Chapter 8: The Man Who Was Supposed to Be Dead
The metal door began sliding open.
Slowly.
Painfully.
Like whoever was on the other side wanted us to hear every second of it.
Noah was shaking against me.
Ava had both hands gripping my shirt.
Serena stood beside us, frozen.
Marcus raised his gun.
Claire stared at the opening.
"He's here."
I swallowed.
"My father?"
Claire nodded.
"Richard Cross."
The name echoed through the room.
Then a man's silhouette appeared.
Tall.
Gray hair.
Dark coat.
He stepped into the light.
I couldn't breathe.
I'd spent eleven years looking at his photograph.
His face had never changed in my memory.
But the man standing in front of me looked exactly the same.
Older, perhaps.
But unmistakably him.
My father.
Alive.
He looked at me.
And smiled.
"Daniel."
I couldn't move.
He walked closer.
"You've grown."
I finally found my voice.
"You're dead."
He smiled again.
"That's what I wanted everyone to believe."
I looked at my mother.
She was crying.
"You knew."
She lowered her head.
"Yes."
My father glanced at her.
"She had no choice."
I felt anger explode inside me.
"No choice?"
I pointed at him.
"You let me bury you."
"I protected you."
"You let me believe you were dead!"
"It was necessary."
"For what?"
He looked toward Ava.
"For her."
Ava stepped behind me.
My father studied her.
"Subject Twelve."
I immediately moved in front of her.
"She's not a subject."
He smiled.
"That's exactly what your mother used to say."
I looked at my mother.
She was trembling.
"Mom."
She looked at me.
"I'm sorry."
"How long?"
She couldn't answer.
"How long did you know he was alive?"
"Since the day he disappeared."
My father interrupted.
"She was helping me."
My mother shook her head.
"No."
"You were."
"I was trying to protect Daniel."
"From me?"
"Yes."
He laughed softly.
"You always were sentimental."
I looked between them.
Then at Claire.
"Why did you bring me here?"
Claire looked at my father.
"Because you needed to see him."
"Why?"
"Because he was going to find you eventually."
My father nodded.
"She's right."
He stepped closer.
"I've been watching you for years."
I felt sick.
"The photographs."
"Yes."
"The cameras."
"Yes."
"The basement."
"Mine."
I stared at him.
"You built all of this."
"Some of it."
"And Serena?"
He looked at her.
"She was assigned to protect you."
I turned toward Serena.
"You knew who he was."
She nodded.
"Yes."
"You knew he was alive."
"Yes."
"You knew about Ava."
"Yes."
I felt betrayed all over again.
"Why did you marry me?"
Serena's voice broke.
"Because I fell in love with you."
My father laughed.
"That wasn't the original plan."
Serena glared at him.
"I stopped following your plan."
"When?"
"The moment I realized what you were doing."
My father looked amused.
"Yet you stayed."
"Because leaving would have gotten Daniel killed."
I looked at her.
"Then why did you hurt the children?"
She looked devastated.
"I never wanted to."
Ava whispered:
"You did."
Serena closed her eyes.
"I know."
My father interrupted.
"We don't have time for this."
He looked at Ava.
"Bring her to me."
"No."
He raised his hand.
A red laser dot appeared on Marcus's chest.
Marcus froze.
I looked around.
Snipers.
There were at least three laser sights moving across the room.
My father smiled.
"You've always been stubborn."
"Stay away from my children."
"Children?"
He looked at Noah.
"He's irrelevant."
Then at Ava.
"She isn't."
I stepped forward.
"If you want her, you'll have to go through me."
My father smiled.
"I expected that."
He snapped his fingers.
A monitor turned on.
The screen showed my house.
Then another camera angle.
My bedroom.
Then Noah's room.
Then the basement.
Then the living room.
Every room.
All recorded.
For years.
My father had watched everything.
My marriage.
My children.
My entire life.
He wasn't simply spying on us.
He had been studying us.
Then the screen changed.
A video appeared.
It showed Serena holding Ava as a baby.
My father stood beside her.
I watched in horror.
Ava was crying.
Serena was crying too.
My father said:
"She needs to stay with Daniel."
Serena replied:
"He'll find out."
"He won't."
"What about Claire?"
"She'll disappear."
I looked at Claire.
She was staring at the screen.
The video continued.
Claire appeared.
She was holding a newborn baby.
Not Ava.
Another baby.
She looked terrified.
My father walked toward her.
"You've served your purpose."
Claire backed away.
"You promised you'd let me leave."
"I changed my mind."
The video ended.
Claire covered her mouth.
I looked at her.
"You were there."
She nodded.
"I tried to escape."
"What happened?"
"They caught me."
"How did you survive?"
She looked at Serena.
"She helped me."
I turned toward Serena.
She nodded.
"I couldn't let him kill her."
My father sighed.
"You've both become sentimental."
Then something unexpected happened.
My mother stepped forward.
"Richard."
He turned.
"Enough."
His smile disappeared.
"You've taken everything from me."
She continued.
"You took my husband."
"You knew the risks."
"You took my son."
"I protected him."
"You took Claire's child."
My father looked at Ava.
"I protected her too."
"No."
My mother shook her head.
"You used her."
Silence.
My father looked at me.
"Your mother doesn't understand."
"What don't I understand?"
He stepped closer.
"Your daughter is carrying something that could save thousands of lives."
I stared at him.
"Her blood?"
He nodded.
"Exactly."
Ava looked terrified.
"What do you want from me?"
My father crouched.
I immediately stepped between them.
"Don't."
He stopped.
Then smiled.
"I don't intend to hurt her."
"That's what everyone says before they do."
He stood.
"Daniel, I need one thing from you."
"What?"
"Your cooperation."
I laughed.
"After everything?"
"You've misunderstood."
He pointed toward the door.
"Thomas is outside."
I froze.
"Thomas works for you."
"Sometimes."
"Then why did he threaten my mother?"
"Because he doesn't follow orders anymore."
My father looked toward the ceiling.
"Thomas has become a liability."
Marcus suddenly raised his weapon.
"Then we're on the same side."
My father looked at him.
"No."
He snapped his fingers.
The lights came on.
Every weapon in the room pointed at Marcus.
Marcus slowly lowered his gun.
My father said:
"You're going to help me."
Marcus stared at him.
"No."
My father smiled.
"Then your sister dies."
Marcus froze.
I looked at him.
"You have a sister?"
He didn't answer.
My father turned toward me.
"Everyone in this room has something to lose."
He pointed at Serena.
"She loses her freedom."
At Claire.
"She loses her life."
At my mother.
"She loses her son."
Then at me.
"You lose your children."
Finally, he looked at Ava.
"And she loses the truth."
Ava whispered:
"What truth?"
My father looked at her.
"Who your real mother is."
Claire stepped forward.
"Richard."
He smiled.
"Tell her."
Claire shook her head.
"I can't."
"Then I will."
I felt my heartbeat accelerate.
My father looked directly at Ava.
"Your mother is not Claire."
Ava stared at him.
"Then who is she?"
He pointed at Serena.
"Her."
The room went silent.
I looked at Serena.
She looked like she had been shot.
Ava shook her head.
"No."
My father smiled.
"Your mother never died."
He looked at me.
"She simply changed her name."
I stared at Serena.
"Evelyn."
She was crying.
Then she whispered:
"Daniel..."
My father continued.
"Her real name is..."
A gunshot exploded.
The lights shattered.
Everyone screamed.
When the emergency lights came on, my father was gone.
And Serena was lying on the floor.
Blood spreading across her dress.
Ava screamed:
"Mommy!"
I dropped beside Serena.
Her eyes opened.
She grabbed my hand.
And with her last strength, she whispered:
"Don't let him take Ava."
Then she looked at me.
"I lied about everything..."
She coughed.
"...except one thing."
"What?"
Her eyes filled with tears.
"I really am her mother."
Then she passed out.
And behind us, the basement door slowly opened again.
May you like
Thomas stood there.
Holding a bloodstained gun.
