Chapter 10 - The Vault That Was Never MineWe had one hour.
Maybe less.
Daniel said the vault Helix wanted wasn't beneath Manhattan.
It wasn't even in New York.
It was under my childhood home.
The house had burned twenty-three years ago.
At least that was the official story.
We arrived before dawn.
The remains stood beyond a rusted iron gate.
Only the stone foundation survived.
My memories came back in pieces.
My father's study.
My brother Elliot's room.
The staircase.
The fire.
The night everyone told me he died.
Daniel walked beside me.
“You've never returned.”
“No.”
“You should have.”
“Why?”
“Because this is where it started.”
We entered the basement.
Nothing remained except cracked concrete.
Caleb pointed toward the wall.
“There.”
A child-sized handprint was embedded in the stone.
He touched it.
The wall opened.
A hidden chamber.
Inside were old photographs.
My father.
Elliot.
Daniel.
Victor.
Adrian.
All younger.
All standing around a metal table.
At the center was a black box.
I opened it.
Inside was a film reel.
Rachel found an old projector.
The image flickered onto the wall.
My father appeared.
He spoke to the camera.
“If you're watching this, then Helix has failed to control my sons.”
I stared.
My father continued.
“Elliot was never the traitor.”
The room went silent.
“He was the first person to discover Helix's true purpose.”
Adrian looked away.
My father's voice became colder.
“Marcus was protected because he was easier to manipulate.”
My stomach turned.
“Elliot was imprisoned because he refused.”
The film showed my brother.
Alive.
Older.
Standing behind glass.
Then another image.
Elliot holding a child.
Caleb.
I stopped breathing.
“No.”
Daniel stepped closer.
The child in the image looked exactly like Caleb.
Same eyes.
Same face.
But Caleb was six years old in the photograph.
The date was thirteen years ago.
Impossible.
I turned to Daniel.
“What is this?”
He looked devastated.
“I don't know.”
Caleb stared at the screen.
“That isn't me.”
Adrian suddenly moved toward the projector.
“Stop it.”
I grabbed him.
“Why?”
His expression broke.
“Because that's my son.”
Silence.
Adrian stared at the child.
“He died.”
I looked at Caleb.
Then at the photograph.
The boy looked identical.
Daniel shook his head.
“That's not Caleb.”
“Then who is he?”
Adrian whispered.
“Elliot's son.”
My entire body went cold.
“My brother had a child?”
Adrian nodded.
“They told me he died.”
“Who?”
“Helix.”
The projector flickered again.
My father appeared.
“One of you will become the key.”
A final photograph appeared.
It showed two infants.
One was Caleb.
One was another boy.
Their wristbands carried matching codes.
07-41.
07-42.
Rachel stared.
“There were two.”
Daniel looked at Caleb.
“Which means…”
The hidden chamber door slammed shut.
A woman's voice came through the speakers.
“Only one was supposed to survive.”
I knew that voice.
Elena.
I turned.
She was standing behind us.
Holding a gun.
Her face was wet with tears.
“Put the weapon down, Marcus.”
Caleb ran toward her.
“Mom?”
She aimed at me.
“Don't make me choose.”
Daniel stared at her.
“Elena.”
She looked at him.
May you like
“I am sorry.”
Then she pulled the trigger.
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