Chapter 13 - THE MAN BURIED UNDER BELLWEATHERMara couldn't process the words.
Her mother was dead again.
This time there was no substitute body.
No closed coffin.
No conspiracy.
Just silence.
Luca stood beside her.
Damian looked away.
Anthony was gone.
Mara wiped her tears.
“Where is my father?”
Damian answered.
“Under Bellweather.”
Mara stared.
“What?”
“The original archive has a prison beneath the hotel.”
“Who's inside?”
Damian's face hardened.
“Gabriel Ellis.”
Mara stopped breathing.
“Alive?”
“Barely.”
They returned to Bellweather through the service tunnels.
The hotel was burning above them.
Alarms screamed.
Water poured from broken pipes.
They reached a steel door.
A keypad flashed.
Mara entered 2047.
Nothing.
She tried her birthday.
Nothing.
Luca touched the panel.
The door opened.
Inside was a cell.
A man sat in darkness.
Older.
Thin.
Gray-haired.
But when he lifted his head, Mara knew.
She had seen those eyes in her dreams.
“Dad?”
The man stood.
His hands trembled.
“Mara?”
She couldn't move.
Gabriel stepped closer.
“You grew up.”
Mara began to cry.
“You were dead.”
“I was supposed to be.”
“Mom said you died.”
“She was protecting you.”
Mara stared.
“Why did everyone lie?”
Gabriel looked toward Luca.
“Because Anthony made them.”
“Anthony is dead.”
Gabriel shook his head.
“Which one?”
Mara frowned.
“You knew about the copies?”
“I created the first one.”
Luca looked stunned.
“What?”
Gabriel explained.
“Anthony wanted immortality.”
“I helped him build Mirror.”
“But I discovered the copies developed independent memories.”
Gabriel touched Luca's shoulder.
“He was the first.”
Luca stepped back.
“What?”
“You were created from my DNA and Anthony's memory architecture.”
Mara's face tightened.
“Then who is my father?”
Gabriel looked at her.
“You.”
She stared.
“That's not an answer.”
“You were designed from my genome.”
“So you are my father.”
“Biologically, no.”
Mara shook her head.
“Then why does everyone keep saying something different?”
Gabriel looked exhausted.
“Because there are three versions of your birth record.”
He took out a photograph.
Anthony.
Rose.
Gabriel.
And a newborn Mara.
“Rose carried you.”
“Gabriel funded the research.”
“Anthony modified your memory structure.”
“And Helen betrayed all of us.”
Mara whispered:
“Why?”
Gabriel's expression darkened.
“Because someone wanted the project for the government.”
Mara stared.
“The government?”
“Not officially.”
“Then who?”
Gabriel didn't answer.
Instead, he pointed to the hard drive.
“Did you bring it?”
“Yes.”
“Then we're almost out of time.”
“Why?”
“Because the archive will upload tonight.”
“To whom?”
Gabriel looked at the clock.
11:39.
“Twelve minutes.”
“What happens at midnight?”
“The evidence goes public.”
Mara stared.
“Then that's good.”
Gabriel shook his head.
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because the archive isn't evidence.”
“What is it?”
“It contains the names of every person whose memory was copied.”
Mara's blood ran cold.
“And?”
Gabriel looked at her.
“Some of them are still alive.”
“Where?”
“Everywhere.”
Footsteps echoed behind them.
Luca raised his gun.
Damian appeared in the doorway.
“We have a problem.”
“What?”
Damian looked at Gabriel.
“Anthony found us.”
Gabriel's face went white.
“Then we're finished.”
Mara frowned.
“Why?”
Gabriel whispered:
“Because Anthony isn't the final copy.”
A second set of footsteps approached.
A man entered.
Same face.
Same tattoos.
Same eyes.
But this time, Mara knew immediately.
This one was different.
He looked at Gabriel.
“Hello, brother.”
Gabriel whispered:
“Adam.”
Mara looked at Luca.
“How many of them are there?”
Luca answered quietly:
“I don't know.”
Adam smiled.
“But I do.”
May you like
He raised his gun.
“There are seven.”
