Chapter six

Take Me Instead

The loudspeaker crackled again.

The distorted voice echoed across the orphanage.

“Hand over Subject Zero…”

”…or everyone inside dies.”

Silence.

It wasn’t the peaceful kind.

It was the kind that settled just before disaster struck.

Emily stood frozen in the middle of the office.

She looked at Adrian.

Then at Dante.

Finally at Mrs. Martha.

No one spoke.

No one denied it.

Her heartbeat quickened.

“…They’re talking about me.”

It wasn’t a question.

Mrs. Martha slowly lowered her head.

Tears welled in her eyes.

“I’m sorry…”

Emily’s stomach twisted.

“So it is me.”

Outside…

Children cried.

Teachers hurried them toward the dormitory, trying to keep them calm.

Another explosion shook the ground.

The office windows trembled violently.

A picture frame crashed from the wall.

The glass shattered across the floor.

Emily flinched.

Her breathing became uneven.

Just this morning…

She had been worried about missing an economics lecture.

Now…

Armed men had surrounded the only home she had ever known.

Because of her.

⸻

“No.”

Adrian’s voice was calm.

Cold.

Certain.

“This has nothing to do with you.”

Emily laughed bitterly.

“Really?”

She pointed toward the window.

“They literally called me Subject Zero.”

Dante’s jaw tightened.

“They shouldn’t know that name.”

Emily turned sharply.

“What does it mean?”

Silence.

Again.

Always silence.

She clenched her fists.

“I’m tired of everyone acting like I’m too fragile to hear the truth!”

Her voice cracked.

“You come into my life out of nowhere…”

“You tell me you’ve been looking for me…”

“And now people with guns are outside because of me!”

She looked directly at Adrian.

“You owe me an explanation.”

Adrian closed his eyes.

For fifteen years…

He had prepared for this conversation.

Yet he still couldn’t bring himself to say the words.

Not here.

Not while bullets might start flying at any second.

⸻

Suddenly—

A frightened scream echoed from downstairs.

Emily’s head snapped toward the hallway.

“Ava…”

The little girl’s voice.

Emily recognized it instantly.

Ava was only six years old.

She had nightmares every time it rained.

Emily always sat beside her until she fell asleep.

Without thinking—

Emily ran.

“Emily!”

Adrian reached for her.

Too late.

She was already out the door.

⸻

The hallway was filled with frightened children.

Some were crying.

Others clung to the older kids.

Mrs. Martha and the caretakers were trying to guide everyone toward the basement shelter.

“Ava!”

Emily called.

A tiny hand appeared from behind a fallen bookshelf.

“I’m here!”

Emily rushed over.

The little girl threw herself into Emily’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

“I’m scared…”

Emily knelt and hugged her tightly.

“I know.”

“It’s okay.”

“I’m here.”

Behind them—

The front doors exploded inward.

BANG!

The entire hallway shook.

Splinters of wood flew through the air.

Smoke rolled inside.

Heavy boots echoed across the entrance.

One…

Two…

Three…

Masked men stepped into the orphanage.

Black uniforms.

Automatic rifles.

Expressionless faces.

The children screamed.

Emily instinctively pulled Ava behind her.

One of the masked men slowly lowered his weapon.

His cold voice echoed through the hallway.

“Target confirmed.”

He wasn’t looking at the children.

He wasn’t looking at Mrs. Martha.

His weapon was aimed directly at Emily.

“Subject Zero…”

“…come with us.”

Emily’s heart pounded so loudly she could hear it.

Her legs trembled.

Every instinct screamed at her to run.

But behind her…

Ava was crying.

The other children were terrified.

If she ran…

They might chase her.

If she stayed…

The children might die.

Emily swallowed hard.

Then…

She slowly stepped away from the children.

“Ava…”

The little girl grabbed her sleeve.

“No!”

Emily forced a smile.

“Be brave for me, okay?”

Ava shook her head violently.

“They’ll hurt you!”

Emily gently wiped away her tears.

“Maybe.”

“But they won’t hurt you.”

She stood.

Then looked at the masked men.

“…I’ll go.”

The hallway fell silent.

Even the attackers looked surprised.

Emily raised both hands.

“You want me?”

“Fine.”

“But leave everyone else alone.”

The leader tilted his head.

“…Interesting.”

“You don’t even know what you are…”

“…yet you’re willing to sacrifice yourself.”

Emily frowned.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“No…”

The man said quietly.

“You don’t.”

He took one step forward.

Then another.

Just as he reached for Emily—

A gunshot echoed through the orphanage.

BANG!

The bullet struck the floor inches from the attacker’s boot.

Everyone turned.

At the end of the hallway…

Dante Moretti stood with a pistol in one hand.

His expression was unlike anything Emily had seen before.

Gone was the easygoing man who joked with her only minutes earlier.

His eyes were filled with murder.

His voice was terrifyingly calm.

“You’ve got exactly…”

He slowly checked his watch.

“…three seconds to remove your hand from my daughter.”

The hallway froze.

Even Adrian looked toward Dante in surprise.

It was the first time…

Anyone had heard him say those words aloud.

”…my daughter.”