Chapter 5: Sublevel Three
The crying came again.
Soft.
Rhythmic.
A child's frightened sob.
I looked at the floor.
Margaret looked at the floor.
Adrian slowly removed his gloves.
“There is no sublevel three,” he said.
Margaret didn't answer.
“Margaret.””
She closed her eyes.
“Not officially.””
My heart stopped.
“You have a basement?””
“Two.””
“How many levels?””
“Two.””
“Then what's underneath them?””
She looked at me.
“Something I was never supposed to find.””
I was already moving.
Adrian grabbed his jacket.
“I'm coming with you.””
“No.””
“You don't know what's down there.””
“I don't care.””
I reached the treatment-room door.
Margaret caught up.
“Evelyn, wait.””
I turned.
“If Lily is down there, I'm going.””
Margaret's voice broke.
“I know.””
We left the salon through a service corridor.
The building above us was eerily quiet.
Bellamy House normally felt luxurious.
Now every polished wall looked like a disguise.
We reached a steel elevator.
Margaret entered a code.
The panel beeped.
The doors opened.
There were buttons for floors B1 and B2.
Nothing else.
Margaret pulled a small key from her necklace.
She inserted it beneath the panel.
A hidden compartment opened.
Inside was a third switch.
She pressed it.
The elevator began descending.
B1.
B2.
Then lower.
The numbers disappeared.
The elevator continued down.
I stared at Margaret.
“How long has this been here?””
“Twenty-two years.””
“Who built it?””
“Meridian.””
“Why is it underneath your company?””
“Because Bellamy House was one of their fronts.””
Adrian looked at her.
“Front for what?””
“Clinical trials.””
The elevator stopped.
The doors opened.
A corridor stretched into darkness.
White walls.
Gray floor.
No windows.
No artwork.
No sound.
Except the faint crying ahead.
I stepped out.
“Lily?””
The crying stopped.
My blood went cold.
Adrian whispered, “Don't run ahead.””
I ignored him.
We reached a glass door.
Behind it was a small room.
A bed.
A chair.
A table.
And a girl sitting on the floor.
She was maybe fourteen.
Dark hair.
Bare feet.
Gray sweatshirt.
She was holding a stuffed rabbit against her chest.
I couldn't move.
The girl slowly lifted her head.
Our eyes met.
She dropped the rabbit.
For several seconds, neither of us spoke.
Then she whispered:
“Mom?””
My legs gave out.
I hit the glass with both hands.
“Lily.””
The girl stood.
She was taller than I expected.
Older.
But I knew her.
Not from memory.
From somewhere deeper.
A place the scientists hadn't erased.
I pressed my palm against the glass.
She pressed hers against mine.
“Mom,” she whispered again.
I began crying.
“I found you.””
“No,” Lily said.
Her eyes moved toward Margaret.
“She found you.””
I turned.
Margaret froze.
“What?””
Lily's voice trembled.
“She told them where you were.””
Margaret shook her head.
“No.””
“Yes.””
“I protected your mother.””
“You brought her to them.””
Margaret's face collapsed.
I looked at her.
“What is she talking about?””
“Evelyn—”
“What did you do?””
“I didn't know.””
Lily stepped away from the glass.
“You knew enough.””
Adrian looked between them.
“How do we get her out?””
Lily shook her head.
“You can't.””
“Why?””
She pointed toward the ceiling.
“Because they're watching.””
A red light above the door turned on.
I stared at it.
“Who's watching?””
Lily whispered:
“Dr. Voss.””
The lights went out.
A speaker crackled overhead.
Helena's voice filled the corridor.
“Hello, Evelyn.””
I felt every hair on my arms rise.
“You've caused quite a mess.””
Adrian stepped in front of me.
“Show yourself.””
Helena laughed.
“I'd rather show Evelyn something.””
A monitor on the wall switched on.
A video began playing.
It showed me.
Ten years earlier.
I was sitting in a white room.
My hair was short.
I looked exhausted.
Victor stood behind me.
Helena sat across from me.
And a newborn baby lay in my arms.
Lily.
I watched my younger self kiss her forehead.
Then I heard myself say:
“Promise me you won't hurt her.””
Helena smiled.
“I promise.””
The video continued.
Victor leaned down.
“It's time.””
My younger self looked at him.
“No.””
“You agreed.””
“I changed my mind.””
Helena stood.
“Then we'll proceed without your consent.””
My younger self clutched Lily.
“Don't touch her.””
Helena nodded toward someone off-camera.
Two men entered.
They took the baby.
My younger self screamed.
I watched myself fight them.
I watched Victor strike me.
I watched Lily disappear through a door.
Then my younger self turned toward the camera.
Her face was bloody.
Her eyes were filled with hatred.
And she said:
“If I forget, remind me.””
The video ended.
I couldn't breathe.
“What happened next?”” I whispered.
Helena's voice returned.
“You asked us to erase you.””
I stared at the screen.
“Why?””
“Because you discovered what Lily inherited from you.””
“What did she inherit?””
Silence.
Then Helena said:
“Not what you think.””
A door opened behind Lily.
She turned.
Her face changed.
Fear.
Real fear.
“Mom,” she whispered.
I spun around.
A man stood inside the room.
Victor Hale.
Older.
Scarred.
Alive.
He looked at me through the glass.
Then he smiled.
“You really shouldn't have come looking for her.””
I stared at him.
“You're dead.””
Victor laughed.
“No.””
He placed his hand against the glass.
“That's the first lie they told you.””
Lily backed into the corner.
Victor looked at her.
“Come here.””
She shook her head.
He smiled.
“Your mother doesn't know what she did.””
Then he looked directly at me.
“But I do.””
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The lights came back on.
And behind Victor stood three armed security guards.
