Chapter 10 - TWO FACESVictor Hale's words hung in the tower.
James stared at him.
"Explain."
Hale smiled.
"Ask your uncle."
"My uncle is dead."
"Which one?"
James's blood ran cold.
Charles suddenly stepped out from behind the stairs.
Everyone turned.
James stared.
"You."
Charles raised both hands.
"I didn't know Hale would come here."
Hale laughed softly.
"Charles has always been terrible at lying."
Davis aimed his weapon.
"Nobody move."
Hale looked bored.
"Officer, you are holding a ledger containing evidence implicating half this city. You should be more concerned about who gave you the warrant."
Davis's face tightened.
Hale continued.
"You weren't sent here to protect James Mercer."
"Why was I sent?"
"To collect the ledger."
James stared at Davis.
Davis looked at him.
"I don't know what he's talking about."
Hale smiled.
"Of course you don't."
James felt the pieces connecting.
The rail yard.
The ledger.
The payments.
The fake identities.
Someone had built an entire machine designed to make truth impossible.
Hale stepped closer.
"James, your father discovered the system."
"What system?"
"We called it the Mirror."
James frowned.
"The Mirror?"
"People with no public existence. People who looked like other people. People who could sign contracts, collect money, buy property, move funds."
James looked at Connor.
"And you used my face."
Hale's expression changed.
"Not just yours."
James stared.
"What do you mean?"
Hale pointed to Charles.
"Look closely."
James did.
For the first time, he noticed the scar beneath Charles's ear.
His father had had the same scar.
James's stomach turned.
Charles spoke quietly.
"You finally see it."
"You're not Charles."
"No."
"Who are you?"
The man in the blue jacket removed his watch.
Then wiped his face with a cloth.
His expression shifted.
The way he held his jaw.
The way he looked.
James froze.
It was his father.
Not exactly.
But close enough to make every memory collapse.
Connor whispered:
"That's him."
James took a step backward.
"My father?"
The man smiled sadly.
"Your father is dead."
"Then who are you?"
"My name is Adrian Mercer."
James stared.
"My father's twin."
Hale nodded.
"Born twelve minutes apart."
James had never heard of him.
"Why?"
"Because your grandfather erased me."
"Why?"
Adrian looked at Hale.
"Because I was the only Mercer who wanted out."
Then the lights went off again.
A gunshot echoed.
When the emergency lights came on, Victor Hale was gone.
So was the ledger.
Davis was on the floor.
And Connor was gone.
James ran outside.
Rain poured over the tracks.
A black SUV disappeared into the distance.
James stared at the taillights.
Adrian stood behind him.
"That wasn't Hale."
"Who was driving?"
Adrian's face was pale.
"The person who took Connor."
James turned.
"Who?"
May you like
Adrian whispered:
"Your mother."
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