Chapter 12 - Daniel raised his gun.Michael froze.
“Don't come closer.”
Michael dropped the knife.
“I found it in the car.”
“Whose blood?”
Michael looked at his hands.
“I don't know.”
Emma began crying.
Sophia pulled her behind her.
Dr. Ward backed away.
“That's impossible.”
Daniel looked at her.
“What?”
“The knife.”
“What about it?”
“It belonged to Victor.”
Victor appeared behind her.
Bloodied.
Alive.
Holding his chest.
“The knife belonged to your father.”
Daniel spun around.
“Which father?”
Victor smiled.
“Exactly.”
He raised his gun.
“Daniel, come with me.”
Michael stepped forward.
Victor shot.
Michael dropped.
“MICHAEL!”
Daniel ran to him.
No blood.
The bullet had missed.
Victor stared.
“Interesting.”
Daniel realized.
Victor hadn't been trying to kill Michael.
He had been testing him.
Dr. Ward whispered:
“The trigger.”
Daniel looked at her.
“What trigger?”
Victor answered.
“Your memory.”
He raised a remote.
“Every time you believe Michael is dead, your brain opens another locked section.”
Daniel felt sick.
“This is all a test.”
“Yes.”
“For what?”
Victor smiled.
“To see which of you remembers first.”
Daniel looked toward the burning hospital.
A figure emerged through the smoke.
A young man.
Same eyes.
Same face.
He walked toward them.
Michael stared.
“No.”
The stranger stopped.
“Hello, Alexander.”
Daniel's heart nearly stopped.
The stranger looked at Michael.
“Hello, replacement.”
Michael stepped back.
“Who are you?”
The stranger smiled.
“I'm Michael.”
Emma ran toward him.
“Michael!”
He caught her.
Daniel watched.
The stranger hugged her like a brother.
Sophia stared.
Daniel couldn't speak.
The stranger looked at him.
“You've been searching for me.”
Daniel finally whispered:
“How are you alive?”
Michael smiled.
“I never died.”
He pointed toward the hospital.
“They buried my identity.”
Daniel looked at the man beside him.
The replacement.
“Who is he?”
The real Michael answered:
“His name is Noah.”
Daniel froze.
Noah looked at him.
Then said:
“I was born in the same room as you.”
Daniel's head started spinning.
“Why?”
Noah smiled.
“Because your mother needed a child who could take your place.”
Emily's voice suddenly came from behind them.
“That's not true.”
Everyone turned.
She had escaped.
She was covered in blood.
Victor's face changed.
“Emily.”
She stepped toward Daniel.
“My son.”
Daniel stared.
“Which one?”
She looked at him.
“You.”
Noah laughed.
“No.”
Emily continued:
“Daniel was always Alexander.”
She pointed at Noah.
“Michael died that night.”
Noah's smile faded.
“That's a lie.”
Emily shook her head.
“I watched him die.”
Noah looked at Dr. Ward.
She looked away.
Daniel whispered:
“Then who is Noah?”
Emily answered:
“A boy your father bought.”
Noah's face turned cold.
“You're lying.”
“You were three.”
He stepped forward.
“I remember my mother.”
Emily nodded.
“Of course you do.”
Then she said something that made him stop.
“Because I was your mother.”
Noah froze.
Daniel stared at Emily.
“You raised him too?”
Emily nodded.
“I raised three children.”
Daniel's voice broke.
“Three?”
She looked toward the hospital.
“The third never had a name.”
A siren sounded in the distance.
Police.
Ambulances.
But nobody moved.
Noah whispered:
“Where is she?”
Emily looked at Emma.
Emma slowly lifted her head.
The little girl smiled.
Then said:
“She called herself Lily.”
Daniel stared at Emma.
“Emma isn't her name?”
The girl shook her head.
“No.”
She looked directly at Daniel.
“My name is Lily.”
The police sirens grew louder.
Victor suddenly raised his weapon toward Lily.
Daniel moved in front of her.
“Why are you trying to kill her?”
Victor's answer was almost a whisper.
“Because she is the only one who can prove which family started Project Dove.”
May you like
Then he pointed at Daniel.
“And she knows what you did.”
