Chapter 8 — The Night They Tried to Take Frederick
Chapter 8 — The Night They Tried to Take Frederick
The message remained on my phone.
YOU HAVE SIX HOURS.
Then:
BRING THE BLUE BRACELET.
And finally:
COME TO YOUR FATHER'S REAL GRAVE. ALONE.
I read it twice.
Then a third time.
My father had supposedly been dead for twenty-five years.
Yet someone claiming to know his real grave was communicating with me.
Someone who knew about the bracelet.
Someone who knew about Frederick.
Someone who knew exactly where we were.
I looked at Amy.
She was holding our son.
Her eyes were already telling me what she wanted to say.
“No.”
I shook my head.
“You don't even know what I was going to say.”
“Yes, I do.”
She stepped closer.
“You're not going alone.”
I looked at Laura.
She was staring at the message.
Her face had gone pale.
“Laura?”
She didn't answer.
“Do you know where that is?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
She whispered:
“Your grandfather's private cemetery.”
I frowned.
“I've never heard of it.”
“Because nobody was supposed to.”
“Where is it?”
“Forty minutes north.”
Samuel immediately reached for his phone.
“We're not going.”
I looked at him.
“Why?”
“Because that's exactly what they want.”
“I know.”
“Then why would you go?”
“Because they have something I need.”
Samuel stared at me.
“What?”
“My father.”
Before anyone could answer, Frederick started crying.
Amy looked down.
“He's awake.”
She rocked him gently.
“It's okay, sweetheart.”
Frederick reached for me.
“Da-da.”
I took him.
His small fingers wrapped around mine.
I looked at his face.
He had no idea what was happening.
No idea that adults were discussing whether someone might take him.
No idea that people had already killed children like him.
I kissed his forehead.
“I've got you.”
Then every light in the farmhouse went out.
Amy froze.
Laura stood.
Samuel drew his weapon.
“Everyone down.”
A second later, the windows shattered.
Glass exploded across the room.
Someone fired from outside.
“DOWN!”
I dropped with Frederick in my arms.
Amy fell beside me.
Samuel fired toward the window.
Laura crawled behind the sofa.
Teresa screamed.
Another shot.
Then another.
The sound was deafening.
“Where are they?” I shouted.
Samuel looked toward the broken window.
“Multiple shooters.”
“How many?”
“At least four.”
“Police?”
“Too far away.”
I looked at Amy.
“Stay behind me.”
She nodded.
Frederick was crying.
I held him against my chest.
The shooting stopped.
Silence.
Then a voice came from outside.
“Connor Bradley.”
I froze.
“Bring us the child.”
Samuel shouted:
“Go to hell.”
The voice laughed.
“We don't want you.”
“Then why are you shooting?”
“Because you're protecting something that belongs to us.”
I looked at Frederick.
“He belongs to nobody.”
The voice became colder.
“You're wrong.”
Then the front door exploded inward.
Three men rushed inside.
Samuel fired.
One fell.
Another tackled him.
Laura grabbed a lamp and smashed it against the attacker's head.
Teresa ran toward the kitchen.
I grabbed Amy's hand.
“Back door.”
We ran.
The kitchen was dark.
I opened the back door.
Cold air hit my face.
We ran across the yard.
Frederick was crying against my shoulder.
Amy was right behind me.
Laura followed.
Then I heard Samuel shout:
“GO!”
We ran faster.
A bullet struck the fence.
Another hit the ground beside us.
I pulled Amy down.
“Stay low.”
We crawled behind a stone wall.
The farmhouse was burning.
Orange light reflected across the snow.
Samuel appeared through the smoke.
He was bleeding from his shoulder.
“Car.”
“Where?”
“East field.”
We ran.
We reached the SUV.
Samuel opened the driver's door.
“Get in.”
I put Frederick inside.
Amy climbed in beside him.
Laura got into the back.
Teresa hesitated.
“Mom!”
She ran toward us.
A bullet struck the SUV.
Samuel shoved her inside.
Then he started the engine.
We sped away.
For several minutes, nobody spoke.
Only Frederick's crying filled the car.
Amy held him.
“He's okay.”
I looked at the rearview mirror.
The farmhouse disappeared behind us.
Smoke filled the sky.
“Who were they?”
Samuel answered:
“Mercenaries.”
“Working for Richard?”
“Probably.”
Laura shook her head.
“No.”
I looked at her.
“You're sure?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Richard wouldn't risk killing us.”
“Why not?”
“Because he still needs the key.”
I touched the blue bracelet in my pocket.
“This?”
“Yes.”
“Then why attack?”
Laura looked at me.
“Because someone else doesn't.”
I felt cold.
“Who?”
She whispered:
“The person who wants Frederick dead.”
Teresa began crying.
I looked at her.
“You know who that is.”
She said nothing.
“Mom.”
“I don't know.”
“Don't lie.”
She stared out the window.
“I know.”
“Who?”
She hesitated.
“Your grandfather.”
My stomach tightened.
“He's dead.”
“Yes.”
“Then stop saying his name like he's alive.”
She turned toward me.
“He isn't.”
“Then what are you talking about?”
“My grandfather's organization.”
“The Consortium.”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“The Consortium was only the business.”
“What was behind it?”
She whispered:
“The Foundation.”
I frowned.
“What foundation?”
“Blackwell.”
Samuel suddenly looked at her.
“Blackwell?”
Teresa nodded.
“The Blackwell Foundation.”
Laura went pale.
“I thought it was destroyed.”
“It wasn't.”
I looked between them.
“What is Blackwell?”
Teresa answered:
“The part of the organization your grandfather never told your father about.”
“What did they do?”
“They handled the children.”
Silence.
I felt sick.
“What does that mean?”
“They took them.”
“Where?”
“I don't know.”
“Who ran it?”
Teresa closed her eyes.
“Your grandfather's oldest friend.”
“Name.”
“Victor Blackwell.”
I stared.
“Blackwell.”
“Yes.”
“Is he alive?”
Teresa nodded.
“He's been dead for twelve years.”
I frowned.
“Then who runs it now?”
She looked at Frederick.
“His daughter.”
“Who?”
Teresa whispered:
“Evelyn Blackwell.”
We drove in silence.
I couldn't process another name.
Another organization.
Another enemy.
Another layer of secrets.
My family had become a maze.
Every answer opened another door.
And behind every door was someone who wanted Frederick.
We reached the second safe house at midnight.
The police arrived twenty minutes later.
An ambulance treated Samuel's shoulder.
Frederick finally fell asleep.
Amy stayed beside him.
I walked outside.
Laura joined me.
“You knew.”
She nodded.
“About Blackwell?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because I hoped they were gone.”
“They aren't.”
“No.”
“What do they want?”
“The same thing everyone wants.”
“M-17.”
“No.”
She looked at me.
“They want the person who created it.”
I frowned.
“My grandfather.”
“Yes.”
“But he's dead.”
Laura shook her head.
“Not the person.”
“The research.”
I understood.
“The original research.”
“Yes.”
“And Frederick is the key.”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“His DNA can unlock the encrypted files.”
I felt cold.
“So they don't just want his blood.”
“No.”
“They need him alive.”
“Yes.”
“Then why did they try to kill him tonight?”
Laura looked toward the house.
“Because someone else wants the files destroyed.”
“Who?”
She hesitated.
“Daniel.”
My stomach tightened.
“Daniel wants Frederick dead?”
“I don't know.”
“Then why did he threaten us?”
“Because he is afraid.”
“Of whom?”
Laura looked at the dark road.
“Evelyn Blackwell.”
Inside, my phone rang.
Daniel.
I answered.
“Where are you?”
His voice was barely audible.
“Don't ask.”
“You knew about tonight.”
“I knew something would happen.”
“You didn't warn me.”
“I couldn't.”
“You could have.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because they were listening.”
“Who?”
“Blackwell.”
I looked at Laura.
Daniel continued.
“Connor, listen to me carefully.”
“I'm listening.”
“Your grandfather wasn't the founder.”
I froze.
“What?”
“He inherited the program.”
“From whom?”
“His father.”
I felt sick.
“My great-grandfather?”
“Yes.”
“How long has this existed?”
“Almost eighty years.”
I closed my eyes.
“Why?”
“Because the first M-17 carrier was born in 1941.”
I stared.
“Who?”
Daniel paused.
Then:
“Evelyn Blackwell's grandmother.”
My heart stopped.
“So Blackwell owns the bloodline.”
“No.”
Daniel's voice became urgent.
“Blackwell has been trying to control it ever since.”
“Then why Frederick?”
“Because he's the first male carrier in the direct line.”
I looked toward the room.
Frederick.
“What's special about a male carrier?”
“It changes the inheritance pattern.”
“How?”
“It allows the marker to pass through generations without mutation.”
I swallowed.
“So Frederick could pass M-17 to his children.”
“Yes.”
“And that's what they want.”
“Not exactly.”
“What else?”
Daniel hesitated.
“He could activate the original gene sequence.”
I frowned.
“Activate it how?”
“Through the database.”
Silence.
Then Daniel said:
“That's why your father hid the key.”
I touched the bracelet.
“Why did he put it on Frederick?”
“He didn't.”
I froze.
“What?”
Daniel whispered:
“Your father never put that bracelet on your son.”
I looked at Laura.
She looked away.
I felt cold.
“Who did?”
Silence.
“Daniel.”
“Ask Laura.”
The line went dead.
I turned.
Laura was standing in the doorway.
“Did you put the bracelet on Frederick?”
She didn't answer.
“Laura.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because your father asked me to.”
“Why?”
“Because he knew the key would be safe with you.”
I frowned.
“You're lying.”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“No.”
“Then why did Daniel say my father didn't put it on him?”
“Because he didn't.”
“Then who did?”
Laura looked at Frederick.
“I did.”
I felt anger rising.
“You're hiding something.”
“Yes.”
“What?”
She stepped closer.
“I didn't switch the babies because your father asked me to.”
“Then why?”
She whispered:
“Because your mother told me to.”
I froze.
“What?”
“Teresa ordered me to switch them.”
My mother stood behind us.
She looked devastated.
“Laura…”
I turned toward her.
“You told her to switch the babies?”
Teresa cried.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I was trying to save him.”
“From what?”
“From your father.”
The room went silent.
I stared at her.
“My father?”
“He wanted to give Frederick to the Consortium.”
I shook my head.
“That makes no sense.”
“He believed it was the only way to save you.”
“Save me from what?”
“From Richard.”
I looked at Laura.
She nodded slowly.
“Your mother is telling the truth.”
My blood ran cold.
“My father wanted to sacrifice Frederick?”
“No.”
Laura shook her head.
“He wanted to make a deal.”
“With whom?”
“Richard.”
“For what?”
“Your life.”
I felt my chest tighten.
Again.
The same story.
Everyone had been trading someone else's life to save mine.
But this time, the person they were willing to sacrifice was my son.
I stepped toward Teresa.
“What did Dad promise Richard?”
She looked at me.
“Frederick.”
I felt like I'd been punched.
“That's why you switched the babies.”
“Yes.”
“You saved him.”
“Yes.”
“Then why did you spend the last year trying to take him?”
Her face crumbled.
“Because I was trying to hide him.”
“By abusing Amy?”
“I never ordered that.”
I froze.
“What?”
Teresa shook her head.
“I wanted Amy gone.”
“Why?”
“Because I thought Richard was watching her.”
I stared.
“You wanted her out of the house.”
“Yes.”
“So you could protect Frederick?”
“Yes.”
“You made her work.”
“I never told her to suffer.”
“You humiliated her.”
“I was trying to frighten her into leaving.”
I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
“You destroyed my family to protect it.”
Teresa started crying.
“I know.”
Before I could respond, the lights flickered.
Then went out.
Everyone froze.
Samuel reached for his weapon.
“Again?”
A sound came from outside.
Not gunfire.
A woman's voice.
“Connor.”
I knew it.
I had never heard her before.
But I knew the voice.
Evelyn Blackwell.
“Bring me the child.”
I stepped in front of Frederick.
“No.”
Her voice remained calm.
“I don't want to hurt you.”
“You already tried.”
“No.”
A pause.
“The men tonight weren't mine.”
I looked at Laura.
She went pale.
“Then whose?”
Evelyn answered:
“Daniel's.”
My stomach dropped.
Another voice came through the darkness.
Daniel.
“Connor.”
He stepped into the doorway.
A gun in his hand.
Everyone froze.
Daniel looked at me.
“I tried to warn you.”
I stared at him.
“You attacked us.”
“No.”
“Evelyn said you did.”
“She lied.”
“Then put the gun down.”
Daniel shook his head.
“I can't.”
“Why?”
“Because they're outside.”
“Who?”
He looked at Frederick.
“The people who will kill him if I don't give them the key.”
I tightened my arms around my son.
“Then they can come through me.”
Daniel's eyes filled with tears.
“I knew you'd say that.”
He lowered the gun.
Then whispered:
“That's exactly what your father said.”
A shot exploded through the window.
Daniel fell.
Amy screamed.
I grabbed Frederick.
Samuel returned fire.
Laura pulled Teresa to the floor.
And outside, someone shouted:
“TAKE THE CHILD!”
The doors burst open.
Men rushed inside.
This time, they weren't trying to scare us.
They were trying to take Frederick alive.
And as I fought to keep my son in my arms, I finally understood the terrifying truth.
The people hunting him didn't care about the money.
They didn't care about my house.
They didn't care about Teresa.
They didn't even care about me.
They wanted Frederick because he was the only living person who could unlock a secret that had survived four generations.
May you like
And they were willing to kill everyone who stood between them and my son.
Even me.
