Chapter 22: The Other Five

Eliza's POV

Cryo level four was a white corridor with a steel door at the end.

A technician stood outside it, wringing her hands.

"He won't open it," she said. "He says he's not doing anything. He just wants to sit with them."

Eli took the key card from his pocket and held it up.

"We have the right card."

"He has one too." She looked at me. "Are you Ms. Farraday?"

"Yes."

"Then it's your lot. I'm sorry. I didn't know it was yours until today."

The door buzzed open at Eli's card, and I walked in alone.

The room was cold and quiet and humming.

Five silver canisters stood in a rack along the wall, each with a steel lid and a white tag.

Chase sat on the floor with his back against the rack, in the same dinner jacket.

He'd been wearing it since Saturday.

His eyes were red.

"I didn't touch them," he said. "I swear I didn't."

"I know."

"I wanted to see them one more time before you took them."

"They're not yours to see."

"I know that too."

I stood in front of him.

It was strange to look down at a man I had spent five years looking up at.

He held something out to me with a shaking hand.

It was a sheet of lab paper, folded in thirds, the letter from two years ago.

"The real one is in the file," he said. "This is the forgery."