Chapter 16 - Eleanor ValeEleanor Vale lived in a quiet house outside Milwaukee.
No security.
No assistants.
No luxury.
Just an old woman living alone.
When she opened the door, she looked at me.
Then at Keo.
And started crying.
"You found him."
I stepped forward.
"Who are you?"
She didn't answer.
"Did you work with my father?"
"Yes."
"Did you create the research program?"
"Yes."
"Did you study Keo?"
She looked at him.
"Yes."
I wanted to be angry.
Instead, I felt exhausted.
"Why?"
"Because your father asked me to."
I froze.
"My father?"
"He knew the original treatment was dangerous."
"But Keo survived."
"Because he was different."
She invited us inside.
On the wall were photographs.
Children.
Dozens.
Maybe hundreds.
Each photograph had a number.
K-01.
K-02.
K-03.
K-04.
K-05.
K-06.
K-07.
K-08.
Emma.
I looked at her.
"Why did my father allow this?"
"He didn't."
"Then why are you still doing it?"
She lowered her head.
"I stopped."
"When?"
"After K-07."
"Then who continued?"
She looked toward the window.
"The board."
"What board?"
"The people who took control of your father's research after he died."
I felt a familiar anger.
"Names."
She shook her head.
"Too dangerous."
"People have already died."
"I know."
"Children have died."
"I know."
"Then give me names."
She looked at Keo.
"They aren't interested in killing him."
"What do they want?"
"His blood."
Silence.
Linda stepped forward.
"Why?"
Eleanor answered:
"Because they believe they can reproduce what happened inside him."
Keo looked frightened.
I moved between them.
"No one is touching him."
Eleanor smiled sadly.
"That's what your father said."
"What happened?"
"He failed."
"How?"
"He trusted someone."
"Who?"
She handed me an old photograph.
My father's hand was resting on another man's shoulder.
I recognized him.
Adrian.
My cousin.
But Adrian had been arrested years ago.
I looked at Eleanor.
"He's dead."
"No."
She shook her head.
"He's not."
My phone rang.
Victor.
"Mr. Gallo."
"What?"
"We have a problem."
"What?"
"Adrian was never released."
I froze.
"What do you mean?"
"He escaped."
"When?"
"Last night."
I looked at Eleanor.
She already knew.
"Where is he?"
May you like
Victor's voice dropped.
"Chicago."
