Chapter 8 - I hit the attacker before he could drag Emma away.
He crashed into the wall.
Emma screamed.
My mother fired.
The shot tore through the ceiling.
Marcus tackled another man.
Chaos filled the cabin.
I pulled Emma behind me.
“Run!”
We escaped through the back window.
The forest swallowed us.
Branches scraped my face.
Emma cried but kept moving.
My mother followed.
Marcus was behind us.
We ran until we reached the river.
There was nowhere else to go.
The river was deep.
The attackers were coming.
Then a flashlight appeared across the water.
A woman stood on the opposite bank.
Gray coat.
White hair.
My mother's face.
I stared.
My mother stepped beside me.
“That's Rachel.”
The woman waved.
“Come across!”
My mother shook her head.
“It's a trap.”
The woman shouted:
“Margaret, you have ten seconds!”
Gunfire erupted behind us.
We had no choice.
I grabbed Emma.
We ran into the river.
The current nearly knocked us down.
The woman pulled us up the opposite bank.
We collapsed in the mud.
My mother aimed her gun at the woman.
“Who are you?”
The woman laughed.
“Your worst mistake.”
She turned toward me.
“My name is Evelyn.”
My mother froze.
“Evelyn.”
The woman nodded.
“I've waited twelve years to meet him.”
“Who?”
She pointed at me.
“Daniel.”
I stared.
“What do you want?”
She smiled.
“I want you to know your father.”
“I already do.”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“Thomas Reed isn't your father.”
My stomach tightened.
“Then who is?”
She looked at my mother.
“Tell him.”
My mother remained silent.
Evelyn smiled.
“You still can't.”
“Tell me.”
Evelyn pulled out a photograph.
A man stood beside Margaret's sister.
I had never seen him.
“This is Adrian Vale.”
Marcus stepped backward.
I turned toward him.
“Your brother?”
Marcus nodded slowly.
“He was.”
Evelyn looked at me.
“Adrian was the scientist who created the first genetic sequence.”
“What happened to him?”
“He became your father.”
Silence.
I stared at Marcus.
“You're my uncle?”
Marcus's face crumpled.
“Yes.”
Everything became worse.
I looked at my mother.
“You knew.”
She nodded.
“You were never Thomas's son.”
Thomas had stolen me from his own research partner.
My biological father had died trying to expose him.
Thomas had raised me as his own so nobody would suspect.
Then Marcus said:
“There's something else.”
Evelyn glared at him.
“Don't.”
“What?”
“Ask her.”
Marcus looked at my mother.
“Tell him about the second embryo.”
My mother closed her eyes.
My blood ran cold.
“Second what?”
“Embryo.”
She whispered the word.
“What does that mean?”
“When you were born…”
She hesitated.
“There were two.”
I stared.
“Twins?”
She nodded.
“You had a twin sister.”
I felt dizzy.
“Where is she?”
My mother began crying.
“She died.”
“When?”
“Birth.”
“Are you sure?”
She couldn't answer.
Evelyn stepped closer.
“She didn't die.”
I looked at her.
“She was taken.”
“By who?”
“Thomas.”
“Why?”
Evelyn looked toward the dark forest.
“Because she had the same sequence.”
A sound came behind us.
Leaves crushing.
I turned.
Thomas stepped out of the trees.
He was holding a photograph.
He looked at me.
“You've finally found the truth.”
Evelyn raised her weapon.
Thomas smiled.
“Your sister is alive.”
My mother's gun lowered.
“Where?”
Thomas answered:
“In the house where you buried Margaret.”
I frowned.
“What house?”
He smiled.
“The old family home.”
The one we had just left.
May you like
Then he said:
“And she's been waiting for you.”
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