Chapter 14: The File With My Name On It
I drove to the location alone.
I know everyone told me not to.
The police.
Daniel.
Even Claire.
But I needed answers that nobody could give me.
The address led to an abandoned medical building on the edge of town.
The kind of place people forgot existed.
The windows were cracked.
The sign outside had fallen years ago.
But someone had been there recently.
The front door was unlocked.
That scared me more than if it had been forced open.
Someone wanted me to enter.
Inside, the halls smelled like dust and chemicals.
Old memories mixed with new fear.
I walked deeper until I found a room with my name on the door.
Not a nickname.
Not a patient number.
My full name.
*MARK BENNETT*
My hands shook as I opened it.
Inside was a desk.
A computer.
And dozens of files.
All about me.
I opened the first folder.
Photos.
Medical scans.
Reports.
My entire history.
I felt like I was looking at someone else’s life.
Then I found the document that stopped me.
*Project Guardian.*
Below it:
*Primary Candidate: Mark Bennett*
I read the first paragraph.
The purpose of the project was to study emotional attachment, protective behavior, and long-term caregiving responses.
I felt sick.
They weren’t just studying my body.
They were studying my relationship with Maya.
My fatherhood.
My love.
A noise came from behind me.
I turned.
Claire stood in the doorway.
I almost couldn’t speak.
“What are you doing here?””
She looked terrified.
“I followed you.””
“Why?””
“Because I knew what you would find.””
I held up the file.
“You knew.””
She closed her eyes.
“Yes.””
“How much?””
“Not everything.””
I laughed bitterly.
“That’s what everyone says.””
Claire stepped closer.
“I knew Natalie was studying you.””
“And you stayed with me anyway.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Her voice cracked.
“Because I saw what she couldn’t measure.””
I frowned.
“What?””
“You weren’t a subject.””
She looked at me.
“You were Maya’s father.””
I wanted to hate her.
But the truth was more complicated.
Because Claire had hurt me.
And she had also loved my daughter.
Both things were true.
“Why didn’t you tell me?””
“Because Natalie threatened me.””
“With what?””
Claire looked down.
“With Maya.””
I froze.
“She said if I told you, she would expose everything and take Maya away.””
I looked at the files.
“She had that much power?””
Claire nodded.
“She had people everywhere.””
A sound came from the hallway.
We both turned.
A figure moved past the doorway.
“Who’s there?””
No answer.
I followed.
The hallway was empty.
But on the floor was a small envelope.
My name was written on it.
Inside was a letter.
From Natalie.
*Mark,*
*If you are reading this, Claire has finally failed to protect you.*
I looked at Claire.
The next line made my blood run cold.
*She never told you the most important part.*
I kept reading.
*You were not chosen because of Maya.*
A pause.
Then:
*Maya was chosen because of you.*
I stopped.
The words didn’t make sense.
I read them again.
Then again.
Claire grabbed the letter.
Her face changed.
“What?””
I looked at her.
“What does this mean?””
She didn’t answer.
“Claire.””
She started crying.
“Mark…”
“What?””
She whispered:
“When Natalie first saw your medical records, she wasn’t interested in Maya.””
My heart pounded.
“She was interested in you.””
“Why?””
Claire looked at the letter.
Then said:
“Because Natalie believed your genetics could create something impossible.””
I stared at her.
“Create what?””
Claire’s voice dropped.
“She believed Maya was proof.””
“Proof of what?””
Before she could answer, the lights went out.
The building went completely dark.
Then a voice came through the old speaker system.
Natalie.
“Mark.””
I froze.
“Turn around.””
I slowly turned.
A projector flickered on.
A video appeared.
A younger Natalie.
A younger Claire.
And a baby Maya.
Then Natalie’s voice played:
“The experiment succeeded.””
I couldn’t breathe.
The video continued.
Natalie looked directly into the camera.
“Now we begin phase two.””
The screen went black.
May you like
And underneath it appeared a date.
Tomorrow.
