Chapter 11 - The Night Daniel Died
Vincent was seventeen when Daniel Mercer died.
Not a crime boss.
Not yet.
A terrified teenager following his father.
Patrick Callahan had received a call from Daniel asking to meet.
Daniel had evidence against Patrick Mercer.
He wanted help protecting Margaret and me.
Vincent drove his father because Patrick had been drinking.
They met Daniel on a rural road.
Then another vehicle arrived.
Patrick Mercer's men.
Gunfire.
Vincent remembered Daniel pushing him behind a truck.
Saving him.
Daniel was injured.
Patrick Callahan tried getting him into their vehicle.
Then the car exploded.
Vincent believed Daniel died there.
But the official report said Daniel died miles away in a separate crash.
“Why?”
“Because someone moved him.”
“Was he alive?”
Vincent's voice dropped.
“When we left, yes.”
My legs weakened.
Patrick Callahan had taken Vincent away because more men were coming.
When he returned later, Daniel was gone.
The next morning, Daniel Mercer was reported dead.
“So your father abandoned mine.”
“Yes.”
No excuse.
No polishing.
Just yes.
I hated Patrick Callahan.
Vincent apparently did too.
Then Nora found something in the old files.
Daniel had survived the night.
For eleven hours.
During those hours, someone recorded him.
Audio.
His final testimony.
We played it.
My father's voice filled the room.
Weak.
“Margaret, if you're hearing this, take Claire.”
I started crying before he finished.
“Patrick Mercer knows what she carries. Don't trust my brother. Don't trust Callahan.”
Vincent lowered his eyes.
Then Daniel said:
“Trust Eleanor.”
Everyone looked at her.
Eleanor covered her mouth.
Daniel continued:
“She knows where Michael is.”
So Eleanor had known Evan's identity all along.
I turned.
“You knew my husband was my brother.”
“No.”
“Daniel said—”
“I knew Michael's adoptive family. I lost him afterward.”
She didn't recognize Evan because his records had been altered.
But she should have investigated.
She admitted it.
Another failure disguised as protection.
Then Daniel's final words:
“If Claire ever returns to Montana, it means Patrick found her.”
I had returned.
Because Evan planned our trip.
But Evan hadn't known Patrick Mercer was tracking him.
So Patrick had manipulated our route.
Vehicle failure.
Cabin.
Everything.
Daniel ended:
“And if she has a child, destroy Project Winter.”
Project Winter.
The name appeared repeatedly in the medical files.
We had assumed it referred to Patrick Callahan's treatment.
Wrong.
Project Winter was older.
Daniel had created the initial framework.
My father.
The man we were treating as hero.
He hadn't merely discovered the experiments.
He had helped design them.
I stared at the recording.
Even dead men could disappoint you.
Nora opened the Project Winter index.
Twenty-three children.
Fourteen families.
One active subject.
Sophie.
Then another file appeared.
Scheduled procedure:
72 HOURS POST-BIRTH.
May you like
My daughter was less than two days old.
The clock was already running.
