Chapter 5: The Girl Who Wasn't Alone
Marcus felt the room tilt.
“Your sister?””
Nia nodded.
Elena covered her mouth.
Marcus turned toward her.
“You knew about a sister?””
Elena didn't answer.
“Nia,” Marcus said softly, “what was your sister's name?””
The girl looked down.
“Amara.””
Marcus repeated it.
“Amara.””
Nia nodded.
“She was bigger than me.””
“How much bigger?””
“Four years.””
Marcus stared at Elena.
“You said Nia was alone.””
“I thought she was.””
“You thought?””
Elena wiped her cheeks.
“When I found Nia, she was alone.””
“Where?””
Elena hesitated.
Marcus stepped closer.
“Where?””
“A storage building.””
His expression hardened.
“You told me you found her here.””
“I told you I brought her here.””
“You lied again.””
“I was trying to protect her.””
“From what?””
Elena looked toward Nia.
“From people who were looking for her.””
Marcus shook his head.
“You don't protect a child by locking her behind a wall.””
“I didn't lock her there.””
“Then why couldn't she leave?””
“Because someone was watching.””
“Who?””
“I never saw his face.””
Marcus laughed once, bitterly.
“So we're back to the invisible man.””
Nia's small voice interrupted them.
“He wasn't invisible.””
Marcus crouched beside her.
“What did he look like?””
“Tall.””
“Anything else?””
“He had a scar.””
“Where?””
Nia touched the left side of her neck.
“Here.””
Marcus stood.
Elena suddenly grabbed his hand.
“Marcus, listen to me.””
He pulled away.
“What?””
“I saw that scar.””
“When?””
“The night I found Nia.””
Marcus stared at her.
“You saw him?””
Elena nodded.
“He was standing outside the storage building.””
“Why didn't you call the police?””
“I did.””
Marcus blinked.
“What?””
“I called.””
“What happened?””
“They never came.””
His expression changed.
“Why?””
“I don't know.””
“You waited?””
“I waited for hours.””
“And then?””
Elena looked toward the hidden room.
“I heard Nia crying.””
She took a breath.
“I went inside.””
Marcus said nothing.
“There were two children.””
His eyes widened.
“Nia and Amara?””
“Yes.””
“What happened to Amara?””
“I don't know.””
Nia began crying.
Elena crouched.
“I looked everywhere.””
“You left her?”” Marcus asked.
“I didn't leave her.””
“Then where is she?””
Elena shook her head.
“I was attacked.””
Marcus stared.
“What?””
“I remember the man grabbing me from behind.””
She touched the back of her head.
“I woke up on the floor. Nia was gone.””
Marcus's eyes hardened.
“But you got her back.””
“Hours later.””
“How?””
Elena looked at him.
“She came back by herself.””
Marcus turned toward Nia.
“How did you escape?””
Nia hugged the blanket around herself.
“I followed the sound.””
“What sound?””
“A baby crying.””
Marcus froze.
“A baby?””
Nia nodded.
“Amara was carrying a baby.””
Elena's face crumpled.
Marcus whispered, “What baby?””
Nia looked at him.
“I don't know.””
Marcus stepped back.
The photographs.
The hospital bracelet.
His mother.
Two girls.
Another baby.
It was becoming something much larger than one missing child.
Then Nia suddenly pointed toward the floor.
“Daddy.””
Marcus looked down.
She was pointing at the cardboard box.
“There is something underneath.””
Marcus turned the box upside down.
A small key fell out.
It landed against the hardwood floor.
Clink.
Elena stared at it.
Marcus picked it up.
A tiny metal tag was attached.
Three letters had been stamped into it.
*B-17.*
Marcus looked at Elena.
“What's B-17?””
Her face changed instantly.
He saw recognition.
“You know.””
Elena shook her head.
“Tell me.””
“I can't.””
“Tell me!””
“I can't!””
Nia suddenly screamed.
Marcus spun around.
The girl was staring at the hallway.
A shadow had moved across the pantry door.
Then came three knocks.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
Nia covered her ears.
“No.””
Marcus grabbed her gently.
“Who is it?””
Nia was trembling.
“He knows.””
Marcus looked at Elena.
“Who?””
“He knows Daddy found me.””
The pantry door slowly opened.
Nobody stood behind it.
But on the floor was another photograph.
Marcus walked toward it.
He picked it up.
His hand froze.
The photograph showed Lorraine Reed.
She was standing beside a hospital crib.
And inside the crib was a newborn baby.
Written across the bottom of the photograph were four words:
*MARCUS'S FIRST CHILD.*
Marcus looked at Elena.
She was crying.
May you like
“That's impossible,” he whispered.
Then the lights went out.
