Chapter 7 - The Second Daughter
Jonah forced a maintenance panel from the wall. Cold air rushed through it.
"The water line runs under the east stairs," he said. "We have to get higher."
"And the women in the tanks?" I demanded.
"There are manual releases. Not enough time for all of them unless someone stops the pumps."
June laughed without humor. "Then somebody better stop them."
We crawled into the duct. I went first, dragging 0C behind me. Through the grating I saw Victoria in the control room, staring at a screen full of financial records.
She wasn't watching the flood countdown. She was deleting files.
A second voice rose behind her.
"You promised Clara would live," Cora said.
Victoria spun. "You were supposed to bring her to me."
"You promised no one would get hurt."
"I promised you'd have a name and a life. I didn't promise hers."
Cora shoved Victoria away from the console. The blue veins on her neck were fading, leaving angry red marks.
"She made me inject that tracking serum," Cora said through clenched teeth. "She told me it was medicine."
Victoria hit a button. Guards rushed in. Cora slipped between them and slammed a fire door, trapping two on the other side.
I kicked out the grate. "Cora! This way!"
She looked up at me. My own frightened face stared back.
"I knew you'd be stubborn," she said, almost smiling.
I reached for her. Before she could climb, she grabbed a folder from the desk and shoved it toward me.
"Read the buyer's name," she said.
May you like
The first page showed a contract for the replacement of Clara Mercer, signed by the federal judge who had twice blocked my attempts to reopen my father's case.
The delivery date was tomorrow morning.
