Chapter 3: Unearthing Shadows and Closed Doors

Sarah focused her efforts on two fronts. First, she delved deeper into the rumored “enhanced human potential” program. The retired journalist in Santa Fe had provided a few cryptic keywords and the general timeframe. Using these, Sarah navigated the murky waters of declassified government documents, obscure academic papers, and online conspiracy forums – sifting through the noise for any credible information.

She discovered mentions of a program codenamed “Project Chimera” that supposedly operated in the New Mexico desert decades ago. The documents were heavily redacted, but the recurring themes of “biological augmentation,” “non-terrestrial influences,” and “enhanced cognitive and physical capabilities” sent chills down her spine. The timeline loosely aligned with Elias’s birth, and the secrecy surrounding the project mirrored the current situation.

Simultaneously, Sarah began to investigate the “maximum security medical ward” where Elias was being held. The official transfer records were sealed, but she managed to glean a few details through unofficial channels – hushed conversations with a sympathetic hospital worker and some clever online sleuthing. The facility was known as “Blackwood Creek Annex,” a privately owned medical research center with a reputation for handling highly sensitive cases and operating under tight security protocols. Its location was surprisingly close to Clover Creek, nestled deep within the Olympic National Forest.

Realizing the potential danger and the limitations of working alone, Sarah decided to confide in someone she trusted: Officer Brody. She approached him cautiously, sharing the inconsistencies in the official narrative and the fragmented information she had uncovered about Elias’s past and his current location.

Brody, still troubled by the unanswered questions surrounding Veridian Sight’s disappearance and his own sense of unease about the government’s heavy-handed involvement, was initially skeptical. But Sarah’s persistence and the compelling, albeit circumstantial, evidence she presented began to sway him. He had witnessed Elias’s extraordinary abilities firsthand and knew that something unusual was at play.

“Blackwood Creek Annex?” Brody frowned a flicker of recognition in his eyes. “I’ve heard whispers about that place. Off the books, you know? They keep to themselves.”

He agreed to help Sarah, using his limited official resources to discreetly gather more information about the Blackwood Creek Annex. He ran license plate checks on vehicles seen entering and leaving the facility and accessed local law enforcement databases for any past incidents or reports related to the center.

Working together, Sarah’s research skills and Brody’s local knowledge began to paint a clearer, and more disturbing, picture. Blackwood Creek Annex wasn’t just a medical facility; it was heavily guarded, shrouded in secrecy, and likely involved in something far more significant than standard healthcare. The whispers of “Project Chimera” and the unusual circumstances of Elias’s birth in New Mexico seemed to be converging on this isolated facility in their own backyard.

Their next step was clear: they needed to find a way to get inside Blackwood Creek Annex and uncover the truth about what was being done to Elias Thorne.