Chapter 6 - They ran.The chamber door exploded behind them.

Bullets tore through the metal frame.

Thomas fired back.

Evelyn grabbed Daniel's arm.

"This way!"

They sprinted through the underground tunnel.

Arthur followed.

Daniel's mind was racing.

His father was alive.

His mother had helped create The Circle.

Evelyn had survived.

And Arthur had apparently been lying about all of it.

Nothing made sense.

They reached a second chamber.

Evelyn slammed the door shut.

Thomas locked it.

"They'll breach in thirty seconds."

Arthur pointed toward a ladder.

"Roof."

Daniel looked at him.

"We're underground."

"It's an old emergency shaft."

They climbed.

When Daniel reached the top, freezing rain hit his face.

They emerged inside the grounds of Blackwood Manor.

Sirens screamed in the distance.

The mansion burned behind them.

Daniel looked at Arthur.

"You knew."

Arthur didn't respond.

"You knew my father was alive."

Arthur finally looked at him.

"I suspected."

"That's not an answer."

"I received messages."

"From him?"

Arthur nodded.

"Over the years."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because every time I tried, someone died."

Daniel stared at him.

"Who?"

Arthur looked away.

"People who remembered."

Thomas climbed onto the roof.

"We have another problem."

Daniel followed his gaze.

At the edge of the forest stood dozens of vehicles.

Black SUVs.

Police cars.

Military trucks.

A helicopter hovered overhead.

Daniel frowned.

"Who are those people?"

Arthur's voice became very quiet.

"The government."

Evelyn looked at him.

"They found us."

Thomas shook his head.

"No."

He pointed.

"They're not surrounding the mansion."

Daniel looked.

The vehicles were positioned around the forest.

Blocking every road.

Trapping them.

A loudspeaker crackled.

"Arthur Blackwood!"

A voice echoed across the grounds.

"Stand down."

Arthur whispered:

"Director Hayes."

Daniel knew the name.

National intelligence director.

One of the most powerful officials in Washington.

The loudspeaker continued.

"Daniel Cross is wanted for multiple federal crimes."

Daniel laughed bitterly.

"Of course I am."

Evelyn looked at Arthur.

"They're here for the box."

Arthur shook his head.

"They're here for him."

Daniel looked at him.

"Me?"

Arthur nodded.

"You are the last surviving person who can unlock the Architects' system."

Daniel stared.

"You said the box held my memories."

"It does."

"And the system?"

"Your memories are the key."

Thomas suddenly grabbed Daniel.

"Down!"

A sniper shot cracked through the rain.

The bullet struck the roof where Daniel had been standing.

Everyone hit the ground.

Evelyn crawled toward the edge.

Thomas looked at the forest.

"There are snipers everywhere."

Daniel stared at the government vehicles.

"How do we get out?"

Arthur pulled something from his pocket.

A tiny metal key.

"We don't."

He looked at Daniel.

"We go back inside."

Daniel frowned.

"The mansion is burning."

Arthur smiled.

"That's why."

They returned through a side door.

The fire had spread rapidly.

Smoke filled the hallways.

Arthur led them toward the old dining room.

He pushed aside a painting.

A hidden tunnel opened.

Daniel stared.

"How many secret tunnels does this house have?"

Arthur answered:

"Enough to hide a war."

They entered.

Behind them, the mansion windows exploded as tactical teams stormed inside.

Daniel looked back.

For a moment, he saw a figure standing on the upper balcony.

A man.

Watching him.

Daniel couldn't make out his face.

But somehow he knew who it was.

His father.

The figure raised one hand.

Then vanished into the smoke.

Daniel turned toward Arthur.

"My father was there."

Arthur looked at him.

"Yes."

"You knew."

Arthur didn't answer.

Daniel grabbed him by the collar.

"You knew!"

Evelyn pulled Daniel back.

"Not now."

Arthur opened the tunnel door.

"There's a second facility beneath the lake."

Daniel stared.

"What facility?"

Arthur looked at him.

"The place where your memories were erased."

Then a voice echoed from somewhere ahead.

A child's voice.

Daniel stopped.

"Dad?"

The voice came again.

"Daniel..."

But it wasn't his father's voice.

It was his own.

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As a child.

And it was crying.