THE LITTLE RED WAGON
PART 3 — THE MARK
The nurse hit the floor.
For half a second, nobody moved.
Then Dr. Vivian Marsh dropped to her knees.
“Someone help me!”
Two nurses rushed forward.
Vivian pressed her fingers against the woman's neck.
“She has a pulse.”
Molly stood frozen.
Her eyes were fixed on the blood covering the nurse's uniform.
“My brothers…”
Vivian looked up.
“Stay here.”
“No!”
Molly tried to run toward the NICU.
Sheriff Daniel Carter caught her before she could reach the doors.
“You can't go in there.”
“My brothers are in there!”
“I know.”
“Let me go!”
Molly fought against his arms.
Then a loud crash came from inside the neonatal unit.
Everyone turned.
Daniel's face hardened.
“Lock the corridor.”
The security doors began sliding shut.
But before they could fully close, a small hand appeared between them.
A man's hand.
The doors stopped.
The scarred man stepped through.
He was holding a pistol.
Daniel immediately raised his weapon.
“Drop it!”
The man smiled.
“Still playing hero, Daniel?”
The sheriff froze.
“You know me?”
The man laughed.
“I know much more than you think.”
Nathaniel suddenly stepped forward.
“Marcus.”
The scarred man's smile disappeared.
“So you remember.”
Molly stared at Nathaniel.
“Who is he?”
Nathaniel didn't answer.
Marcus slowly looked toward her.
“That's Elena's daughter.”
Molly backed away.
“How do you know my name?”
“Because your mother told me.”
Daniel looked at Nathaniel.
“You two know each other?”
Nathaniel's jaw tightened.
“Unfortunately.”
Marcus raised the gun slightly.
“Where is the key?”
Molly instinctively closed her fist.
Marcus noticed.
“There.”
His eyes locked onto the brass key.
“Give it to me.”
“No.”
“Molly.”
She shook her head.
“My mother said never to give it to anyone.”
Marcus took another step.
Nathaniel moved between them.
“You'll have to go through me.”
Marcus laughed.
“That won't be difficult.”
Daniel suddenly fired.
The bullet struck the wall beside Marcus.
Marcus ducked.
Nathaniel grabbed Molly and pulled her behind the reception desk.
“Stay down!”
Another gunshot echoed.
People screamed.
Glass shattered.
Daniel returned fire while security officers rushed into the corridor.
Marcus disappeared through the NICU doors.
Vivian looked at Nathaniel.
“He's going after the babies.”
Nathaniel nodded.
“I know.”
“Then help me!”
They ran.
Molly followed.
Daniel shouted after her.
“Molly, stay back!”
But she didn't listen.
She couldn't.
Her brothers were inside.
The NICU was dark except for emergency lights.
Monitors beeped continuously.
One incubator stood empty.
Another was surrounded by medical equipment.
Vivian stopped.
Her face went pale.
“No…”
Daniel looked inside.
“The babies?”
Vivian pointed.
“They're still here.”
Both twins were alive.
But something was wrong.
The blankets had been pulled away.
On the left side of each baby's chest was a small circular birthmark.
A dark red symbol.
It looked almost like a tiny crescent surrounded by three dots.
Molly stared.
“I've seen that before.”
Everyone turned toward her.
“Where?”
She pointed at Nathaniel.
“On Mama's necklace.”
Nathaniel closed his eyes.
Daniel looked at him.
“What does it mean?”
Nathaniel didn't answer.
Vivian stepped closer.
“These aren't ordinary birthmarks.”
She examined one of the babies.
“The pattern is identical.”
Daniel looked confused.
“Identical?”
“Exactly.”
Molly whispered:
“Why do my brothers have Mama's necklace mark?”
Nathaniel finally spoke.
“Because Elena wasn't wearing it for decoration.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means the necklace was a warning.”
Suddenly, a monitor began beeping rapidly.
Vivian looked down.
The smaller twin's oxygen level was dropping.
“Move!”
She rushed toward the incubator.
“His airway is collapsing.”
Nurses moved quickly.
Molly stood behind the glass.
“Please…”
Nathaniel stood beside her.
For the first time, Molly noticed something strange.
Nathaniel was crying.
Not much.
Just one tear.
But it was there.
“You love them?”
Nathaniel didn't look at her.
“Yes.”
“Then why did Mama run away from you?”
Nathaniel remained silent.
Molly's voice became sharper.
“Why was she afraid?”
He finally looked at her.
“Because she discovered what your father did.”
Molly frowned.
“I don't have a father.”
Nathaniel stared at her.
“That is what your mother told you.”
“But I don't.”
“You do.”
Molly stepped back.
“Who?”
Nathaniel's voice dropped.
“Me.”
The words seemed to stop the entire room.
Molly stared at him.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No!”
Nathaniel knelt down.
“Molly, listen to me.”
“You're lying!”
“I wish I were.”
She backed away.
“My mother said my father was dead.”
Nathaniel swallowed.
“She told you that because she wanted you to survive.”
Molly's eyes filled with tears.
“Then why didn't you find us?”
Nathaniel looked toward the babies.
“Because I thought you were dead.”
Molly froze.
“What?”
“Three years ago, Elena disappeared.”
“I thought she had taken you and the twins somewhere safe.”
“But I didn't have brothers three years ago.”
Nathaniel looked at the newborns.
“No.”
His expression became darker.
“You didn't.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“What exactly happened three years ago?”
Nathaniel looked at him.
“Elena discovered a project.”
“What project?”
“Something called the Black Ledger.”
Daniel frowned.
“What's that?”
Nathaniel hesitated.
“Names.”
“Whose names?”
“Politicians. Judges. Doctors. Police officers. Businessmen.”
Daniel stared.
“All connected to what?”
Nathaniel's voice dropped.
“Children.”
Silence.
Vivian looked up from the incubator.
“What kind of children?”
Nathaniel looked at the twins.
“Children who were born under very specific circumstances.”
Molly whispered:
“My brothers.”
Nathaniel nodded.
“They weren't supposed to exist.”
Daniel's expression hardened.
“Are you saying someone was experimenting on newborns?”
“I don't know everything.”
“But you know enough.”
Nathaniel looked at him.
“Elena found medical records showing that certain newborns were being secretly transferred between hospitals.”
Vivian's face changed.
“That's impossible.”
Nathaniel looked at her.
“Is it?”
Vivian went silent.
Nathaniel continued.
“Every child had the same mark.”
Molly looked at her brothers.
“The mark.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Nathaniel shook his head.
“We never discovered what it meant.”
A noise came from behind them.
Everyone turned.
Marcus stood at the far end of the NICU.
But he was no longer holding the gun.
Instead, he held a small black case.
Daniel raised his weapon.
“Put it down!”
Marcus smiled.
“It's already too late.”
Nathaniel's eyes locked onto the case.
“Where did you get that?”
Marcus opened it.
Inside was a small medical device.
And beside it was a photograph.
A photograph of Elena.
Alive.
Daniel stared.
“That was taken recently.”
Marcus smiled.
“Of course.”
Molly stepped forward.
“Mama?”
Marcus looked at her.
“She wants you to know something.”
“What?”
Marcus held up the photograph.
“She never collapsed.”
Molly's face went white.
“What?”
Marcus smiled.
“She was drugged.”
Nathaniel stared at him.
“By whom?”
Marcus's expression became cold.
“By the same person who ordered us to find the twins.”
Daniel tightened his grip on his weapon.
“Who gave the order?”
Marcus looked directly at Nathaniel.
“Your father.”
Nathaniel froze.
“My father is dead.”
Marcus shook his head.
“No.”
He slowly pointed toward the hospital entrance.
“He's alive.”
Everyone turned.
At the end of the corridor stood an elderly man in a dark suit.
Nathaniel's face lost all color.
The man smiled.
“Hello, son.”
Molly grabbed Daniel's hand.
Nathaniel whispered:
“Father…”
The old man looked toward the incubators.
Then toward Molly.
And finally toward the brass key on the floor.
“I see Elena finally gave you the key.”
Molly's heart raced.
The old man took one step forward.
“Now…”
His eyes settled on the twins.
“…we can finish what she started.”
Then every monitor in the NICU suddenly went black.
