Chapter 13 - What They Wanted From the Boy
Nobody spoke.
Marcus looked at the initials.
“That could be anyone.”
Mateo stepped toward him.
“Could it be you?”
“I never gave Sofia a sample.”
Sofia shook her head.
“I never asked for one.”
Adrian took the paper.
The date was ten months before Ernesto’s birth.
Marcus would have been working in Cole Meridian security then.
Eleanor had known him.
Helena had access to medical systems.
Too many possibilities.
Mateo’s breathing became loud.
Ernesto opened the door.
“Why are you yelling?”
Everyone froze.
Mateo turned away.
Sofia crossed to him.
“Nothing you need to worry about.”
Ernesto stared at Marcus.
Then at Mateo.
Children could feel secrets faster than adults could hide them.
He left without arguing.
Adrian followed.
Ernesto sat on the stairs.
“Is my dad my dad?”
Adrian’s chest tightened.
“Yes.”
“You answered fast.”
“Because raising you counts.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
Adrian sat beside him.
“We don’t know what the paper means.”
Ernesto looked at his shoes.
“My mom cries when she doesn’t know.”
Adrian had no answer.
Inside, Marcus opened his archived employee health records.
Annual blood draw.
Genetic screening.
Routine company wellness.
One year showed duplicate sample transfer.
Destination:
Cole Women’s Health.
Marcus went pale.
“They took my blood.”
Mateo grabbed the table.
Sofia whispered, “Without telling you?”
“Yes.”
Adrian understood the direction.
Someone could have used Marcus’s genetic material as reference.
Or more.
But they needed proof.
Before they could act, Marcus’s secure phone rang.
Unknown.
He answered.
A distorted voice.
“You found the M.H. file.”
Marcus looked at Adrian.
“Who is this?”
“The person who kept Ernesto alive when Helena wanted him erased.”
Mateo took the phone.
“Where are you?”
The voice ignored him.
“To understand the boy, find Eleanor’s obstetric archive.”
Adrian said, “Where?”
“St. Vincent storage. Box 208.”
Line disconnected.
Federal agents sealed the storage unit within an hour.
Box 208 contained prenatal records.
One envelope.
ERNESTO REYES - PATERNAL SOURCE SEALED.
Mateo’s face emptied.
Sofia whispered, “I never knew.”
Adrian opened the cover page.
AUTHORIZED BY: ELEANOR COLE.
Below it:
DO NOT DISCLOSE TO SOFIA OR MATEO.
Marcus stepped back.
Mateo stared at him.
Adrian turned the page.
The paternal source line was blacked out.
But the lab accession number remained.
Marcus recognized it.
May you like
“That’s mine.”
CUT.
