Chapter 9 - The BetrayalMariana watched Gabriel on the screen.
Blood stained his face.
His hands were tied behind him.
Adrian Vale stood beside him, immaculate in a dark suit.
Esteban looked exhausted.
Rafael's eyes narrowed.
“Interesting.”
Adrian smiled at the camera.
“Rafael.”
“You should have stayed in politics.”
“I prefer history.”
Mariana stepped forward.
“Where is my son?”
Adrian looked toward the side of the room.
“He is exactly where he needs to be.”
“You touch him and—”
He laughed.
“You still think you have leverage.”
Mariana's voice cracked.
“I will find you.”
“You won't.”
“Why?”
“Because you're already inside.”
The screen went black.
Mariana turned toward Rafael.
“What does that mean?”
He didn't answer.
Lucía grabbed Mariana's wrist.
“The boy is not safe here.”
“What?”
“Rafael wants you to believe he controls Meridian.”
“Doesn't he?”
Lucía shook her head.
“He lost control years ago.”
Rafael appeared behind them.
“Enough.”
Lucía looked at him.
“You're afraid of him.”
Rafael stopped.
That sentence landed harder than any accusation.
Mariana realized something.
Her grandfather wasn't calm.
He was terrified.
“Who are you afraid of?”
He said nothing.
Mariana stepped closer.
“Adrian?”
No response.
“Or someone else?”
Rafael finally looked at her.
“You don't know what you're asking.”
“Then tell me.”
He turned away.
“Take them to the lower archive.”
A guard moved toward Mariana.
Lucía whispered:
“Don't.”
Mariana looked at her.
“What?”
“I found something there.”
“What?”
Lucía's eyes filled with fear.
“The reason you're alive.”
The lower archive was three levels underground.
No windows.
No cameras.
Or at least none that Mariana could see.
Rafael unlocked a metal door.
Inside were shelves filled with sealed boxes.
Medical files.
Birth records.
Photographs.
Video tapes.
A history of children.
Hundreds.
Mariana began opening folders.
Names.
Dates.
Hospital numbers.
Some had been crossed out.
Some marked dead.
Some marked transferred.
Then she found a file labeled:
PROJECT M-01
Her hands shook.
She opened it.
Her own name.
Mariana Varela.
Then:
STATUS: SURVIVED
Another line:
GENETIC COMPATIBILITY: 99.8%
Compatibility with what?
She turned the page.
A second name appeared.
Mateo Salcedo.
STATUS: ACTIVE
Mariana's heart stopped.
“He's not just your grandson,” Rafael said.
She turned.
“What does that mean?”
Rafael stared at the file.
“He is the first successful second-generation carrier.”
“Carrier of what?”
He hesitated.
Then whispered:
“The Meridian gene.”
Mariana almost laughed.
“That isn't real.”
“It is.”
“No.”
“It was discovered in your mother's family.”
“Then why does Mateo have it?”
“Because you do.”
Mariana looked at Lucía.
Her mother nodded.
“It can be inherited.”
Mariana stared at the pages.
“What does it do?”
Rafael's silence told her enough.
“Tell me.”
“Enhanced neurological adaptation.”
“That means nothing.”
“It means some people can survive procedures that would kill others.”
Mariana went pale.
“What procedures?”
Nobody answered.
Then the lights in the archive turned red.
An alarm began screaming.
Rafael looked toward the door.
“He's here.”
“Who?”
Rafael whispered:
“Adrian.”
The door exploded inward.
Guards opened fire.
Mariana dropped.
Lucía pulled her behind a shelf.
Rafael returned fire.
A figure walked through the smoke.
Adrian Vale.
No hurry.
No fear.
He looked at Mariana.
Then smiled.
“You finally found your real family.”
May you like
He raised his gun.
“And now I'm going to show you what they did to your son.”
