Is That Mom

Part 6 of the Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

Into the Unknown

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Part 6:

Confronting Sarah

Ethan didn’t stop running until the café came into view, his breath fogging in the cool air as he slowed to a walk. The chill morning had given way to a somber, gray afternoon, and the town seemed even more desolate than before. The streets were empty, the quiet only amplifying the urgency racing through his veins. His backpack, weighed down by the document he’d found, felt like it carried not just answers, but danger.

Sarah was here. She had to be. He didn’t know why he was so sure, but something told him she wouldn’t have left—not yet. Not when she knew he would be back. As Ethan pushed open the door to the café, the familiar chime of the bell overhead seemed far too cheery for the tension crackling in the air.

There she was, sitting at the same table in the corner, her back to the window. The light filtered in behind her, casting her in silhouette, making it hard to read her expression. But Ethan didn’t need to see her face to know she was expecting him. There was a stiffness in the way she held her coffee cup, a tightness in her posture that spoke of unease.

Ethan didn’t waste time with pleasantries. He strode straight to her table, pulling the document from his backpack with shaking hands. His heart was pounding, adrenaline and anger driving him forward.

“You knew,” he said, his voice low but hard as steel. He tossed the paper onto the table in front of her. “You knew about this. About my mother. Why didn’t you tell me?”

Sarah glanced down at the document, her face betraying nothing, but her fingers tightened slightly around the coffee cup. She didn’t look at Ethan right away, instead keeping her eyes on the paper as if she could will it to disappear.

“I told you not to dig too deep,” she finally said, her voice steady, but there was an undercurrent of tension in it, a wariness that hadn’t been there before. “You didn’t listen.”

Ethan felt a surge of frustration rise in his chest. “What is this?” he demanded, pointing at the list of names, his mother’s circled in red. “What the hell was Project M? And why is my mother’s name on this list? You owe me some answers, Sarah.”

She flinched at the intensity in his voice but didn’t back down. Her eyes finally met his, and for a moment, Ethan saw a flash of something—fear, maybe? Guilt? Whatever it was, it was quickly masked by her usual guarded expression.

“I owe you nothing, Ethan,” she said, her tone calm but firm. “You’re in over your head. You think you want answers, but trust me, you don’t.”

Ethan’s hands balled into fists at his sides, frustration bubbling over into anger. “I don’t care how dangerous this is. I’m not leaving without the truth.” He leaned forward, his voice dropping to a fierce whisper. “You know something, Sarah. Don’t lie to me. My mother—what happened to her?”

Sarah’s face softened, just for a moment, and Ethan thought he saw the tiniest crack in her armor. But then she shook her head, as if trying to push away whatever emotions had threatened to surface.

“Your mother was involved in something bigger than either of us,” she said quietly. “Something that still has consequences today. That’s why I told you to stay out of it.”

Ethan’s anger flared again. “You knew this whole time, and you let me walk into this blind?” He gestured to the document. “Do you have any idea what this is like for me? Finding out my mother wasn’t just missing—that she was involved in some kind of experiment? And you knew?”

Sarah stood abruptly, her chair scraping loudly against the floor. For the first time, her mask of composure slipped, and Ethan saw the fear in her eyes, raw and unguarded.

“You think you’re the only one this affects?” she snapped, her voice rising. “You think I’m not in danger too? You have no idea what these people are capable of. I’m trying to protect both of us.”

Ethan recoiled slightly at her outburst, but he held his ground. “Then help me,” he said, his voice quieter but no less intense. “I need to know what happened to her. I can’t walk away from this.”

For a long moment, they stood there in silence, the tension between them palpable. Sarah’s chest rose and fell with quick, shallow breaths, and Ethan could see her weighing her options. She was scared—terrified, even—but she also knew that the truth couldn’t stay buried forever. And now that Ethan had found part of it, there was no turning back.

Finally, Sarah sat down again, her shoulders sagging as if the weight of her secrets had become too much to carry alone. Ethan followed suit, his heart still pounding, but with a flicker of hope igniting in his chest.

“I can’t tell you everything,” Sarah said, her voice low, almost a whisper. “But I can tell you enough to keep you from getting killed.”

Ethan leaned in closer, his pulse quickening. This was it. Finally, he was getting somewhere.

“Project M,” Sarah began, glancing around the café as if expecting someone to be listening in. “It wasn’t just an experiment. It was a way to control people. To manipulate them—mentally, emotionally. Your mother was one of many. They… they didn’t volunteer, Ethan. They were chosen. Taken.”

Ethan felt a cold chill run down his spine. His mother hadn’t chosen to be part of this? She had been taken?

“Why?” Ethan whispered, his voice hoarse. “Why her?”

Sarah shook her head. “I don’t know. But I know that it didn’t end when the experiment was shut down. Some of the participants… they never came back. Others disappeared. Like your mother.”

Ethan sat back, trying to process what she was telling him. His mind raced, his thoughts a chaotic mess. His mother had been taken, experimented on, and then… what? Had she escaped? Been taken again? Was she even still alive?

“I need to find her,” he said, more to himself than to Sarah. “I need to know what happened to her.”

Sarah looked at him, her expression softer now, almost sympathetic. “I know,” she said quietly. “But you need to be careful. The people behind this—they won’t stop until they’ve silenced anyone who knows too much. That includes you, Ethan.”

Ethan met her gaze, his jaw set. “I don’t care how dangerous it is. I’m not stopping until I find her.”

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then Sarah sighed, rubbing her forehead with a tired hand. “If you’re really serious about this,” she said, her voice resigned, “then we need to talk. But not here. It’s not safe.”

Ethan nodded. He knew Sarah was right. The walls seemed to close in on him, the café suddenly feeling far too exposed. He gathered up the document, stuffing it back into his bag as Sarah stood.

“Meet me tonight,” she said quietly. “By the river. There’s a spot where we can talk without being overheard.”

Ethan hesitated, the weight of her words sinking in. This was real. The danger was real. But he had come too far to turn back now.

“Okay,” he agreed, his voice steady. “Tonight.”

As Sarah turned to leave, Ethan watched her go, a knot of uncertainty tightening in his stomach. He had more questions than ever, and despite Sarah’s warnings, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was walking into something far bigger than he could handle.

But he had to see it through. For his mother.

No matter the cost.