Chapter 10 - THE CHILDREN OF WELLINGTONLily Vale was alive.
And she wasn’t alone.
Detective Reed found her in a small town three hours north.
She agreed to meet only after hearing Thomas Vale was alive.
When Adrian entered the diner, Lily sat in the last booth.
Twenty-four.
Dark hair.
Watchful eyes.
She looked exhausted.
“You’re Adrian Cole.”
“Yes.”
She looked at Reed.
“And you’re police.”
“Yes.”
“Then I probably have ten minutes before someone tries to kill me.”
Adrian sat.
“Why?”
“Because everyone who learns what I am becomes dangerous.”
“What are you?”
Lily laughed bitterly.
“That’s the question Wellington spent twenty-four years avoiding.”
She placed a DNA report on the table.
Adrian read it.
Then looked up.
“This says Richard Cole was your biological father.”
“Yes.”
Adrian stopped breathing.
“My father?”
“Apparently.”
“That would make you…”
“Your half-sister.”
Silence.
Adrian stared at her.
Another secret child.
Another hidden life.
Lily continued.
“Your father didn’t know.”
“How can you be sure?”
“Vale told me.”
“Thomas raised you?”
“No.”
“He found me.”
“When?”
“Five years ago.”
Lily explained.
Wellington had used Richard’s stored genetic material without his knowledge during the early Black Harbor program.
An embryo had been created for a wealthy client who wanted specific genetic traits.
The pregnancy succeeded.
But the client rejected the child after prenatal testing suggested a heart abnormality.
Adrian’s face tightened.
“A child isn’t a product.”
“Black Harbor disagreed.”
“What happened?”
“A nurse falsified my death and arranged an adoption.”
“Who?”
“Rachel Shaw’s mother.”
Adrian stared.
The conspiracy went back generations.
“Why does Trent have your photograph?”
Lily’s expression hardened.
“Because I stole something from him.”
“What?”
“A ledger.”
She placed a flash drive on the table.
“Black Harbor clients.”
Reed reached for it.
Lily pulled it away.
“Not yet.”
“What do you want?”
“Vale.”
“He’s in protective custody.”
“I want to see him.”
Adrian understood.
“He’s your father in every way that matters.”
Lily nodded.
“He saved me.”
A phone rang.
Lily’s.
Unknown number.
She stared at it.
“Don’t answer,” Reed said.
She did.
A male voice spoke.
“Hello, Lily.”
Her face went white.
Adrian recognized it.
The distorted voice from Ethan’s kidnapping.
Rourke.
“Where’s the ledger?”
Lily looked at Reed.
“Safe.”
“Nothing is safe.”
Then a child cried in the background.
Adrian shot to his feet.
“ETHAN!”
The voice laughed.
“Adrian joined us.”
“Let me hear my son.”
A pause.
Then Ethan’s frightened voice:
“Mommy?”
Adrian’s eyes filled.
“Ethan?”
Silence.
The little boy didn’t know his voice.
That hurt more than Adrian expected.
“Who’s that?” Ethan asked.
Rourke returned.
“Bring the ledger.”
“Where?” Lily asked.
“Cole Shipyard. Pier Nine. Tonight.”
Reed shook his head.
Rourke continued.
“No police.”
“Give me Ethan first,” Adrian said.
“No.”
“He has nothing to do with this.”
“He has everything to do with this.”
“You want Black Harbor protected?”
“I want Black Harbor restored.”
Adrian stared.
“Why?”
“Because your father destroyed something revolutionary.”
“You trafficked human lives.”
“We created possibilities.”
“You stole children.”
“We corrected mistakes.”
Adrian’s voice became ice.
“Ethan isn’t your mistake to correct.”
Rourke laughed.
“Tonight.”
The call ended.
Reed immediately began planning.
Lily looked at Adrian.
“He’ll kill Ethan after he gets the ledger.”
“No.”
“You don’t know Rourke.”
“Neither do you.”
“I know Black Harbor.”
She leaned closer.
“They never leave evidence.”
Adrian looked at the flash drive.
“Then we don’t give him the real ledger.”
Lily almost smiled.
“Now you’re thinking like a Cole.”
Adrian’s expression hardened.
“No.”
He stood.
“I’m thinking like a father.”
At 10:40 p.m., fog covered Cole Shipyard.
Pier Nine stretched into black water.
Adrian walked alone carrying the drive.
At the end stood Michael Trent.
“Where’s Rourke?”
“Close.”
“Where’s Ethan?”
Trent pointed toward a shipping container.
Adrian heard crying inside.
His heart pounded.
“Open it.”
“Drive first.”
“No.”
Trent smiled.
“You’re negotiating?”
“With my son’s life?”
Adrian stepped closer.
“You should know better.”
Trent’s smile disappeared.
“You trusted me for six years.”
“I did.”
“I held Oliver.”
Adrian’s fists tightened.
“I know.”
“I stood beside Claire’s coffin.”
“I know.”
“I protected this house.”
“You studied it.”
Trent shrugged.
“Same skills.”
“Why?”
“Money.”
“At least you’re honest about one thing.”
Trent extended his hand.
“The drive.”
Adrian handed it over.
Trent inserted it into a laptop.
Files appeared.
The ledger.
Names.
Transactions.
Everything.
Trent smiled.
“Good.”
“Now Ethan.”
Then a voice emerged from the fog.
“Not yet.”
David Rourke walked onto the pier.
Older.
Elegant.
Alive.
Adrian stared.
The man had attended his birthdays.
His graduation.
His wedding.
He had hugged Claire.
“You.”
Rourke smiled.
“Hello, Adrian.”
“You ordered Claire’s death.”
“I ordered her silence.”
“Same thing.”
“Not originally.”
Rourke approached.
“Claire was offered money.”
“She refused.”
“Of course.”
A strange admiration entered his voice.
“She was stubborn.”
Adrian lunged.
Trent drew a gun.
“Don’t.”
Adrian stopped.
Rourke continued.
“Claire discovered Black Harbor because she was looking for answers about Maria’s pregnancy.”
“So you killed her.”
“Evelyn created the opportunity.”
“The medication.”
“Yes.”
“Vanessa administered it without knowing.”
“Yes.”
“Mercer canceled the ambulance.”
“Yes.”
“And you?”
Rourke smiled.
“I made sure nobody asked the right questions afterward.”
Adrian’s voice shook.
“You watched me bury her.”
“Yes.”
“You stood beside me.”
“Yes.”
“You told me she loved me.”
Rourke’s expression didn’t change.
“She did.”
Adrian’s rage almost overwhelmed him.
Then Ethan cried again.
He forced himself to stay still.
“My son.”
Rourke looked toward the container.
“Which one?”
Adrian froze.
Rourke smiled.
“Interesting question, isn’t it?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Ethan isn’t the only child Claire hid.”
Adrian stared.
“No more games.”
“Ask Lily.”
Adrian looked toward the fog.
Lily emerged beside Reed.
Police surrounded the pier.
Trent raised his gun.
“DROP IT!” Reed shouted.
Chaos exploded.
Trent fired.
Reed returned fire.
Adrian ran toward the container.
Rourke grabbed him.
They crashed against the railing.
Adrian punched him.
Rourke fell.
Trent fled toward a boat.
Police chased him.
Adrian ripped open the container.
“ETHAN!”
A little boy sat inside.
Terrified.
Adrian froze.
Ethan stared at him.
Adrian crouched slowly.
“It’s okay.”
Ethan backed away.
“Mommy!”
Adrian’s heart broke.
“I know.”
He didn’t touch him.
“My name is Adrian.”
Ethan cried.
“I want Mommy.”
“She’s waiting for you.”
Adrian held out his hand.
“You don’t have to be scared.”
Ethan stared.
Then slowly reached toward him.
Tiny fingers touched Adrian’s hand.
Adrian’s eyes filled with tears.
He lifted his son.
For the first time.
Ethan buried his face against Adrian’s chest.
Adrian held him as though the entire world might try to take him again.
“It’s okay.”
He cried openly now.
“I’ve got you.”
Behind him, police handcuffed Rourke.
Reed approached.
“We got him.”
Adrian barely heard.
Then Rourke laughed.
Adrian turned.
“You think this ends with me?”
Reed pushed him toward a police vehicle.
Rourke looked at Adrian.
“Claire found three living children connected to Black Harbor.”
Adrian’s face changed.
“Oliver.”
Rourke smiled.
“Ethan.”
He looked toward Lily.
“Lily.”
Adrian waited.
Rourke laughed.
“No.”
Lily stared at him.
“What?”
Rourke’s smile widened.
“You were never one of Claire’s three.”
Adrian’s blood chilled.
“Then who was the third child?”
Rourke leaned closer.
“Ask Claire’s sister.”
Adrian froze.
Claire didn’t have a sister.
At least…
not one he knew about.
May you like
Then Rourke whispered:
“She’s been watching Oliver since the day he was born.”
