Chapter 5 - The Grieving Mother
Daniel recognized the elegant woman holding the weapon immediately.
She was Governor Eleanor Vance, the most powerful political figure in the entire state.
She was also the woman who had recently appeared on television claiming to be the girls' mother.
"Put the gun down, Governor," Daniel commanded while shielding the children behind his body.
"Olivia is dying and I know the antidote is kept inside this building."
Eleanor chuckled softly and kept her weapon aimed squarely at Daniel's chest.
"You have absolutely no idea what you have stumbled into, you foolish local cop."
She explained that the cloning project was funded directly by the highest levels of the government.
The girls were designed to provide perfect, rejection-proof organs for aging politicians.
"Michael was incredibly clumsy today, but the project must remain entirely secure," she stated coldly.
Emma stepped out from behind Daniel's leg and stared directly at the Governor.
"You are not our real mommy," Emma said with absolute defiance in her tiny voice.
Eleanor's smile vanished as she cocked the hammer of her expensive silver pistol.
"No, little girl, I am just the person who paid for your existence."
Daniel knew he could not outdraw her while holding a dying child in his arms.
He subtly kicked a heavy metal trash can toward her legs to create a split-second distraction.
The Governor fired a shot that grazed Daniel's shoulder, tearing through his uniform shirt.
Daniel ignored the burning pain and lunged forward, tackling the politician to the hard tile floor.
The pistol clattered away into the darkness as Daniel pinned her aggressively to the ground.
He used his heavy police handcuffs to secure her wrists tightly to a heavy cast-iron radiator.
He left her shouting furious threats and rushed into the medical supply room.
He frantically searched the sterile cabinets until he found the vial matching the formula on the microchip.
He quickly drew the clear liquid into a clean syringe and injected it directly into Olivia's thigh.
For ten agonizing seconds, absolutely nothing happened.
Then Olivia took a massive, shuddering breath and her eyes fluttered open slowly.
Daniel wept tears of immense relief as he hugged both girls tightly to his chest.
Suddenly, the clinic's landline telephone began to ring loudly through the quiet building.
Daniel answered it carefully, expecting to hear the police dispatcher on the other end.
May you like
Instead, a synthetic, heavily disguised voice issued a single terrifying warning.
"We have your wife and daughter, Officer Reed, so bring us our property immediately."
