Chapter 71 Burn everything down
Rafael
"We have to find her," Flora said, pacing, her hands trembling.
"We just blew up his clinic," Marco said, his voice heavy with exhaustion. "And now you want to walk into another trap?"
"She’s a baby," Flora said, spinning to face him. "Yes, I want to do whatever it takes."
I understood. But we were exhausted.
"Flora," I said carefully, reaching for her arm. "We need to be smart. We can't just rush in."
"So what's your plan?" Flora asked, pulling away. "Wait until Kask has her? By then it's too late."
"Maybe that's a risk we have to take," I said quietly.
Flora stared at me, disbelief flooding her face. "You're giving up?"
"I'm being realistic," I said, my voice firmer now. "We have twenty-two embryos that need immediate care. Two are critical. If we chase this one baby and those twenty-two die, what have we accomplished?"
"We've saved a newborn from a monster," Flora said.
"Or we've killed twenty-two to maybe save one," I countered.
"It's not a trade," Flora said, stepping closer. "It's both. We save all of them."
"How?" I asked, throwing my hands up. "We don't know where she is."
One of the incubators started beeping loudly.
"What's happening?" Catherine asked, rushing toward it.
Marco checked the monitors, his face went pale. "E-22. Her vitals just crashed."
"How bad?" I asked, my stomach dropping.
"Very bad," Marco said. "She needs a hospital. Now."
"We can't take her to a hospital," Catherine said, her voice strained.
"Then she dies," Marco said flatly. "In ten minutes, she will die."
Flora stared at the incubator. "We take her to a hospital. Whatever the consequences."
"Flora…" I started.
"We take her now," Flora interrupted, her voice cracking. "I don't care what happens to me. This child doesn't die because we're scared."
Catherine met my eyes, something shifting in her expression. "She's right."
"Fine," I said, grabbing my jacket. "Nearest hospital. Now."
Catherine drove faster than she ever had, weaving through traffic. E-22's vitals continued to drop, the beeping growing slower, weaker.
"Come on," Flora whispered, her forehead pressed against the incubator. "Stay with us. Please stay with us."
We reached the hospital eight minutes later. Marco jumped out with the incubator, running toward the entrance. Medical staff rushed out. They stared.
"What is this?" a doctor demanded, his eyes wide.
"A genetically modified embryo," Marco said, breathless. "She's crashing. Please."
The doctor hesitated only a second, something shifting in his gaze. "Get her to the NICU! Now!"
They rushed E-22 inside on a gurney, wires and tubes trailing behind. Security arrived almost immediately. "Police have been called."
We waited in the cold hallway. Flora paced endlessly. Catherine made call after call, her voice low and urgent. I sat with my head in my hands, listening to the beeping of machines and the echo of footsteps.
Thirty minutes later, police arrived.
Detective Walsh entered, his expression hard. "Would someone like to explain?"
"We saved twenty-two genetically modified embryos from Victor Kask," Flora said flatly.
Walsh stared. "That's insane."
"It's also true," Flora said.
Catherine stepped forward, pulling up evidence on her phone. The documentation of everything.
Walsh's expression changed slowly, disbelief giving way to shock. "This is real?"
"Every word," I said, meeting his eyes.
"We need federal authorities," Walsh said, already reaching for his radio. "But first, is E-22 going to survive?"
I looked toward the NICU doors. "The doctors are hopeful," I said quietly. "You got her just in time."
Flora sank into a chair, her face buried in her hands. Her shoulders shook, but no sound came out.
"There's one more thing," Walsh said, his voice softer now. "We've been looking for Kask for weeks. If you have information—"
"He was in Jakarta two hours ago," I said.
Walsh's eyebrows shot up. "You blew up a clinic?"
"To save sixteen embryos," Catherine said simply.
Over the next six hours, we gave statements. Federal agents arrived in waves, taking photos, asking questions, documenting everything. The story leaked to the media somehow. By morning, it was everywhere.
"The Genetic Conspiracy," they called it. "Project Genesis Exposed."
E-22 stabilized around dawn. The other twenty-one embryos were transferred to special care, guarded by federal agents.
"They're safe here," Walsh said, standing at the window. "We've got guards everywhere."
I looked at Flora. "You don't know Kask," she whispered.
That night, Flora and I had a moment alone in the empty waiting room.
"We did it," Flora said, her voice barely audible. "We saved twenty-two."
"We did," I agreed, taking her hand.
"But there's still one more," she said, her eyes glistening. "My sister. And we can't find her."
"The authorities are looking," I said, squeezing her fingers.
She shook her head slowly. "It's not enough."
The door burst open. Catherine stumbled in, her face pale as paper.
"We have a problem," she said, holding out her phone. "Dr. Rossi is missing."
"Maybe she ran," Flora said, but her voice held no conviction.
"That's what I thought," Catherine said, her hand trembling. "Until this."
She showed us an email. A photo.
Dr. Rossi. Tied to a chair. Bruised and bloody. Victor Kask standing behind her with that cold smile.
Message: I have your doctor. If you want to see her alive, bring me the twenty-two embryos. Twelve hours.
"How did he get her?" I demanded, my heart pounding.
"I don't know," Catherine whispered.
"We can't give him those embryos," I said firmly.
"But we can't let Dr. Rossi die," Flora said, her voice breaking.
Flora's phone buzzed. Another video.
Kask. But he wasn't alone.
A hospital room. A woman in labor. Screaming in pain. And beside her, coaching her, was Dr. Rossi. Alive. Unharmed. Smiling.
"Surprise," Kask's voice said, smooth as poison. "Dr. Rossi has been with me all along. Working for me. Spying on you."
The camera zoomed in on Dr. Rossi's face. She wasn't bruised. She wasn't hurt. She was glowing.
She smiled directly at the camera. "Hello, Flora. Sorry for the deception. Mr. Kask pays very well."
Flora's face went white. "No."
The woman in labor gave one final push, screaming.
A baby's cry filled the air, sharp and new.
"And there she is," Kask said, stepping into frame. "Subject L-03. Your sister."
The camera showed the newborn. Tiny. Perfect. Pink and screaming.
"She's mine now," Kask said, his smile widening. "Unless you bring me those twenty-two embryos. Twelve hours. Don't be late."
The video ended.
Flora dropped her phone. It clattered on the floor.
"She was working for him," Flora whispered, her voice hollow. "The whole time. Every moment. She was his."
Catherine leaned against the wall, sliding down until she sat on the floor. "So he wins. No matter what we do."
Flora looked at me. Her face changed. The shock faded. The grief hardened. Something new ignited in her eyes.
"No," she said, her voice steady now. "He doesn't win. We're going to end this. Tonight. Once and for all."
"How?" I asked, already knowing the answer.
Flora smiled. It was terrifying and beautiful.
"By giving him exactly what he wants," she said. "And then burn everything down.”