Chapter 8 - The Man in the White CoatWe escaped through the cellar.
The attackers entered the farmhouse less than thirty seconds later.
Daniel led us through a tunnel beneath the property.
I carried Oliver.
Mara followed.
Gunfire echoed behind us.
We didn't stop until we reached an underground room.
Daniel closed a steel door.
For a few seconds, there was only silence.
Then Oliver spoke.
“Mom.”
“Yes?”
“I know that voice.”
My heart sank.
“What voice?”
“The man outside.”
Daniel looked at me.
“That's impossible.”
Oliver shook his head.
“He used to visit me.”
“When?”
“When Dad was away.”
I looked at Daniel.
“Who?”
Oliver described him.
Tall.
Gray hair.
A scar across his left cheek.
White coat.
Daniel whispered one name.
“Dr. Vale.”
“Who is Dr. Vale?”
“The scientist who created Echo.”
The room felt colder.
“Then why does my son remember him?”
Daniel didn't answer.
Oliver suddenly pointed to a metal cabinet.
“There.”
We opened it.
Inside were old medical records.
Hundreds.
One file sat separately.
ECHO O-17
I opened it.
The first page contained Oliver's name.
The second contained mine.
The third stopped me cold.
SUBJECT RESPONSE: SUCCESSFUL
Then:
MEMORY TRANSFER COMPLETED
And below it:
HOST RETENTION: ELENA BENNETT
I couldn't breathe.
Daniel grabbed the file.
“Don't read the next page.”
I looked at him.
“Why?”
“Because Thomas never wanted you to know.”
I turned the page.
A photograph fell out.
It showed me.
Six years earlier.
Holding baby Oliver.
Standing beside Dr. Vale.
And behind us was Thomas.
But he wasn't smiling.
He looked terrified.
On the back of the photograph was a message.
She doesn't remember what she did.
I looked at Daniel.
“What did I do?”
He said nothing.
Mara read over my shoulder.
Her face drained.
“What?”
She looked at me.
“You were the one who shut down Echo.”
“What?”
“You didn't just carry the memory.”
“You destroyed the entire facility.”
I stared at her.
“How?”
“You triggered the system from inside.”
I shook my head.
“I don't remember.”
“That's why Thomas erased it.”
Daniel added quietly:
“And that's why the Architect needs you alive.”
Suddenly, the steel door shook.
Once.
Twice.
Then stopped.
A voice came from the other side.
“Daniel.”
He froze.
The voice continued.
“You've done enough.”
Daniel looked at us.
“Stay here.”
“No.”
“I can handle this.”
“You're not leaving us.”
He walked toward the door.
I grabbed his arm.
He turned.
For the first time, I saw tears in his eyes.
“Your husband asked me to save you.”
“Then save us.”
He nodded.
“I will.”
He opened the door.
A gunshot rang out.
Daniel collapsed.
“DANIEL!”
I ran toward him.
Blood spread across his shirt.
Behind him stood Dr. Vale.
The man in the white coat.
He smiled.
“Hello, Elena.”
May you like
Then he looked at Oliver.
“And hello, little key.”
