Chapter 7 #2
"And you didn't think that was suspicious?" Nana's voice could have cut glass.
"I questioned it. I went to Dr. Wournos.
He's one of the founding members and on the board.
He assured me it was standard research protocol.
That we were building a database to better understand and serve paranormal children.
" Dr. Reeves's hands were shaking now. "He made a good case about how we needed to understand the inner workings of the powers of other beings, so we don't make mistakes. "
"But you didn't believe him," I said.
"I wanted to." Her eyes were bright with unshed tears. "The collective was supposed to be different. We were supposed to be the safe option. But then infants started... disappearing from our patient roster. It took digging, but I discovered their powers were drained from them before they died."
"How many did this happen to?" Nana demanded.
"Twelve that I know of. Maybe more." She pulled up her tablet. "I started keeping track. Unofficially. Something felt wrong. Every infant that died was powerful. Every single one."
She turned the screen to show us. A list of names, dates, and notes written in shorthand. "What about Ash?" I asked, scanning the list.
"His mom brought him in three weeks before.
.. before he was attacked." Dr. Reeves's voice broke.
"I did Ash's assessment myself. He was perfectly healthy.
Had a strong fire affinity, but well within normal ranges.
Two days later, the administration requested I forward all his records to their research division. "
"Which is where?" Nana asked sharply.
"I don't know. The request came through the collective's secure server. I uploaded the files to a portal, and they were downloaded by someone with administrative credentials." She swiped through her tablet. "But I started watching the server logs after that. Monitoring who accessed which files."
My pulse raced. "And?"
"The same IP address accessed records for all twelve families. Usually within forty-eight hours of their appointments. Always downloading complete magical assessments, family histories, everything."
I wanted Clio to be right. The magical world needed this medical group. It pissed me off for a whole new set of reasons that there were people abusing it. "Who does the IP address belong to?"
"I tried to track it. All I discovered was that it routes through the collective's internal network."
Dr. Reeves continued, her voice gaining strength now that she'd started talking.
"Three months ago, I was asked to use new diagnostic equipment for the assessments.
State-of-the-art magical resonance scanners.
They were created after your friends figured out how to make tech work with magic.
Thank you for supporting that, by the way.
We've been looking for a way to get more accurate information.
It was a huge advancement in pediatric supernatural medicine. "
Nana and I exchanged a look. "Let me guess," she said. "The equipment uploads data automatically?"
"To the research division's secure server.
For analysis and study purposes." Dr. Reeves's laugh was bitter.
"I didn't think anything of it at first. But then I noticed the scans were capturing more than just medical data.
They were mapping the children's magical signatures at a molecular level.
Creating detailed blueprints of their power structures. "
“They're not just tracking powerful children,” Tarja's voice was ice in my mind. “They're cataloguing them. Building a database. Thessmark will know where every powerful child is at all times.”
"Who authorized the equipment?" Nana demanded.
"Dr. Duke Parker. He's the collective's director of research.
" Dr. Reeves pulled up a photo of a man in his thirties with sharp eyes and an easy smile.
"He's been with the collective since its founding. He’s got impeccable credentials and has published extensively.
He's even begun writing articles on supernatural pediatric development.
" I stared at the photo, committing every detail to memory.
"The equipment is in every exam room now. Standard protocol. Every child who comes through our doors gets scanned, whether they need it or not. The data goes straight to Parker's division."
"And you didn't report this to anyone?" I couldn't keep the disbelief from my voice.
"To whom?" Her eyes flashed. "The collective's board?
Half of them answer to Parker. The supernatural authorities?
What would I even tell Mohan? I had no proof.
Families trust us. If I go public with unfounded accusations, I destroy that trust. I destroy the one safe medical option most of these families have. " She paused. "We do a lot of good."
She wasn't wrong. But it didn't make the situation any less fucked. "What did you send them from today's visit?"
Dr. Reeves looked at the babies, still lying peacefully on the examination table.
"Nothing they didn't already have. When I saw your name on today's schedule, I looked up your family file.
" Her voice dropped. "Your records had been accessed seventeen times in the last month. That’s a huge jump.
They're planning something. The access frequency always spikes right before. .. before something happens."
"When?" Nana demanded.
"Based on previous patterns? Days. Maybe a week at most." She pulled up a graph on her tablet, showing access frequency over time. The spike before each attack was unmistakable. Ours showed the same pattern.
“The lunar phase in five days is when the last three attacks occurred,” Tarja sent. “It's also when a god’s power is at its peak.”
My arms tightened around Melaina. "I need names. Everyone in the research division. Everyone who has access to that server. Everyone who's part of this."
Dr. Reeves hesitated for only a moment. Then she started transferring files to a secure folder.
"This is everything I have. Names, access logs.
If I'm caught sharing this, I'll lose my license.
Probably worse." She met my eyes. "But I can't keep pretending I don't see what's happening. Not when children are dying."
When the transfer was completed, she handed me a flash drive.
"There's one more thing. The research division holds weekly meetings in the basement.
Security is tight, but there's a maintenance entrance through the parking garage.
Level B2, northeast corner. The door code changes weekly, but I can get you next week's code. "
"We might not have that long."
"This is all I can give you." She pulled out a prescription pad, scribbled something, and handed it to me. To anyone watching the security footage, it would look like normal medical instructions. "That's Dr. Copeland's personal number. He's been asking questions, too. He might be an ally."
Or he might be part of it. But I tucked the paper away. "Thank you."
Dr. Reeves's smile was sad. "I'm sorry I didn't say something sooner. Right now, I need to complete this examination. For the records."
She ran her scans quickly and efficiently while I stood there trying to process everything she'd told us. When she finished, she made notes in her tablet. "Everything looks normal. Their power levels are developing appropriately. I'll see you for their next checkup."
But before she left, she leaned in close. "Keep them close. Trust no one. And whatever you do, don't bring them back here."
I thanked her, got the babies dressed, and then forced myself to walk normally through the halls.
I inclined my head when we passed the receptionist with her bright smile.
The crisp afternoon air was welcome when we made it outside.
Nana navigated the stroller across the parking lot while I carried Thaniel, his warm weight against my shoulder, keeping me grounded.
Stella tracked us through the windshield and started the car when she got one look at my face.
She jumped out to help get the babies into their car seats, while Nana collapsed the stroller and loaded it into the trunk.
My hands were shaking now that we were out.
Now that my children were as safe as they could be.
"Drive," I said. "We need to get home. With luck, Jean-Marc will have more information for us by the time we get there.” I sent my oldest son a message asking him to gather as much information as he could on that medical group.
Stella's grin was bright. "Finally. I was getting bored with surveillance."
She pulled out of the parking space, and I pulled out the flash drive Dr. Reeves had given me. Through my bond, Tarja's satisfaction purred against my consciousness. I was silent while Nana and Stella discussed ways to find the Thessmark and stop them. None of them was good or realistic.
By the time Stella pulled into the driveway, I was ready to crawl out of my skin with impatience. Nina met us at the door with the tablet in hand. "Jean-Marc's standing by. He said he can connect in five minutes."
I handed off Melaina to Nina and grabbed Thaniel. Nana picked up Nyssa. We headed straight for the kitchen. Aidon was standing by the window with his arms crossed over his chest. His shadows were restless around his feet. Stella followed me in, wearing her infectious grin.
The tablet chimed, making Nina set it down. Aidon pressed the green button, and Jean-Marc's face filled the screen. He was in the living room of the house he shared with Fiona’s kids.
"Tell me you got something," I said without preamble.
“There’s a hidden room somewhere in their basement,” he replied. “I’m still looking into it.”
"Okay. I need you to look at the information on this. And maybe track the IP address." I held up the flash drive to the camera.
"I will do what I can." Jean-Marc leaned closer to his screen. "Can you upload the files to our Dropbox? I'll pull them from my end."