Chapter 4 THE HARVEST PROTOCOL

The human body can withstand unimaginable violence when properly prepared."

-Dr. Daniel Mercer's surgical notes (seized as evidence #4582-B)

The boarding pass burned against Evelyn's thigh through her lab coat pocket. She focused on the embossed letters - Flight 817 · Gate B12 · 18:15 - as the medical examiner peeled back Langley's chest cavity with a wet tearing sound. The departure time wasn't random. 6:15 PM coincided precisely with the circadian nadir of her adrenal cortex activity, when cortisol levels dipped to their daily minimum. Daniel would know that. Would have calculated it down to the minute.

Hale's nicotine-stained fingers closed around her wrist, his thumb pressing into her radial pulse point. "You're not actually considering-"

She twisted free with a viper-quick motion, turning to the ME. "Run a full toxicology panel with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Specifically screen for carbetocin derivatives and synthetic oxytocin analogues with 4-10 amino acid substitutions."

The ME's gloved hands paused over the open thorax. "That's... hyper-specific, doc."

Evelyn's nail dug into her own palm. "Daniel published three papers on accelerated placental attachment in the Journal of Reproductive Immunology. He believed you could chemically induce maternal-fetal bonding through vasopressin receptor manipulation." She pointed to Langley's excised eyes. "Those marbles? They're not just containing sonograms. Look at the refractive index - they're impregnated with slow-release oxytocin analogues. He's been dosing me every time I examine a victim."

Hale's service weapon clicked as he adjusted his holster. "That's how he got your oocytes. You were chemically compliant during the retrieval."

The fertility clinic records unfolded like a horror novel in triplicate forms:

Page 14 (Operative Report):

December 12 · 23:47 · Mercy General OR 3 Procedure: Diagnostic dilation & curettage

Findings: Retrieved 14 mature oocytes via transvaginal aspiration*

Surgeon: Dr. E. Shaw (signature verified)

Anesthesia: Propofol 200mg IV, Midazolam 4mg

Note: Patient exhibited paradoxical arousal at 00:12 - administered additional 50mg propofol per anesthesia protocol"

Evelyn's fingers trembled as she flipped to the next page. The signature was hers - the exact slant of the 'E', the distinctive break in the 'S' tail - but she'd never performed this procedure.

Page 27 (Lab Records):

"December 24 · ICSI Procedure Log

Donor #8817: 6'2", 185lbs, AB-negative, 34yo Caucasian male

Sperm motility: 98%

Fertilization rate: 86% (12/14 oocytes)

Embryo quality: 4AA x3

Hale's coffee cup cracked in his grip. "Those are Daniel's exact physical stats. AB-negative is what, 1% of the population?"

"0.6%," Evelyn whispered. Her medical school memory supplied the rest: Daniel standing shirtless in the anatomy lab storage room, that vertical scar from xiphoid to navel gleaming under fluorescent lights. "Rarest blood type for a reason, darling. The universe preserves what's precious."

Page 33 (Cryopreservation Log):

January 3 · Project Galatea

Embryos vitrified: 3 (all 4AA grade)

Storage location: Tank 14-B

Authorization: Dr. E. Shaw (biometric verification)"

The final page contained an ultrasound image dated January 28 - a gestational sac with unmistakable eccentric positioning in the uterine fundus. Exactly where Daniel had published optimal implantation occurred.

The scent hit them first - not the expected copper-tang of blood, but the cloying sweetness of warmed ultrasound gel mixed with antiseptic. Dr. Melissa Cho's body was positioned in perfect lithotomy, her legs flexed at 110 degrees in candy-cane striped stirrups.

Initial Findings:

- Uterus cleanly excised via Pfannenstiel incision (5cm suprapubic transverse)

-Ovaries left intact but bisected to reveal multiple corpus luteum cysts

- Replacement organ: A sterling silver music box where her uterus should be

The crime scene tech retched when they lifted Cho's surgical gown. The music box began playing Brahms' Wiegenlied, the mechanism triggered by movement. From its open lid, three observations became immediately clear:

1.Timing: The ultrasound gel was still warm (34.7°C per infrared thermometer)

2.Personalization: The fetal monitor displayed "Shaw, E. · HR 98 · O2 Sat 99%"

3.The vial: Labeled E.S. Harvest: Cycle Day 14" containing 5ml of clear fluid

Evelyn's forensic light revealed the horrifying detail everyone missed - the music box's interior was lined with endometrial tissue. Daniel hadn't just removed Cho's uterus. He'd used it as raw material.

The lab results came back at 03:17, printed on the same heavy linen paper Daniel always used. Evelyn's trained eye immediately recognized the anomalies:

Table 1: Abnormal Markers

|Analyte|Result|NormalRange|Clinical Significance |

|---------|--------|--------------|-----------------------|

| hCG | 48,325 mIU/mL | <5 non-preg | Consistent with twins/molar preg |

| CRH | 382 pg/mL | 10-60 | Advanced placental age |

|PLAC1 | Positive | Negative | Fetal protein in maternal blood |

|ADAM12 | 290 ng/mL |<20 |Placental invasion marker |

The pathologist's hands shook as he pointed to the electrophoresis gel. "These PLAC1 proteins... they're not just present. They're spliced with synthetic peptides." He traced an abnormal band. "This looks like engineered tissue factor pathway inhibitor-2. It prevents placental detachment."

Evelyn's mind raced through the implications:

- The pregnancy was progressing at triple normal speed

- The placenta was chemically bonded to her uterus

- Daniel had turned her body into a living bioreacto

The final message arrived in a first-edition copy of Human Embryology & Morphology (Streeter, 1942). The book fell open to Plate XIV - "Week 12 Fetal Development" - where Daniel had made meticulous annotations in his characteristic green ink.

The Note:

Dearest Evie,

By now your excellent mind will have deduced:

1. Our child isn't following conventional timelines (see Table 1)

2. The coffee in your office contains 25mcg/mL desmopressin acetate

3. You have exactly 72 hours before the placenta becomes inseparable from your uterine vasculature

Come to me at the coordinates below.

Bring the detective.

Let's complete our family portrait.

Always yours,

D."

Postscript:

P.S. The music box plays for 98 beats per minute. Hale's resting heart rate when he sleeps beside you."

Hale's service weapon clicked as he chambered a round. "We're taking that plane. But not as passengers."

Evelyn's hand moved to her abdomen. The flutter she felt wasn't fear.

At exactly 16 weeks gestational age (accelerated from 12), it was the first unmistakable quickening.