Chapter 11: The Man Holding the Blue Key
“I know who your real father is.”
The stranger stood in the doorway with the blue key between his fingers.
For one impossible second, the entire laboratory seemed to freeze.
Gunfire stopped.
Smoke drifted beneath the ceiling.
Ethan held Sophie tightly against his chest.
Vanessa stood beside Emily.
Victor aimed his weapon at the stranger.
“Put the key down.”
The stranger smiled.
“You still give orders, Victor.”
Victor's expression changed.
“You.”
Ethan looked between them.
“You know him?”
Victor lowered his weapon slightly.
“I thought you were dead.”
The stranger laughed.
“Apparently that's a popular rumor in this family.”
Ethan stepped forward.
“Who are you?”
The stranger looked directly at him.
“My name is Gabriel Reed.”
Ethan's eyes narrowed.
“Reed?”
“Yes.”
“Alexander Reed?”
“My brother.”
Ethan's heart jumped.
“Then you know my father.”
Gabriel's smile disappeared.
“I knew him better than anyone.”
“Where is he?”
Gabriel glanced toward the smoke-filled laboratory.
“Gone.”
Ethan looked around.
Alexander was nowhere to be seen.
“You're saying my father escaped?”
Gabriel nodded.
“Before Michael's men arrived.”
“Why did he leave me?”
“He didn't.”
Gabriel pointed toward the floor.
“Look.”
Ethan followed his finger.
A small metal device lay beneath one of the tables.
A blinking red light.
Gabriel's face became serious.
“That's a tracker.”
“For who?”
“Sophie.”
Ethan's stomach dropped.
He looked down at his daughter.
“What?”
Gabriel shook his head.
“Not the one you're holding.”
Ethan froze.
“What do you mean?”
Gabriel looked toward Emily.
“The tracker is inside her.”
Emily's eyes widened.
“No.”
Thomas suddenly stepped out of the smoke.
He was holding a gun.
“Enough.”
Gabriel turned.
Thomas fired.
Gabriel ducked.
The bullet struck the wall.
Victor fired back.
Thomas disappeared behind a steel column.
“Move!” Victor shouted.
Everyone ran.
Ethan pulled Sophie toward a side corridor.
Vanessa grabbed Emily's hand.
Gabriel followed.
They reached an emergency stairwell.
The door slammed behind them.
Ethan looked at Gabriel.
“What tracker?”
Gabriel answered while running.
“Thomas implanted it in Emily.”
Emily stopped.
“He put something inside me?”
“Yes.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I saw the operation.”
Ethan's expression hardened.
“You watched?”
“I was trying to stop it.”
“But you didn't.”
“No.”
Emily looked at him.
“Why?”
Gabriel's face changed.
“Because your mother asked me not to.”
Ethan stopped.
“My mother?”
Gabriel nodded.
“She believed the tracker could lead us to Michael's main server.”
Vanessa stared at him.
“You're lying.”
“No.”
“Why would she sacrifice her daughter?”
Gabriel looked at Emily.
“She didn't know Thomas would activate it.”
Emily's face went pale.
“Activate what?”
Gabriel's voice dropped.
“The tracker isn't just a tracker.”
“What is it?”
“A trigger.”
Silence.
Ethan looked at his daughter.
“What does it trigger?”
Gabriel didn't answer.
“Tell me.”
“It activates the Eden protocol.”
Ethan frowned.
“What is Eden?”
Gabriel stared at him.
“Project Eden was never about creating successors.”
“Then what?”
“Creating replacements.”
Ethan felt cold.
“Replacements for who?”
Gabriel looked at him.
“For Michael.”
Ethan's eyes widened.
“He wanted to replace himself?”
“No.”
Gabriel shook his head.
“He wanted to replace everyone who could expose him.”
The stairwell door above them suddenly slammed open.
Footsteps.
Gabriel looked up.
“They're coming.”
Victor raised his gun.
“How many?”
“Too many.”
Ethan looked at Gabriel.
“Where does this lead?”
“To the old medical wing.”
“Can we escape?”
“Yes.”
“Then move.”
They continued down.
Two floors.
Three.
Four.
Finally, they reached a steel door.
Gabriel pulled out the blue key.
He inserted it.
The lock clicked.
The door opened.
Inside was a small room.
No windows.
One chair.
One computer.
And a wall covered in photographs.
Ethan walked toward it.
His entire body went cold.
The photographs showed Sophie.
Hundreds of them.
Sleeping.
Eating.
Playing.
Walking.
Every day of her life.
Someone had been watching her since birth.
Ethan turned toward Gabriel.
“How long?”
“Since the day she was born.”
“Who?”
“Michael.”
Ethan's fists clenched.
“Why?”
Gabriel looked at Sophie.
“Because he believed she was the next generation.”
“Next generation of what?”
“Black Meridian.”
Sophie looked frightened.
“Daddy?”
Ethan immediately knelt.
“I'm here.”
Gabriel walked toward the computer.
“There is something else.”
“What?”
“Your mother left a message.”
Ethan looked up.
“Where?”
Gabriel turned on the monitor.
A video appeared.
Ethan's mother.
Older.
Tired.
But alive.
She looked directly into the camera.
“Ethan.”
He stopped breathing.
His mother continued.
“If you're watching this, then Gabriel gave you the blue key.”
Ethan stared.
“I knew you would eventually find him.”
Gabriel lowered his head.
She continued.
“Your father is not Michael.”
Ethan's eyes filled with tears.
“I know you have heard many names.”
Alexander.
Thomas.
Michael.
But none of them are the man you seek.”
She took a breath.
“Your father is alive.”
Ethan whispered,
“Who?”
His mother looked directly at the camera.
“His name is Daniel.”
Ethan froze.
Vanessa covered her mouth.
Victor stared at the screen.
“Daniel?”
Ethan's voice trembled.
“Daniel Cross?”
His mother nodded.
“Daniel Cross is your biological father.”
The room went silent.
Ethan couldn't move.
The man everyone believed Vanessa had killed.
The man supposedly dead three years ago.
The man whose recording had started everything.
Daniel was his father.
His mother continued.
“Michael discovered the truth.”
“That is why Daniel had to disappear.”
Ethan stared at the screen.
“Then why did he leave Vanessa?”
His mother looked away.
“Because Vanessa was never Daniel's enemy.”
Ethan turned toward her.
“What does that mean?”
“She was his protector.”
Vanessa began crying.
Ethan looked at her.
“You knew.”
Vanessa shook her head.
“I knew Daniel was alive.”
“But you didn't know he was my father?”
“No.”
His mother continued.
“Daniel and I worked together to destroy Black Meridian.”
“Then why did you disappear?”
“Because Michael found us.”
“And Daniel?”
“He escaped.”
Ethan's heart pounded.
“Where is he?”
His mother looked directly into the camera.
“Closer than you think.”
The screen suddenly distorted.
A man's face appeared.
Older.
Scarred.
But unmistakably Daniel.
Ethan's breath stopped.
Daniel looked directly at him.
“My son.”
Ethan's knees nearly buckled.
Sophie looked at the screen.
“Daddy?”
Ethan couldn't answer.
Daniel continued.
“I've spent twenty-six years trying to keep you safe.”
“Why didn't you come back?”
“Because Michael would have killed you.”
“Why did you let me believe you were dead?”
“Because the world had to believe it.”
Ethan stepped toward the screen.
“Where are you?”
Daniel's expression changed.
“I can't tell you.”
“Why?”
“Because I'm watching you right now.”
Ethan turned around.
The room was empty.
Then Daniel spoke again.
“Look behind you.”
Ethan slowly turned.
A small camera was mounted above the door.
A red light blinked.
Daniel was watching.
Live.
Ethan stepped toward it.
“You're here.”
Daniel nodded.
“I'm in the building.”
“Where?”
Daniel hesitated.
Then said,
“Under you.”
Ethan looked down.
The floor.
A hidden elevator.
He saw the outline.
Daniel continued.
“There's something you need to know before you come down.”
“What?”
Daniel's voice became serious.
“Michael isn't the leader of Black Meridian.”
Ethan froze.
“Then who is?”
Daniel looked directly into the camera.
“Your mother.”
Vanessa screamed.
“No!”
The screen went black.
Everyone stared at Vanessa.
She shook her head desperately.
“I didn't.”
Ethan couldn't speak.
Victor slowly raised his weapon.
“Vanessa.”
She backed away.
“I swear to God, I didn't.”
Ethan stared at her.
“Did you create Black Meridian?”
“No.”
“Did you control it?”
“No.”
“Then why would Daniel say that?”
“I don't know.”
A door behind them opened.
A man's voice echoed through the room.
“He didn't say she created it.”
Everyone turned.
Daniel stood there.
Alive.
Scarred.
Older.
But unmistakable.
Ethan stared at him.
“Dad?”
Daniel looked at him.
“Yes.”
Ethan stepped forward.
Daniel opened his arms.
For a moment, father and son simply stared at each other.
Then Ethan crossed the room.
Daniel embraced him.
Ethan's eyes filled with tears.
“You left me.”
“I know.”
“I hated you.”
“I know.”
“I thought you were dead.”
“I know.”
“Why?”
Daniel closed his eyes.
“Because I had to protect you.”
Ethan pulled away.
“From Michael?”
Daniel shook his head.
“From your mother.”
Ethan froze.
“My mother?”
Daniel looked toward Vanessa.
“She wasn't the leader of Black Meridian.”
Vanessa exhaled.
Daniel continued.
“She was its prisoner.”
Ethan stared.
“Then why did you say she was the leader?”
Daniel's expression became grim.
“Because she has been protecting the real leader for twenty-six years.”
“Who?”
Daniel looked at Sophie.
Then at Emily.
Finally, he looked at Ethan.
“The real leader is the person who has been standing beside you all night.”
Ethan slowly turned.
Victor stood behind him.
Victor's face was expressionless.
Then he smiled.
Daniel raised his gun.
“Victor.”
Victor laughed.
“You always were too late.”
The lights went out.
When they returned...
May you like
Victor was holding Sophie.
And he was smiling.
