Corporate Truths and Shattered Sleep

The bungalow was quiet, save for the occasional creak of the floorboards and the distant hum of insects outside. It had been two days since they fled the lab, and the weight of their situation was settling in like a thick fog over all of them.

Jess sat by the window, staring at the dark waters of the lake, her mind a tangled mess of thoughts. She had barely spoken since they arrived. Leanna had been buried in Monroe’s files, barely looking up except to scribble notes. Olivia and Hannah tried to keep busy, but there was an undeniable tension in the air.

"We can’t sit here forever," Ryan finally said, breaking the silence. He leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. "We need our things."

Kevin nodded. "Especially the flash drive and the journals. We hid them in the Airbnb before we left, and we’re lucky we even had time to do that. If there’s anything in there that helps us figure out our next move, we need it."

Jess turned from the window. "You think it’s safe to go back?"

"Hell no," Kevin muttered. "But we don’t have a choice."

Ryan grabbed the car keys. "We’ll be careful. We’ll be quick."

Leanna finally looked up from her papers. "Take different roads going in and out. If they’re watching, don’t lead them back here."

"Got it," Ryan said.

With that, the two men slipped out the door and disappeared into the night.

*************************************************

The Airbnb was a disaster. Ryan and Kevin stood in the doorway, surveying the mess. Drawers were pulled from dressers, their contents scattered across the floor. The couch cushions had been slashed open, stuffing spilling out like entrails. The kitchen chairs were overturned, the fridge left ajar, its contents spoiled.

"They weren’t subtle," Kevin muttered.

Ryan stepped carefully through the wreckage, his eyes scanning for anything out of place. "They were looking for something. Probably Monroe’s files. We got lucky."

"If they found the flash drive, we’re screwed," Kevin pointed out, stepping into the bathroom. He lifted the lid of the toilet tank and reached inside, feeling around until his fingers closed on a plastic bag.

"Got it," he said, pulling out the flash drive and the water-tight bag of journals. He wiped it dry against his shirt. "Looks like they didn’t think to check here."

Ryan exhaled in relief. "Then let’s get the hell out before we push our luck."

They left quickly, taking backroads, doubling back, ensuring they weren’t followed. By the time they returned to the bungalow, the sun was beginning to rise.

***************************************

Back at the bungalow, Leanna sat cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by stacks of paper from Monroe’s files. Her brow furrowed in deep concentration as she flipped through pages, taking notes.

Jess sat nearby, watching her. "Find anything yet?"

Leanna barely nodded. "The corporation behind the project is called Vanguard Biotechnics. It’s a massive bioengineering conglomerate with military contracts, pharmaceutical branches, and classified research divisions."

Jess frowned. "And my mother?"

Leanna hesitated. "She was more than just a researcher. She was also a surrogate mother and a caregiver for some of the early test subjects."

Jess’s throat tightened. "So, I wasn’t just an accident. She carried me knowing exactly what I was."

"That’s what it looks like," Leanna admitted. "And… I think that’s why she left. She knew what they were doing was wrong. But I don’t know if she ran from the project or if she was trying to protect you."

Jess stared at the pile of documents, feeling like the floor beneath her had dropped away. "She always told me she left because of the divorce. That she and my dad just grew apart. But if she was a surrogate, then he wasn’t even my real father."

Leanna’s lips parted as if she wanted to say something, but she remained silent.

Jess exhaled sharply. "I don’t even know who the hell I am anymore."

A pained silence filled the space between them. Leanna wanted to say something—anything—to make it better, but what comfort could she possibly offer?

*****************************************

That night, Leanna barely slept. The nightmares were relentless. Dark corridors. Screaming children. The hum of machines, their rhythms cold and precise. She was running, hands slick with blood, but she didn’t know if it was her own.

Then the whisper came.

“I don’t want to disappear.”

Leanna jolted awake, gasping for air. She sat upright, heart hammering in her chest, sweat slick on her forehead. The room was dark, the only sound the soft rustling of the trees outside.

She turned her head. Across the room, Olivia was watching her with concern. "That’s the third time tonight."

Leanna swallowed, rubbing her face. "I’m fine."

"No, you’re not," Olivia said, sitting up. "You’ve been like this since we left the lab. Since Monroe…"

Leanna looked away. "I keep seeing them. The kids. The ones from the files. I think—" She hesitated, her voice trembling. "I think some of them were alive when the project was shut down. And I think they were erased."

Olivia was silent for a long time before she finally whispered, "Then maybe that’s what they want Jess for."

Leanna didn’t answer because deep down, she already knew the answer. Vanguard Biotechnics didn’t just need Jess for research. They needed her to finish what they started.