CHAPTER 53 — THE AWAKENING NETWORK
The Blackwater facility started flooding.
Ward led the children toward the submarine dock.
“There is room for forty.”
“There are more than one hundred children,” Dana said.
“We make multiple trips.”
“The tunnel will collapse before the second.”
Four-B pointed toward a cargo passage.
“Mother kept transport boats below the nursery.”
Mason organized the older children.
Claire remained beside Olivia and Rose.
Rose had regained consciousness but could not stand.
“What happened to you?” Claire asked.
“I felt the baby.”
Olivia looked terrified.
“What did you feel?”
“A voice without words.”
Sarah opened the Vane registry.
The blank pages began filling with names.
Hundreds of them.
Children placed in political families.
Military families.
Royal households.
Corporate dynasties.
Cole read over her shoulder.
“This is global.”
A map appeared on the final page.
Black dots illuminated across six continents.
Each dot began flashing in rhythm with Olivia’s unborn child.
“The Anchor connected to every facility,” Daniel said.
“Can we shut it down?” Claire asked.
Elias shook his head.
“Not from here.”
A new name appeared at the top of the registry.
UNASSIGNED INFANT O-1.
Olivia closed the book.
“No.”
Sarah looked at her.
“The network has registered your child as its administrator.”
“I won’t let them use my baby.”
“Then we find the central relay before the child is born.”
The group entered the cargo passage.
Behind them, Claire’s double emerged from the water.
She held Miriam’s white coat.
No one had seen her retrieve it.
Lily noticed.
“What’s in the pocket?”
The woman removed a small glass vial.
Inside was a lock of dark hair.
The label read CLAIRE BENNETT — ORIGINAL.
She looked at Claire.
“Miriam lied to both of us.”
“How?”
The woman handed the vial to Rebecca.
“That DNA does not match mine.”
Rebecca stared at the label.
“Then neither of you may be the original Claire.”
A voice came from the darkness ahead.
May you like
“Because the original never left Blackwater.”
A third Claire stepped into the emergency light.
