Daniel spent the next several days combing through the files on Harper's flash drive. The deeper he delved, the more sinister the picture became. Project Genesis wasn’t just an unethical clinical trial; it was a cover for something far worse. The emails, financial records, and research logs pointed to one chilling conclusion:
Corvin Medical had been developing a bioweapon disguised as a treatment for genetic disorders.
The goal wasn’t to cure diseases, it was to engineer a virus that could be controlled and monetized. The potential market was immense: sell the virus to militaries, governments, or corporations, then offer the cure at a premium. The casualties were seen as collateral damage, a necessary cost in the pursuit of profit and power.
But there was one piece missing. The research logs hinted at a “Phase Zero” trial that predated Project Genesis. This earlier phase seemed to involve field testing of the virus in small, controlled populations. If true, it meant Corvin had been using unsuspecting communities as test subjects long before the public trials began.
---
Daniel shared the files with Grace over coffee at a quiet café downtown. She looked pale as she scrolled through the documents, her lips pressed into a thin line.
“This goes beyond anything I imagined...i mean i get the gist of what they were planning but not to this point..” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “If this gets out, it could destroy them.”
“That’s the idea,” Daniel replied. “But we need more than this. Besides, I'm not sure this would be concrete enough considering how they managed to clean traces, shift media attention and shut people up for a period of time. We need witnesses, concrete proof of the field tests, and something that links Reddick directly to the bioweapon program.”
Grace hesitated, then reached into her bag and pulled out a manila envelope. “Yeah..and I’ve been doing some digging on my own. There’s a man named Victor Delgado. He used to work security for Corvin. He left under mysterious circumstances a few years ago, but not before filing a wrongful termination suit. The case was settled out of court, and he’s been off the grid ever since.”
“What makes you think he’ll talk?” Daniel questioned with concern.
Grace smirked. “Because I tracked down his sister. She says he’s been trying to drink himself to death, but he’s still angry enough to want revenge. He might just be our best shot at getting the truth. For now."
---
Victor Delgado lived in a run-down trailer park on the outskirts of the city. The place smelled of diesel fuel and despair, with rusted cars and broken furniture littering the yards.
Daniel knocked on the door of a faded blue trailer, the sound echoing hollowly. After a long pause, it creaked open to reveal a disheveled man in his forties, his eyes bloodshot and his face lined with anger and regret.
“Who the hell are you?” Victor demanded, clutching a half-empty bottle of whiskey.
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“My name’s Daniel Cross. I’m a journalist (not gonna mention 'former') investigating Corvin Medical. I think you know why I’m here.”
Victor laughed bitterly. “Hergh ha You’re wasting your time. They’ve already won. They always win.”
“Not if you help me” Daniel said, his tone steady. “I have documents, witnesses, and a platform. I can make this public, but I need someone who was on the inside, someone who saw what they were doing.”
Victor leaned against the doorframe, his expression haunted. “You just don’t know what you’re asking for huh. They ruined my life, man. My career, my family, everything. And if I talk to you, they’ll finish the job.”
Daniel stepped closer. “Yes I understand that they already destroyed you. But this is your chance to fight back..to make sure they don’t do this to anyone else.”
Victor stared at him for a long moment, then sighed heavily. “Ha....Fine!! Come in. But if this blows up in my face, it’s on you. I will hunt you and make you pay till your last breadth."
---
Inside the trailer, Victor lit a cigarette with shaky hands and began to talk.
“My story is that I worked security at one of their remote labs. Maybe you already know about it since you found me." he said. “It was a small operation, off the books. No signs, no official records. They brought in test subjects mostly homeless people, immigrants, folks nobody would miss from God knows where. They told us it was all voluntary, but that was a lie. They’d bring them in unconscious, strap them to beds, and inject them with God knows what.”
“What happened to those test subjects?” Daniel asked.
Victor exhaled a plume of smoke, his eyes dark. “Most of them didn’t make it. The virus was too aggressive. They’d spike a fever, start hemorrhaging, and die within days. But a few survived long enough to be transferred to another facility. That’s when I started asking questions. Big mistake.”
“They fired you?”
“Fired me, blacklisted me, and made damn sure I couldn’t get another job. Then they sent someone to ‘warn’ me.” Victor rolled up his sleeve, revealing a long scar on his forearm. “Said next time, it’d be my neck.”
---
Victor handed Daniel a USB drive. “I copied some files before they kicked me out. Don't ask how or where I get it from. It’s not much...just some schedules and personnel logs but it might help.”
Daniel pocketed the drive, his mind racing. “Do you remember the name of the lab?”
“Yeah,” Victor said. “It was in a place called Hollow Creek. Middle of nowhere. If you’re thinking of going there, don’t. That place is a death trap.”
Daniel nodded, but he had already made up his mind. Hollow Creek was the missing piece..a chance to find direct evidence of Corvin’s crimes. But it was also a gamble. If the lab was still operational, he’d be walking into enemy territory.
As he left the trailer, Victor called out to him. “Hey, Cross. Be careful... These people don’t just kill you..they erase you.”
---
That night, Daniel couldn’t sleep. The voices of the dead seemed louder than ever, filling his apartment with whispers and pleas.
“Find Hollow Creek,” Maria’s voice urged, noticeably alarming with whatever strength she could muster.
“Please tell our stories.” Sofia said.
But it was Emily’s voice that struck him the hardest.
“Be careful, Dad...” she whispered. “They’re watching you.”
Daniel sat in the dark, staring at the USB drive in his hand. The stakes had never been higher, but he couldn’t turn back now. The dead were counting on him, and he couldn’t let them down.
Tomorrow, he would go to Hollow Creek. And whatever waited for him there, he would face it head-on.
(To be Continued)