Part I: The Proposal (Psychological Thriller)
Simone sat at the table. She didn't eat a donut. She just stared at the box.
"The lawyer says you have two options," she began. "Option one: turn yourselves in. Cass gets ten years. Mara gets five, because of the memory loss defense. You're out when you're old."
Mara winced. "Option two?"
"Option two: you help the police find the doctor. Dr. Aris. He's done this to dozens of people. Wiped their memories. Stole their lives. If you testify against him, they'll give you immunity."
"The lighthouse burned," Cass said.
"He wasn't in it. He escaped. We have eyes on him in Portland. He's setting up a new clinic."
Mara looked at her hands. The calluses. The scar. "And if I say no?"
Simone finally picked up a donut. Powdered sugar. "Then I go back to chasing you. And I'm tired of chasing."
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Part II: The Sister's Truth (Literary Interlude)
Mara stood up. Walked to the window. The street was quiet. No black sedans. No men in gray jackets.
"Why are you helping us?" she asked.
Simone took a bite. Chewed. Swallowed. "Because I watched you burn the vault. You didn't have to do that. You could have kept those memories. Used them. Sold them. Instead, you set them on fire."
"They weren't mine to keep."
"Exactly." Simone wiped sugar from her lip. "That's the first time you've done something selfless since we were kids. I wanted to see if it was real."
"And?"
Simone almost smiled. "It was real."
Cass cleared his throat. "So we go to Portland. Find the doctor. Testify. Then what?"
"Then you disappear. New names. New city. No more wipes." Simone stood up. "I'll even drive you."
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Part III: The Road Ahead (Action Seed)
They left at dawn. Elias stayed behind to watch the house. Simone drove a blue Honda with a dented bumper. Cass rode shotgun. Mara sat in the back, watching the trees blur past.
Portland was four hours away. Four hours to decide if she was brave enough to face the man who had taught her how to forget.
She leaned her head against the window. The glass was cold.
"Simone," she said.
"Yeah?"
"Thank you. For not killing me."
Simone's eyes met hers in the rearview mirror. "Don't thank me yet. We haven't found him."
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