Chapter 10 - The Man in the Family Photograph
The Face I Had Been Taught Not to Remember
The man removed his hood.
My stomach dropped.
I knew him.
Not personally.
But from photographs.
Family photographs.
A man standing at weddings.
Funerals.
Birthday parties.
Always in the background.
Always smiling.
Always close enough to be forgotten.
Dad stared at him as though he'd seen a ghost.
“Caleb.”
The man smiled.
“It's been a long time.”
I looked at Mom.
She was shaking.
“Who is Caleb?”
Dad whispered,
“Your uncle.”
“I don't have an uncle.”
“You did.”
Caleb laughed softly.
“Your parents told you I was dead.”
“Why?”
“Because it was easier.”
He looked at me.
“Everyone thinks the dead are harmless.”
Rowan stepped forward.
“Put the weapon down.”
Caleb ignored him.
“You know what your mother never understood?”
He nodded toward me.
“She thought hiding Lyra would stop the program.”
“What program?”
“Meridian.”
My heart sank.
“Caleb helped create it,” Dad said.
Caleb smiled.
“I helped build the first version.”
“And then Samuel tried to stop you,” Dad continued.
“Samuel was weak.”
“He was your brother.”
“He became a liability.”
I felt sick.
“You killed him?”
Caleb looked at me.
“I ordered it.”
Ivy buried her face against Mom.
I stared at him.
“Why me?”
“Because your father misunderstood the system.”
Caleb stepped closer.
“The master key isn't a code hidden in a file.”
He touched his chest.
“It's a living authorization.”
“Me.”
“Yes.”
“And what do you want?”
“Access.”
“To what?”
“Everything.”
Rowan fired.
Caleb ducked.
Chaos exploded.
Daniel shoved me to the ground.
Helen ran.
Mom grabbed Ivy.
Dad tackled Caleb.
The gun skidded across the roof.
I crawled toward it.
Caleb saw me.
“No!”
He lunged.
I grabbed the weapon first.
My hand shook.
He stopped.
For the first time, fear appeared in his eyes.
“Lyra.”
I pointed it at him.
“Stay back.”
He smiled again.
“You can't shoot me.”
“Watch me.”
Then my phone rang.
Everyone froze.
The caller ID said:
MOM.
I looked at Mom.
Her phone was in her hand.
But she wasn't calling me.
My phone continued ringing.
The screen displayed a second name beneath hers.
ELENA VALE.
I answered.
A voice whispered:
“Don't shoot him.”
I stared at Caleb.
“Why?”
“Because he's not the one who betrayed you.”
The line went dead.
Caleb laughed.
Dad stared at me.
“What did she say?”
Before I could answer, the roof door burst open.
Police stormed out.
Weapons raised.
“DROP THE GUN!”
I lowered it.
Then an officer grabbed Caleb.
Rowan exhaled.
“It’s over.”
But my father didn't move.
He was staring at the police.
His face drained of color.
“Rowan.”
“What?”
“Look at their badges.”
Rowan looked.
Then stepped backward.
“These aren't police.”
May you like
One of the officers smiled.
“Too late.”
