Chapter 14 - The Last Piece of the PuzzleThe gas spread across the chamber.
My vision blurred.
Daniel fired at the control panel.
Nothing.
Rachel smashed a cabinet against a ventilation shaft.
Still nothing.
Then Caleb pointed toward my hand.
The pill.
I looked at it.
A white tablet.
Tiny.
Ordinary.
But Daniel had called it heart medicine.
Why?
I examined it.
There was a faint symbol on one side.
A spiral.
The Helix symbol.
I turned to Elena.
“What is this?”
She stared.
“That isn't medicine.”
“What is it?”
“A biometric transmitter.”
I looked at Caleb.
“How did you get this?”
“My dad gave it to me.”
Daniel looked stunned.
“I never gave him that.”
Caleb shook his head.
“Not you.”
“Who?”
He looked at my grandfather.
“Grandpa.”
Everyone froze.
My grandfather smiled.
“Very good.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“You've been using him from the beginning.”
“Yes.”
“For what?”
“To bring you all here.”
The gas thickened.
My grandfather continued.
“Helix requires three bloodlines to activate the original system.”
“Mine.”
“Elliot's.”
“And?”
He looked at Daniel.
“The Mercer line.”
I felt dizzy.
“Why Daniel?”
“Because Daniel was the one who stole the original access code.”
Daniel stared at him.
“You murdered my father.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“He refused to give me the code.”
Daniel lunged.
Adrian stopped him.
My grandfather laughed.
“The Mercer family has guarded the system for generations.”
I looked at Daniel.
“You knew?”
Daniel nodded.
“My father told me.”
“But you never told me.”
“Because I wanted you free.”
The chamber suddenly shook.
Thomas appeared behind the soldiers.
Bleeding.
Holding a machine gun.
“Marcus!”
He fired.
Chaos erupted.
Soldiers fell.
Adrian grabbed Gabriel.
Daniel grabbed Caleb.
I pulled Elena toward the exit.
My grandfather watched without fear.
Thomas reached the control panel.
“Go!”
“What about you?”
“I'll handle him.”
My grandfather looked at Thomas.
“You should have remained loyal.”
Thomas smiled.
“You killed my wife.”
Then he fired.
The chamber exploded into noise.
We reached the corridor.
Behind us, the alarm began screaming.
The fortress started collapsing.
We ran.
The tunnel shook.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
Gabriel stumbled.
Adrian carried him.
Caleb held my hand.
Then the floor cracked.
Elena fell.
I grabbed her arm.
“Don't let go!”
She looked at me.
“Marcus.”
“What?”
“You need to know something.”
“I already know enough.”
“No.”
She looked toward Caleb.
“He isn't your enemy.”
“I know.”
“He is your son.”
Everything stopped.
Even the alarms seemed distant.
“What?”
She cried.
“Daniel isn't Caleb's biological father.”
I stared at her.
Daniel closed his eyes.
“It's true.”
My entire body went numb.
“What are you saying?”
Elena whispered.
“Years ago, your father took DNA from you without your knowledge.”
She looked at Caleb.
“He used it to create the first viable heir.”
My legs nearly gave out.
“Caleb is…”
“Your biological son.”
I looked at the boy.
He was staring at me.
Not afraid.
Just confused.
Then Gabriel spoke.
“And I'm your nephew.”
I looked at him.
“You knew?”
“My grandfather told me.”
The tunnel shook again.
Behind us, the fortress began collapsing.
Daniel grabbed my shoulder.
“You can process that later.”
He pulled me forward.
“We need to survive first.”
We reached the exterior cliff.
Our aircraft waited.
Thomas never came out.
Neither did my grandfather.
The fortress disappeared behind us in a cloud of smoke.
I thought it was over.
Then Elena's phone rang.
She answered.
No one spoke.
Then a child's voice came through.
Not Caleb.
Not Gabriel.
A third voice.
“You found the wrong Helix vault.”
Elena looked at me.
The caller continued.
“Your grandfather is dead.”
A pause.
“But your father survived.”
I stared at the burning island.
May you like
Then the voice whispered:
“And he's coming for his grandson.”
