THE SEVENTH CHILD WAS NEVER REPORTED MISSING
Chapter 9
They ran.
Ethan carried the hard drive.
Sarah held Noah’s hand.
Behind them, footsteps grew louder.
Then a woman’s voice echoed through the tunnel.
“NOAH!”
Dr. Ward.
Sarah stopped.
“No.”
Ethan grabbed her.
“Keep moving.”
They reached the main building.
A figure appeared at the doorway.
Dr. Ward.
She looked exhausted.
Not angry.
Terrified.
“Please.”
Sarah raised her weapon.
“You lied to us.”
“I was trying to save them.”
“You helped disappear seven children.”
“I saved seven children.”
Sarah stared at her.
Ward’s eyes filled with tears.
“The program was supposed to be shut down.”
“Then why didn’t you?”
“Because the people behind it were going to kill every child who knew what they had seen.”
Noah stepped forward.
“You promised.”
Ward looked at him.
“I know.”
Ethan asked:
“Where are the other six?”
Ward didn’t answer.
“Where are they?”
She finally whispered:
“Alive.”
Sarah’s eyes widened.
“Where?”
“Not here.”
“Where?”
Ward looked toward the road.
“Somewhere they can’t be found.”
Ethan stepped closer.
“Then why keep Noah?”
Ward looked at Noah.
“Because Noah is the only one who remembers where the others are.”
Noah shook his head.
“I won’t tell you.”
Ward smiled sadly.
“I know.”
Then a gunshot exploded.
Ward fell.
Ethan and Sarah ducked.
A bullet struck the wall.
Someone was outside.
Ward was bleeding.
She grabbed Sarah’s sleeve.
“Don’t trust Reed.”
Then she whispered:
“He works for them.”
Another gunshot.
And the lights went out.
