Her mother knew him.
After a moment, Sarah asked to speak with Daniel alone.
Outside, Emma sat with Rebecca, pretending not to be afraid.
“Does my mom know Dr. Thompson?”
Rebecca adjusted Lily’s blanket.
“Daniel is known in medical circles.”
The answer was too smooth.
Emma decided to test another piece.
“Have you heard of Alexander Webb?”
Rebecca’s hands stilled for half a second.
“No,” she said. “Why?”
“Just something Mom mentioned once.”
Inside the hospital room, Sarah’s voice was weak but sharp.
“Are they watching my daughters?”
“Not yet,” Daniel said. “But Sarah, you disappeared for two years. Michael’s research partners have been searching.”
“Research partners?” Sarah gave a bitter laugh that turned into a cough. “Is that what you’re calling the people who took my husband?”
“We don’t know what happened to Michael.”
“I do,” Sarah whispered. “He was silenced. And they’ll do the same to my daughters if they find what he left behind.”
Daniel leaned closer.
“The Helios Protocol. Did Michael complete it?”
“He encoded everything. Split it into pieces. No single person has the whole thing.”
“The medallion?”
“Emma’s locket is one key. My bracelet is another. Alexander Webb has what he needs to authenticate the discovery.”
Daniel’s face tightened.
“Webb is in danger too. There was an incident at his office last month.”
“Then there’s no time.”
Sarah gripped his hand.
“Protect my girls. Michael trusted you. I’m trying to believe he was right.”
When Emma returned, Sarah drew her close.
“I found something in the locket,” Emma whispered. “A name and numbers.”
Sarah’s eyes filled with fear and pride at once.
“Good girl. Keep it safe. Keep it secret. Trust your instincts. Remember what Dad always said.”
“The truth leaves clues for those brave enough to follow them,” Emma recited.
Sarah smiled faintly.
“Exactly. And listen to me. Miss Maggie has a box of my things. In it is my charm bracelet. You need it.”
“What does it do?”
Sarah’s eyes drifted closed.
“It remembers what the world tried to bury.”
That night, Emma overheard Daniel and Rebecca whispering.
“She knows more than we thought,” Rebecca said.
“She’s smart,” Daniel replied. “Just like Michael.”
“Do you think the locket has the key?”
“If Sarah gave it to her, yes.”
“Six years, Daniel. Six years searching.”
“And now they found us.”
Emma lay awake, the locket clutched in her hand.
The Thompsons were kind.
But they were not telling her everything.
Two days later, with a blizzard shutting down schools and Daniel called into emergency surgery, Emma made a decision.