Chapter 12 - We went anyway.Not because Thomas commanded it.

Because the hospital contained records.

We entered through the underground garage.

The building had been abandoned for years.

Dust covered the corridors.

Old hospital beds were stacked against the walls.

The air smelled like rust.

Gwen stayed beside me.

Marcus monitored the rear.

Paige carried the drive.

My mother remained at the cabin under protection.

I had one objective.

Get the evidence.

Find Thomas.

Leave alive.

The first floor was empty.

Second floor.

Nothing.

Third floor.

A sound.

A child crying.

We froze.

The sound came from Room 314.

Marcus shook his head.

“Could be recorded.”

I opened the door.

Inside was a television.

A video played.

A young boy sat on a hospital bed.

It was me.

Age twelve.

I watched myself stare into the camera.

A doctor stood behind me.

Thomas Reed.

He said:

“Tell us what you remember.”

Young me answered:

“My father saw the room.”

“What room?”

“The red room.”

Thomas smiled.

“What happened there?”

Young me began crying.

“My father told me to forget.”

“Why?”

“Because Mom was there.”

Gwen looked at me.

I remembered.

The red room.

My mother.

My father.

Cross.

And something else.

A dead soldier.

A black case.

Project Echo.

The video changed.

My younger self looked directly at the camera.

“Dad said if they ever find the drive, everyone dies.”

The video stopped.

Paige whispered:

“What drive?”

I closed my eyes.

“I know where it is.”

Everyone stared.

“Where?”

“In the house.”

Marcus frowned.

“The server?”

“No.”

I touched my chest.

“They put it inside me.”

Silence.

Gwen's face went white.

“What?”

I remembered the final procedure.

The needle.

The burning pain.

The voice saying:

“Implant successful.”

I staggered.

“They put a storage device inside my body.”

Marcus stared.

“That's impossible.”

“Not anymore.”

Thomas's voice came from the hallway.

“Exactly.”

We spun around.

He stood there.

Older.

Calm.

Armed.

“Hello, David.”

Marcus raised his weapon.

Thomas smiled.

“Still loyal to the wrong side.”

Marcus stepped forward.

“You died.”

“I got better.”

Thomas looked at me.

“The drive is still inside you.”

“How do I remove it?”

“You don't.”

“Then what?”

“It activates when your memory reaches one hundred percent.”

Gwen asked:

“What happens then?”

Thomas looked at her.

“Every suppressed memory is restored.”

“And the evidence?”

“Broadcast.”

“To who?”

“Everyone.”

The hospital lights turned on.

Screens across the hallway activated.

Thousands of files appeared.

Names.

Dates.

Experiments.

Military contracts.

Politicians.

Corporate executives.

Blackridge had been everywhere.

Thomas looked pleased.

“Project Echo was built to expose them.”

I narrowed my eyes.

“Then why did you let them hurt me?”

“Because someone had to survive.”

“You used me.”

“Yes.”

“And Gwen?”

“Yes.”

I turned toward her.

She had tears in her eyes.

Thomas continued:

“She was the only person capable of reaching you emotionally.”

“She became my wife.”

“That was not part of the plan.”

Gwen said quietly:

“It became real.”

Thomas shook his head.

“That was your mistake.”

Then a gunshot.

Thomas dropped.

Blood appeared on his shirt.

Dr. Cross stepped from the shadows.

“Enough.”

He raised his weapon.

“Everyone put your guns down.”

I looked at Gwen.

She looked at me.

Then I heard footsteps behind us.

My mother.

She had come alone.

She stared at Cross.

“You promised you would let them go.”

Cross smiled.

“I promised nothing.”

My mother walked toward him.

“You said Paige would be safe.”

“She is.”

“You said David would be free.”

“He will be.”

“When?”

Cross raised his weapon.

“After tonight.”

My mother suddenly pulled a gun from her coat.

She shot Cross.

Twice.

Cross collapsed.

Nobody moved.

My mother dropped the weapon.

“Now.”

She looked at me.

“Get out.”

Then the hospital alarm began screaming.

Doors locked.

Emergency lights flashed.

A voice echoed through the building:

CONTAINMENT PROTOCOL ACTIVATED.

Thomas, bleeding, smiled.

“Too late.”

The screens went black.

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