Chapter 14 - The Night Ethan DisappearedMarcus told us everything.
Or at least enough to make us understand how badly we had lost control.
Project Lullaby had never been about one child.
It was about creating a generation of people whose memories could be shaped before they were old enough to resist.
Ethan was the first biological match.
Victor needed him alive.
And he needed me alive too.
“Why me?” I asked.
Marcus answered:
“Because your brain contains the original pattern.”
“Pattern of what?”
“Fear.”
I laughed bitterly.
“So my entire childhood…”
“Yes.”
“They made me afraid.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To see whether fear could be transferred.”
“To another person?”
“To your children.”
My stomach turned.
Marcus continued.
“Ethan isn't just genetically similar to you.”
He pulled out a tablet.
“His neural scans show the same response patterns.”
I stared at the screen.
“We did a scan after birth.”
Emily looked at me.
“What scan?”
Marcus hesitated.
“The pediatric exam.”
I remembered.
A man from the hospital had recommended a special test.
We agreed.
I felt stupid.
“You were there.”
Marcus nodded.
“Of course I was.”
I grabbed his collar.
“You used my son.”
“I tried to protect him.”
“By spying on us?”
“By keeping him off Victor's list.”
Emily stepped between us.
“Then why the camera?”
Marcus looked at her.
“Because someone else installed that.”
“Who?”
He didn't answer.
Linda did.
“Mara.”
Emily froze.
“She came back?”
Linda nodded.
“She has been trying to destroy Lullaby.”
I stared at her.
“Then why has she been threatening us?”
“Because she doesn't trust anyone.”
Marcus looked toward the window.
“She has a reason.”
A car stopped outside.
All of us froze.
Marcus checked the street.
“It's her.”
Emily whispered:
“Mara?”
The front door opened.
A woman walked inside.
She was older than the photograph.
Dark hair.
Scar under one eye.
A pistol in her hand.
She looked at me.
Then at Ethan.
And immediately lowered the weapon.
“It's him.”
I stepped forward.
“Who are you?”
“Mara.”
Emily moved closer.
“You knew my father.”
Mara nodded.
“I loved him.”
“You said he died.”
“He did.”
Emily looked confused.
“Then who…”
Mara stared at me.
“Nathan.”
I froze.
“You're saying Nathan was alive?”
“No.”
She looked toward Linda.
“Nathan died years ago.”
I felt my heart sink.
“Then what have we been seeing?”
Mara whispered:
“An artificial reconstruction.”
My skin crawled.
“The messages.”
“The videos.”
“The voice.”
“All of it.”
She looked at Ethan.
“Someone rebuilt your father's mind from recorded memories.”
I stared.
“Who?”
Mara answered:
May you like
“Your mother.”
Linda closed her eyes.
