Chapter 9 - We drove back before midnight.The house looked normal.

Lights on.

Curtains closed.

Almost peaceful.

Too peaceful.

I entered through the back.

The kitchen was empty.

My mother's car was outside.

Gwen stayed behind me.

Paige followed.

Marcus checked the hallway.

Nothing.

Then a voice came from the living room.

“David.”

Dr. Adrian Cross stood beside the fireplace.

He was older than in the videos.

Gray hair.

Perfect suit.

Calm eyes.

He held a glass of wine.

Like he belonged there.

Like this was his house.

“You've grown.”

I stared at him.

“You drugged my wife.”

He smiled.

“You misunderstand what happened.”

“I remember the room.”

“That is unfortunate.”

“You erased my memory.”

“We protected you.”

“From what?”

“Yourself.”

I nearly laughed.

“You really believe that.”

Cross looked at Gwen.

“She always had trouble accepting reality.”

Gwen stepped forward.

“Don't talk about me.”

Cross smiled.

“Still brave.”

I raised my weapon.

He didn't move.

“You won't shoot.”

“Why?”

“Because you know there are consequences.”

“For you?”

“For everyone.”

He gestured toward the staircase.

My mother appeared.

Her face was gray.

Behind her stood two armed men.

Paige raised her weapon.

Marcus did the same.

Cross sighed.

“Always so much unnecessary drama.”

My mother looked at me.

“David.”

“What did you do?”

She began crying.

“I was trying to protect you.”

“By destroying my life?”

“I had no choice.”

“There is always a choice.”

She shook her head.

“You don't understand.”

“Then explain.”

She looked at Cross.

He nodded.

My mother took a deep breath.

“Your father discovered Blackridge.”

“I know.”

“He wanted to expose them.”

“I know.”

“He failed.”

“You killed him?”

She flinched.

“No.”

Cross answered for her.

“He died because he refused to cooperate.”

My mother closed her eyes.

“You were twelve.”

I stared at her.

“You told me he had a heart attack.”

“He did.”

“Because of Blackridge?”

“Yes.”

My hands shook.

“Then you joined them.”

“I had Paige.”

“You always use her as an excuse.”

My mother looked at my sister.

Paige's face collapsed.

“No.”

Mother continued.

“After your father died, Blackridge threatened to take Paige.”

“Why?”

“Because she was already part of the program.”

I looked at Paige.

She nodded through tears.

“Mom was telling the truth.”

“What program?”

Paige looked at me.

“The treatment they gave me when I was a child.”

She rubbed her arm.

“It changed my memory.”

I felt numb.

“So all of us were experiments.”

Cross smiled.

“Not experiments.”

“Then what?”

“Assets.”

I hated that word.

Cross walked toward me.

“You had a unique resistance.”

“Why?”

“Because your brain adapted.”

“What does that mean?”

“You could retain fragments after memory suppression.”

“That's why I kept remembering.”

“Yes.”

“And you sent me overseas.”

“To observe you.”

“You manipulated my deployments.”

“Yes.”

“You watched me.”

“Yes.”

I stepped closer.

“You ruined my life.”

Cross smiled.

“No.”

He pointed at Gwen.

“She did.”

Gwen froze.

I looked at him.

“What?”

Cross reached into his jacket.

He removed a photograph.

It showed Gwen meeting him.

Before our marriage.

She was smiling.

Healthy.

Calm.

Not afraid.

The date was six years ago.

Before I knew her.

Cross handed it to me.

“She contacted us first.”

Gwen shook her head.

“No.”

“You volunteered.”

“No!”

“You wanted David.”

Gwen's face collapsed.

I turned to her.

“Is it true?”

She couldn't answer.

Cross smiled.

“That silence is your answer.”

I felt something tear inside me.

Then Gwen whispered:

“I was undercover.”

I stared.

“What?”

“I was trying to get close to you because I knew you were being monitored.”

Cross laughed.

“Convenient.”

She looked at me.

“I loved you.”

Cross stepped closer.

“She was supposed to watch you.”

Gwen cried.

“She was supposed to report on you.”

I turned away.

“Did you?”

Silence.

Then Gwen said:

“Yes.”

My heart shattered.

“How long?”

“Six months.”

“What did you tell them?”

“Everything.”

I closed my eyes.

Every conversation.

Every secret.

Every promise.

All of it possibly recorded.

Then Gwen whispered:

“But I stopped.”

“When?”

“The night I realized they were going to kill you.”

Cross's smile disappeared.

“That was your mistake.”

Suddenly the lights went out.

Gunfire exploded.

Everyone screamed.

Glass shattered.

I grabbed Gwen.

Marcus dragged Paige behind the sofa.

When the emergency lights came on, Cross was gone.

So was my mother.

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