daniel said, “Don’t.”

Emily turned.

“What?”

“If his line is compromised, coordinates are a beacon.”

Marcus said, “He’s right.”

Emily looked at the road.

“Then give me something that isn’t digital.”

Marcus paused.

“The Vermont property used to be St. Agnes Children’s Convalescent Home. Closed in 2008. Private road. White chapel visible from Route 100.”

Daniel frowned.

“Distance?”

“Two hours in this weather.”

Emily said, “We go.”

Marcus’s voice sharpened.

“Do not enter.”

“Goodbye, Marcus.”

“Mrs. Mercer, listen to me—”

She ended the call.

Daniel stared at her.

“What?”

“I was going to tell you not to hang up on a federal investigator.”

“You’re dead. Your opinion on legal etiquette is limited.”

Lena made a choking sound that might have been laughter.

They drove north-east through worsening snow.

Halfway there, Lena received an offline message through a secure medical network.

She read it twice.

“What?” Emily asked.

“It’s from my lab.”

“You said not to connect.”

“I didn’t. This came through a delayed local relay.”

“From whom?”

Lena’s face changed.

“Ruth.”

Emily grabbed the edge of her seat.

“She’s alive?”

Lena turned the screen.

A short message appeared.

DO NOT TAKE THE MOTHER TO MORROW. THEY WANT HER THERE. SOPHIE IS BAIT. R.C.

Daniel braked so hard the truck fishtailed.

Emily caught the dashboard.

“What are you doing?”

“He’s right,” Lena said.

Emily stared at her.

“What?”

“They want you.”

“Then that makes it easier.”

“No,” Daniel said.

“Yes.”

“You are not walking into a facility that designed an experiment around your reactions.”

“My child is there.”

“Which child?”

The question struck everyone silent.

Emily’s face went cold.

Daniel continued, “Sophie may be bait. Ava may be there too. That is exactly why you cannot rush in.”

“You think I should sit in a truck while they decide what happens to them?”

“I think you should make them believe you’re coming while we find another way in.”

Emily looked at him.

“A decoy.”

“Yes.”

“You.”

“No.”

“You look enough like a desperate husband.”

“I am a desperate husband.”

The words landed between them.

Daniel looked away first.

Emily’s voice softened despite herself.

“You don’t know if you still are.”

“I know.”

“Stop.”

He gave a tired half-smile.

“Sorry.”

Lena looked between them.

“Can we delay the marital apocalypse until after the child rescue?”

Emily rubbed her face.

“Fine.”

They parked a mile from the old St. Agnes property just before sunset.

Through binoculars, Daniel saw a white chapel, two brick buildings, and a black SUV near the service entrance.

Emily saw a woman carry a small bundled child from one building to another.

Her heart stopped.

“Sophie.”

Daniel took the binoculars.

“I can’t confirm.”

“I can.”

“How?”

“Yellow blanket.”

The same yellow blanket from Sophie’s crib was wrapped around the child.

Emily’s breathing changed.

Daniel lowered the binoculars.

“They want you to recognize it.”

“I do.”

“So Ruth was right.”

Emily looked toward the darkening property.

“Good.”

Daniel frowned.

“Good?”

“If they want me there, they have a reason not to kill me at the gate.”

“That may be the worst plan you’ve ever had.”

“You’ve been dead for three years. You missed some contenders.”

Lena said, “I am begging both of you to stop being funny when I’m terrified.”

Emily opened the truck door.

Daniel grabbed her wrist.

“No.”

She looked at him.

“You said together.”

“I did.”

“Then come with me.”

He stared at her for a long second.

Then he released her wrist.

“Together.”

They had taken three steps into the snow when every exterior light at St. Agnes came on at once.

A speaker crackled above the gate.

A woman’s calm voice carried through the trees.

“Emily.”

Emily stopped.

She knew that voice.

Dr. Miriam Vale had called her every month for a year after the funeral.

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The speaker continued.

“I have waited a very long time for you to come back to me.”