Chapter 8 - The van crashed through a metal barrier.Daniel hit the floor.
Everything became noise.
Glass.
Metal.
Screaming.
The vehicle rolled once.
Twice.
Then stopped.
Silence.
Daniel opened his eyes.
Smoke filled the cabin.
Sophia was unconscious beside him.
Michael was bleeding.
Emily was trapped under a seat.
Daniel crawled toward Sophia.
“Sophia.”
She opened her eyes.
“I'm okay.”
Daniel looked toward the front.
The windshield was gone.
Outside stood six armed men.
One of them raised a rifle.
Michael grabbed Daniel.
“MOVE!”
They crawled through the broken side door.
Bullets tore into the pavement.
Emily limped behind them.
They reached an abandoned warehouse.
Daniel slammed the door shut.
“Who are these people?”
Emily looked at him.
“Your father's final security team.”
“You mean Richard.”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“Victor.”
Daniel froze.
“But Victor is dead.”
Emily didn't respond.
Daniel remembered the gunfire.
Victor falling.
Was he really dead?
A speaker crackled overhead.
A man's voice echoed through the warehouse.
“Daniel.”
Daniel looked up.
Victor Hale.
“Come upstairs.”
Sophia's face went pale.
“You said my father was dead.”
Victor laughed.
“People have been saying that for twenty-six years.”
Daniel looked at Emily.
“Did you know?”
She shook her head.
“No.”
Victor continued.
“Bring Michael.”
Daniel stared at the ceiling.
“Why?”
“Because he belongs to me.”
Michael laughed.
“I thought I was your son.”
“You were.”
Victor paused.
“But you aren't anymore.”
Daniel's stomach tightened.
“What does that mean?”
Victor answered:
“Ask your mother about the night she switched the babies.”
Emily closed her eyes.
Daniel slowly turned toward her.
“What did you do?”
Emily whispered:
“I saved you.”
“By switching us?”
“Yes.”
Michael stared at her.
“You took my identity.”
Emily stepped toward him.
“I took Alexander out of the laboratory.”
“And left me?”
“They were going to kill you.”
Michael's eyes filled with rage.
“They did.”
Daniel stepped between them.
“Enough.”
Victor's voice returned.
“You both deserve the truth.”
A monitor descended from the ceiling.
Victor appeared on screen.
Behind him sat hundreds of files.
“Michael was never meant to survive Phase Four.”
“Why?”
“Because he remembered too much.”
Daniel looked at Michael.
Victor continued.
“Your brother's memories contain the location of Project Dove.”
Daniel frowned.
“But if we're not brothers...”
Victor smiled.
“That is the trick.”
He leaned closer.
“You are brothers.”
Daniel's eyes widened.
“The DNA report was altered.”
Emily whispered:
“I knew it.”
Victor laughed.
“Of course you did.”
Suddenly the warehouse doors exploded open.
Gunmen stormed in.
Daniel grabbed Sophia.
Michael fired back.
Emily screamed:
“TOP FLOOR!”
They ran up the stairs.
A bullet hit the railing inches from Daniel's hand.
They reached the roof.
No exit.
No helicopter.
Nothing.
Then Daniel saw a second building across the alley.
A narrow bridge connected them.
They sprinted.
Michael jumped first.
Sophia followed.
Daniel turned.
Emily was behind them.
A gunman grabbed her.
“GO!”
Daniel wanted to go back.
Emily shouted:
“REMEMBER THE KITCHEN!”
Then she was dragged into the darkness.
Daniel froze.
The kitchen.
The rain.
The song.
His mother.
He remembered another image.
A little boy named Michael.
Holding a knife.
Standing over a sleeping man.
Daniel gasped.
“That wasn't my memory.”
Michael heard him.
“What?”
Daniel stared at his brother.
“I remember killing someone.”
Michael's face went blank.
“You didn't.”
“Then who did?”
Michael whispered:
“I did.”
A voice spoke behind them.
Sophia turned.
Victor stood at the end of the bridge.
Gun raised.
And beside him was Richard.
Alive.
Daniel stared.
Both fathers were smiling.
Victor said:
“Welcome home, sons.”
May you like
Richard added:
“Now choose which father you want to believe.”
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