Chapter 7 - The van sped through the city without a driver.Daniel grabbed the steering wheel.
Nothing.
The vehicle ignored him.
Sophia searched under the seats.
“There's no ignition.”
Michael pulled at the doors.
Locked.
Emily stared at the countdown.
00:47:12.
“What did Richard mean?”
She didn't answer.
Daniel grabbed her shoulder.
“Tell us.”
“He built safeguards into your memory.”
“What safeguards?”
“If you remembered everything, you'd activate them.”
Michael laughed weakly.
“So he's saying Daniel is a bomb?”
Emily looked at him.
“Not a bomb.”
She pointed at Daniel.
“A trigger.”
Daniel stared ahead.
“What does that mean?”
Emily's voice became barely audible.
“The experiment didn't erase your memories.”
She swallowed.
“It rearranged them.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
Suddenly the world flashed white.
He saw the laboratory.
Machines.
Doctors.
Two small boys.
One crying.
One screaming.
He saw Richard standing behind glass.
Victor beside him.
And Emily...
Emily holding a newborn baby.
Daniel opened his eyes.
“I remember.”
Everyone froze.
“What?” Sophia asked.
Daniel looked at Emily.
“You gave me to Richard.”
Emily stared at him.
“No.”
“I saw it.”
“It wasn't what you think.”
“You handed me over.”
Emily's face collapsed.
“I had no choice.”
“Everybody keeps saying that.”
Daniel pushed away from her.
“Everybody had a reason to betray me.”
Michael stared at the road.
“Maybe that's the point.”
Daniel looked at him.
“What?”
Michael whispered:
“Maybe we're still being tested.”
The countdown reached 00:30:00.
Sophia found a tablet under the driver's seat.
She turned it on.
A single file opened automatically.
PHASE FOUR: FAMILY RECONSTRUCTION.
Michael leaned over.
“What is that?”
Sophia read.
“Subject One: Alexander Hale.”
Daniel.
“Subject Two: Michael Hale.”
Michael.
“Control Variable: Sophia Hale.”
Sophia stopped.
Her hands began shaking.
“Control variable?”
Emily looked away.
Sophia looked at her.
“You knew.”
Emily whispered:
“I knew the project involved you.”
“You knew?”
“I didn't know they would use your marriage.”
Sophia's face hardened.
“They used me to control Daniel.”
“Yes.”
“And Michael?”
Emily said nothing.
Michael stared at her.
“Me too?”
Emily finally looked at him.
“You were supposed to kill him.”
Daniel froze.
Michael's face changed.
“What?”
Emily's voice trembled.
“When you recovered your memories, the final trigger would activate.”
Michael shook his head.
“And I would kill Daniel?”
“Yes.”
Michael looked at Daniel.
He slowly raised his gun.
Sophia stepped back.
Daniel didn't move.
Michael's hand trembled.
“I remember now.”
Daniel looked at him.
“Michael.”
“I remember the room.”
He raised the gun.
“You were screaming.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
“Then shoot me.”
Michael's finger tightened.
Emily screamed:
“DON'T!”
The countdown hit 00:19:59.
Michael lowered the weapon.
“I can't.”
A click came from the van.
The dashboard opened.
Inside was a small metal box.
Sophia pulled it out.
A label was attached.
FOR ALEXANDER.
Daniel opened it.
Inside was an old family photograph.
Victor.
Emily.
Two newborn babies.
And one handwritten sentence.
ONE OF THEM IS NOT OUR SON.
Daniel stared.
Michael looked over his shoulder.
“What?”
Daniel turned the photograph over.
A DNA report was attached.
He read the final line.
His blood went cold.
“Michael...”
“What?”
Daniel handed him the paper.
Michael read it.
Then looked at Daniel.
“No.”
Sophia whispered:
“What does it say?”
Michael's lips trembled.
“It says we're not twins.”
Emily covered her face.
Daniel stared at her.
“Then who is he?”
She answered through tears:
“The son of the man who destroyed us.”
A sudden impact shook the van.
Something hit the roof.
Then another.
The vehicle swerved violently.
Emily shouted:
“Get down!”
Glass exploded through the windows.
Daniel ducked.
The countdown vanished.
May you like
A new message appeared.
PHASE FOUR BEGINS NOW.
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