Chapter 10 - The Woman Wearing Susan's FaceMarcus grabbed Eli.
The woman stepped into the room.
Susan's face.
Susan's hair.
Susan's clothes.
But something was wrong.
Her expression was too still.
Too controlled.
Arthur pointed.
“You're not Susan.”
The woman smiled.
“No.”
“Who are you?”
“Someone who has spent eleven years cleaning up your family's mess.”
Marcus stared.
“Where is my aunt?”
The woman didn't answer.
Arthur rushed forward.
She raised the gun.
“Stop.”
Arthur froze.
Marcus noticed the weapon.
Not a handgun.
A tranquilizer pistol.
The woman looked at Eli.
“Come here.”
“No.”
“Eli.”
The boy stepped behind Marcus.
She sighed.
“You have your mother's instincts.”
Marcus narrowed his eyes.
“You knew Margaret.”
“I knew all of them.”
“Where is Susan?”
The woman finally answered.
“Dead.”
Arthur's face collapsed.
“When?”
“Eleven years ago.”
“Then who…”
“Me.”
Marcus stared.
The woman touched her own face.
“Your aunt died trying to expose Daniel.”
“Why pretend to be her?”
“To control the house.”
Marcus remembered every conversation.
Every warning.
Every lie.
She had manipulated everything.
“You trapped my father.”
“I needed Arthur contained.”
“You threatened Eli.”
“To make you move.”
“You killed people.”
She looked at him coldly.
“Yes.”
Eli suddenly spoke.
“Why are you scared of the bell?”
The woman's face changed.
Marcus noticed.
“The bell?”
Eli pointed to the silver bell.
The woman stepped backward.
“Give that to me.”
Marcus held it tighter.
“Why?”
She didn't answer.
Eli looked around.
“The bell opens doors.”
The woman lifted her weapon.
“Give it to me.”
Marcus grabbed Eli.
Clara tackled the woman.
The gun fired into the ceiling.
Arthur seized the weapon.
Marcus pulled Eli toward the door.
“Run!”
They sprinted into the archive.
The woman chased them.
Marcus grabbed a metal shelf and pushed.
Boxes crashed down.
She ducked.
Clara shouted:
“The archive!”
“What?”
“We can send everything now.”
Marcus looked at the main console.
The timer:
09:31.
He ran to it.
A screen asked:
FINAL HEIR AUTHORIZATION.
Fingerprint.
Marcus looked at Eli.
“No.”
Eli nodded.
“I can do it.”
Marcus hesitated.
“Dad.”
“We don't know what happens.”
Eli looked toward the staircase.
“They already took Grandpa.”
He placed his hand on the scanner.
Green light.
The system activated.
Files began uploading.
Daniel's voice filled the archive.
“STOP!”
Marcus smiled.
For the first time, he felt powerful.
“Too late.”
The woman's voice screamed from behind them.
“No!”
The upload reached ten percent.
Twenty.
Thirty.
Then the system froze.
A message appeared.
SECOND AUTHORIZATION REQUIRED.
Marcus stared.
“What?”
A second fingerprint scanner extended.
Clara froze.
Arthur wasn't there.
Noah was missing.
Then Eli spoke.
“The heir and the heir before him.”
Marcus remembered Margaret.
“You said Noah was the first heir.”
“Yes.”
“The archive needs Noah.”
The woman's smile returned.
“Exactly.”
She raised her weapon.
“You can't open the archive without him.”
Marcus turned toward her.
“Where is Noah?”
She smiled.
“Under Calder House.”
“Where?”
She pointed down.
“Where the first Carrow was buried.”
The floor beneath them suddenly opened.
May you like
Marcus and Eli fell.
Into darkness.
