Jason turned away, angry and cold. “You’re wasting my time,” he said, “Why won’t you confess, Amber? Do you like seeing your sister suffer?”
“I don't know where Julius is, please stop, you'll kill her,” I sobbed.
He turned to Chloe. “You wanted corneas for your experiment, right?”
My blood froze. I felt the ground disappear.
“No,” I croaked. “You can’t. She's just a child —”
He cut me off. “I’m not a monster, Amber, I won’t touch your sister, it’s your mother. That old cow has lived long enough, don't you think? Or will you tell me where my son is now so I can spare her?”
“I didn't take your son, Jason, stop this madness!” I screamed.
“You won’t confess? Fine,” He pulled out his phone and barked an order. “Doctor, prepare the OR. Take her corneas. Start now.”
His men pushed me down a chair and shoved a phone into my face. They showed me a live video feed from the hospital OR.
My mother lay on the table, tubes in her nose, her hand pale under the light. Doctors were preparing instruments. The sound of a monitor beep raced in my ears.
“No! Stop that camera—” I screamed.
I scrubbed at my eyes and pounded on the table. “You can’t do this. Please. She’s sick. You’ll kill her.”
Jason yanked my hair, “Just watch, Amber. Watch what happens when you refuse to cooperate.”
I begged. I shouted. I clawed at their arms. I tried to break free. But my body was weak and the room closed in.
Then a man burst in and yelled, “We found Julius! He’s in one of Amber’s cars. He was locked inside. He’s alive but barely, he almost suffocated.”
Jason spun on him, “Where is he? Bring him here now. Doctor, do everything! Save my son!” Jason roared.
All at once the men and the doctors obeyed him. Nurses rushed away from my phone feed. The live image of my mother’s surgery was cut off. The room emptied. They ran out to save his son.
“Wait!” I cried. “My mother—she—” but my voice was swallowed by the rush of shoes on the floor.
The monitor on my mother’s feed started to falter. I realized in my chest that they had left the surgery mid-cut. The sound went flat in the feed. I watched with bare horror as the line on the monitor slowed.
“No—” I whispered.
I staggered to my feet, banging at the door. “Please! Someone! Come back!”
They did not. The paramedics ran past with Julius. Jason followed them like a shadow.