CHAPTER 13: THE SILVER CANE
The hotel lobby became chaos.
Police officers rushed outside.
Security guards forced guests away from the windows.
A distinguished man with a silver cane remained standing in the center of the ballroom.
He had watched everything without speaking.
Now he walked toward Ethan.
“My name is Dr. Elias Ward.”
Ethan recognized the name.
Ward had been the Harbor Kings’ team physician during Samuel Mercer’s final season.
“You worked with Evelyn Hart.”
“Yes.”
“Were you part of Project Northstar?”
Ward looked toward Ava.
“I tried to stop it.”
Eleanor laughed.
“You signed every medical report.”
“Because refusing would have gotten the children killed faster.”
He opened the silver handle of his cane.
Inside was a narrow glass tube filled with dark film.
“Samuel gave this to me eighteen years ago.”
Conrad stepped closer.
“What is it?”
“Patient records.”
Eleanor’s hand moved toward her remote.
Ward raised the cane.
“If you press that button, copies are released to six news organizations.”
She froze.
Ward looked at Ethan.
“Claire contacted me before she died. She knew the locker held something more valuable than financial records.”
“What?”
“A list of every child who survived Northstar.”
Ethan felt Ava take his hand.
“How many survived?”
“Officially? None.”
“And in reality?”
Ward’s eyes filled with guilt.
“Seventeen.”
Ava whispered, “Where are they?”
“Some were adopted under false identities. Some disappeared. At least three now work for the Vale family without knowing where they came from.”
Bianca looked toward Eleanor.
“Am I one of them?”
Eleanor’s silence answered before her words did.
Bianca stepped backward.
“No.”
Conrad stared at his wife.
“What did you do?”
“I saved her.”
“From whom?”
“From Dr. Hart.”
Ward shook his head.
“You stole Bianca from her mother.”
Bianca’s knees nearly gave way.
Ethan caught her before she fell.
Then the silver cane began emitting a sharp electronic beep.
Ward looked down.
“That is impossible.”
“What is it?” Ethan asked.
“A proximity signal. It reacts when another Northstar record is nearby.”
The beeping became faster as Ward moved the cane toward Ava.
Everyone stared at the little girl.
May you like
Ward’s face turned pale.
“The signal is coming from her necklace.”
