Chapter 8 - The Vanguard
Toby led us to a heavily fortified cabin hidden deep within a gorge, off the grid and invisible to satellites. Inside, the walls were covered with surveillance photos, string, and maps. It was a war room.
David sat by the woodstove, wrapping his sprained wrist, while I stared at the man I thought had died twenty years ago.
“They sold me to a Russian oligarch,” Toby explained, pouring a cup of black coffee. “I was a pet. A novelty. When I was sixteen, I killed his head of security and escaped. I’ve spent every day since hunting the people who broke us.”
I placed the singed ledger on the table. “I found this at Silver Pines.”
Toby’s eyes widened. He touched the leather binding with reverence. “I’ve been looking for this for ten years. This is the master index. It has the names of every buyer in the Vanguard network.”
“Caroline said Eleanor was just a broker,” David interjected. “Who runs the Vanguard?”
Toby pointed to a large, grainy photograph pinned to the center of the wall. It was a man in a tailored suit, his face partially obscured by shadows.
“Senator Thomas Sterling,” Toby said, his voice dripping with venom. “He uses his political influence to fast-track adoptions, bypass child protective services, and cover up the disappearances. Your parents were his regional distributors.”
“They took Leo,” I said, my voice trembling. “They were going to sell my son to him.”
“Leo is a genetic goldmine,” Toby said softly. “You and I... we aren't just random kids they picked up, Elena. The Vanguard selects children with specific IQ markers and physical traits. They’re breeding an elite class.”
My stomach churned. My whole life was a lie. My parents were captors. My childhood was a holding pen.
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“Sterling is hosting a private gala tomorrow night in Manhattan,” Toby said, racking the slide of his pistol. “The Vanguard inner circle will be there. With this ledger, we can expose them all.”
“No,” I said, my voice hardening. “We aren't just going to expose them. We’re going to destroy them.”
