Chapter 14 - THE FATHER OF THE PROGRAM
Margaret’s husband, Charles Carter, had supposedly died twenty years earlier.
He created the original fertility network with a private military physician.
Margaret expanded it after his death.
But no body had been recovered.
A financial trail led to an assisted-living estate in Nevada.
Charles was alive.
Ninety years old.
Mentally sharp.
He admitted designing the program.
He believed strong families should control reproduction as they controlled land and wealth.
Margaret had been his most successful student.
Their sons became enforcers.
Their daughters and daughters-in-law became carriers.
He had watched every generation through hidden accounts.
Why reveal himself now?
Because Margaret’s conviction threatened the archive containing hundreds of embryos.
Charles wanted immunity in exchange for their locations.
Prosecutors refused.
He threatened to destroy them.
Some embryos belonged to women who had never known samples were taken.
Others had already become children under false identities.
Rebecca Sloan negotiated time while agents traced his private network.
Charles turned his attention to me.
“You misunderstand your role, Emily.”
“My role is over.”
“No. Lily is the first stable female.”
“She is my daughter.”
“She is the program’s future.”
I ended the call.
He contacted Noah next.
A message appeared on the child’s tablet.
GRANDPA CAN MAKE YOU STRONG.
Therapists removed the device.
Noah panicked.
He still associated treatment with obedience.
Charles knew exactly where to press.
Agents raided his estate.
He had escaped through a medical tunnel.
In his room, investigators found a live feed from my new home.
No visible camera existed there.
The image came from Lily’s baby monitor.
Someone had installed access before we moved in.
A final message appeared.
THE BASEMENT WAS NEVER THE ONLY ROOM.
Then our washing machine started by itself downstairs.
I did not own the old machine from Jason’s house.
May you like
This one was new.
Yet a blue light blinked beneath it.
