Chapter 3 - The Secret Sanctuary
By the next afternoon, Marcus had delivered.
"Sarah Williams is an alias, Nathan," Marcus said, handing over a folder as they rode in the back of the Bentley. "She registered at a public clinic in the South Bronx six months ago. She’s being treated for advanced pulmonary fibrosis—the exact lung condition Elizabeth had. She’s using a fake social security number, but the medical charts... they match Elizabeth’s history perfectly."
Nathan stared at the surveillance photo attached to the file. It was a grainy image of a woman walking out of a brick apartment building, wrapped in a faded coat. Her face was thinner, pale, and worn by hardship, but it was her.
"And the girl?" Nathan asked, his voice thick with emotion.
"Lily Williams. Registered as her daughter. Born eleven months after Elizabeth's 'death'." Marcus looked at Nathan with deep sympathy. "Nathan... she’s your daughter. Elizabeth must have been pregnant when she disappeared."
Nathan closed his eyes as a wave of overwhelming grief and sudden, fierce joy washed over him. He had a daughter. A beautiful, brave little girl who was selling candy on the freezing streets of New York just to buy medicine for her mother.
"Where are they now?" Nathan demanded.
"A tenement building on 138th Street. But Nathan, we have a problem. My sources tell me Arthur Pendelton’s personal security team has been monitoring that clinic too. They flagged the medical records yesterday. They know she’s alive."
"Drive," Nathan commanded James. "Step on it."
The Bentley tore through the streets, arriving at a bleak, crumbling brick building in the Bronx. Nathan didn't wait for James to open his door. He burst out of the car and sprinted up the graffiti-covered steps, Marcus close behind.
They reached the third floor. Apartment 3B. The door was slightly ajar.
Nathan’s heart leaped into his throat. He pushed the door open.
The apartment was tiny, smelling of dampness and cheap soup. A single mattress lay in the corner, covered in thin blankets. Standing near the window, clutching a heavy iron skillet, was Lily. Her eyes were wide with terror.
Behind her, resting on a rickety wooden chair, was a woman connected to a portable oxygen concentrator.
She turned her head slowly. Her eyes met Nathan’s.
All the breath left Nathan’s body. The years of sorrow, the cold nights, the endless hollow ache—it all evaporated in a single second.
"Lizzie," he choked out.
Elizabeth Reed stared at him. But there was no joy in her eyes. Only absolute, paralyzing terror.
"No," she gasped, her voice raspy and weak, clinging to the oxygen tube. "How did you find us? Did he send you? Did Arthur pay you to finish it?"
"Lizzie, no! It's me. It's Nathan!" He took a step forward, his hands raised. "I thought you were dead. I buried an empty casket!"
"Get away from her!" Lily screamed, lunging forward with the skillet. Nathan easily caught her arm, gently disarming her and pulling the crying girl into a soft but firm hold.
"Lily, sweetheart, look at me," Nathan pleaded, his eyes shining with tears. "I'm not here to hurt you. I'm your father."
Lily froze, looking from Nathan to her mother.
"Nathan..." Elizabeth whispered, her eyes searching his face, looking for the man she had loved. "You... you don't know? You didn't order the termination?"
"What termination?" Nathan asked, his voice trembling. "Lizzie, what are you talking about?"
"Arthur told me you signed the authorization," Elizabeth wept, her frail body shaking. "He showed me the documents with your digital signature. He said my illness was a failure of your trial drug, and to protect Reed Innovations' stock price, you ordered the clinical trial to be shut down... and for me to be quietly 'disposed of' in the hospice care. I only escaped because James smuggled me out."
Nathan felt a cold chill run down his spine. He looked back at the door.
James. His loyal driver of ten years.
May you like
Suddenly, a heavy hand clapped onto Nathan's shoulder from behind. He turned to find himself looking into the cold, calculated eyes of Arthur Pendelton, flanked by three armed security guards.
And standing right behind them, holding a silenced pistol, was James.
