Chapter 6 - Blackridge was hidden beneath a mountain range that didn't appear on civilian maps.We approached from the west.
No lights.
No radio.
No electronic devices.
Just three people moving through frozen terrain.
My mother stayed behind with Maya.
I went forward alone.
The entrance was buried beneath rock.
A thermal camera revealed two guards.
I waited.
One turned.
I moved.
Ten seconds later, both were unconscious.
Inside, the facility was colder than I expected.
Concrete corridors.
Steel doors.
No windows.
No insignia.
No names.
Just numbers.
I followed the map from my father's files.
Level three.
Containment.
I found the room.
Door 317.
I opened it.
Empty.
A chair sat in the center.
Chains lay on the floor.
A blood stain marked the wall.
My father's blood.
I touched it.
Fresh.
Then a speaker crackled.
“Charlotte.”
My father's voice.
I looked up.
“Dad?”
“Don't come any farther.”
I froze.
“Where are you?”
“You need to leave.”
“No.”
“Charlie.”
“No.”
Silence.
Then:
“They have access to the building.”
“Who?”
“The person you brought with you.”
My blood ran cold.
“Maya?”
“Not Maya.”
I thought about Elena.
“Mom?”
“No.”
My father's voice became urgent.
“Charlotte, listen carefully.”
A noise sounded behind me.
I turned.
Carter stood at the end of the corridor.
He looked calm.
Almost amused.
“Hello, sister.”
I raised my weapon.
“You're not my brother.”
He smiled.
“No.”
“Who are you?”
“Does it matter?”
“It matters to me.”
He walked closer.
“You spent years trying to become your father.”
“And you spent years pretending to be my brother.”
“I did what I was told.”
“By Reagan?”
“By everyone.”
I moved my weapon toward his chest.
“Where is Dad?”
Carter smiled.
“He's been waiting for you.”
“Where?”
Carter pointed toward the steel door behind him.
“Open it.”
I didn't.
“Why?”
“Because this is the part where you learn what your father really did.”
The door opened from inside.
Robert Bennett walked out.
Older.
Thinner.
Bruised.
But alive.
I dropped the weapon.
“Dad.”
He looked at me.
For a second, neither of us spoke.
Then he embraced me.
I felt fifteen years of fear, three years of loneliness, and one year of grief collapse all at once.
“I thought you were dead.”
“I know.”
“Why didn't you come home?”
“Because every road home led to you.”
He pulled away.
“There are things you don't understand.”
“Start explaining.”
He looked toward Carter.
“He isn't the enemy.”
I almost laughed.
“He was living my life.”
“I know.”
“He helped them.”
“He helped me.”
Carter stepped closer.
“I infiltrated Legacy.”
I stared at him.
“You were planted in our family.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To monitor Reagan.”
My father nodded.
“Reagan was never my real wife.”
The words hit harder than expected.
“What?”
“She believed she was controlling me.”
“She married you to access the investigation.”
“Yes.”
“Then why did you stay?”
“Because I needed her close.”
Carter's face became serious.
“And I needed to keep you alive.”
I looked at him.
“All those years…”
“You hated me.”
“Yes.”
“I deserved it.”
I lowered my weapon.
My father's expression changed.
“Charlotte, we have maybe six hours.”
“Until what?”
“Victor Hale activates the final stage of Legacy.”
“Which is?”
“He replaces the identities of everyone on the list.”
“Government officials?”
“Thousands.”
“And me?”
“You become the permanent anchor.”
I frowned.
“Meaning?”
“They will use your identity to authenticate the entire system.”
I understood.
My identity wouldn't merely unlock Legacy.
It would legitimize it.
“With my biometric credentials, they can make every replacement official.”
“Yes.”
“Then destroy the system.”
My father looked at me.
“I tried.”
“Why can't you?”
“Because the shutdown protocol requires two keys.”
He looked at Carter.
“Mine.”
Then at me.
“Yours.”
I stared.
“Where's your key?”
Robert pointed toward the floor.
“Under this facility.”
“You hid it here?”
“No.”
He looked toward Carter.
“Carter did.”
Suddenly alarms sounded.
Red lights flashed.
Carter swore.
“They found us.”
My father grabbed my arm.
“There is another problem.”
“What?”
“Reagan is coming.”
“Here?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
Robert's face darkened.
“She controls Northstar's military division.”
A voice echoed through the speakers.
Reagan.
“Charlotte.”
I froze.
“Your father always did underestimate me.”
Robert looked furious.
“You should have killed her years ago.”
“I couldn't.”
“Why?”
“Because she knew where Elena was.”
My mother.
I looked at Dad.
“You protected Mom.”
“Yes.”
“And Reagan knew?”
“Yes.”
The speaker crackled again.
Reagan laughed.
“You never understood the rules, Robert.”
Then Carter grabbed my arm.
“We need to move.”
“Where?”
“Control room.”
We ran.
Gunfire erupted behind us.
Legacy soldiers poured into the corridor.
My father fired.
Carter moved beside him.
I covered the rear.
We reached the control room.
The central server was enormous.
Two biometric terminals stood beside it.
One labeled BENNETT R.
The other:
BENNETT C.
My father looked at me.
“Those are the keys.”
I placed my hand on the scanner.
Nothing happened.
Then a screen appeared.
IDENTITY CONFIRMED.
Another message.
SECOND AUTHENTICATION REQUIRED.
My father stepped forward.
Before he could place his hand on the second scanner, the door exploded open.
Reagan walked through the smoke.
She held Elena's picture in one hand.
A gun in the other.
“Robert.”
He froze.
Reagan smiled.
“I think we've kept enough secrets.”
May you like
Then she aimed the weapon at my mother.
“Let's finish this as a family.”
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