CHAPTER 13: ONLY TWO WILL LEAVE
The countdown reached 9:42.
Nobody spoke.
Daniel stared at the screen.
Michael stared at the three names.
I stared at my mother.
“What does this mean?”
She shook her head.
“I don't know.”
“You do.”
“No.”
“You just told us about Blackwood.”
“I told you what I knew.”
Michael stepped toward her.
“You knew more than Dad.”
She flinched.
“You knew more than all of us.”
“I was afraid.”
“You were always afraid.”
Michael's voice cracked.
“And every time you were afraid, someone else paid for it.”
My mother lowered her head.
The countdown continued.
8:57.
A speaker clicked on.
My grandfather's voice filled the room.
“You have nine minutes.”
I looked at the ceiling.
“What do you want?”
“Nothing.”
“Then why are we here?”
“To correct your father's mistake.”
“What mistake?”
“He believed all three of his sons could survive.”
I looked at Daniel.
My grandfather continued.
“He was wrong.”
Michael stepped toward the monitor.
“You're a coward.”
A laugh echoed through the room.
“You sound exactly like your father.”
“Come out.”
“No.”
“Face us.”
“I don't need to.”
The screen changed.
A camera feed appeared.
My mother.
Mark.
Judge Whitaker.
Dr. Cole.
All of them were sitting in another room.
They were being watched too.
My grandfather's voice continued.
“Some of them betrayed me.”
The camera shifted to my mother.
“Some betrayed David.”
Then Mark.
“Some betrayed themselves.”
Then Judge Whitaker.
“And some believed money would protect them.”
Judge Whitaker looked terrified.
“Please.”
My grandfather ignored him.
“You are the only people who matter.”
The screen returned to us.
Three names.
DANIEL.
MICHAEL.
ME.
“Choose.”
I stared at the screen.
“Choose what?”
“Who leaves.”
Michael shook his head.
“No.”
My grandfather laughed.
“You're still your father's son.”
“Meaning?”
“You'll sacrifice yourself.”
Michael looked at me.
“Don't listen.”
The countdown reached 7:31.
My mother suddenly shouted:
“There's another way!”
Everyone looked at her.
She pointed toward the floor.
“Your father built an emergency exit.”
Michael stared.
“Where?”
“Under the archive.”
I looked around.
“Where?”
She pointed toward a metal panel.
I pulled it open.
A narrow tunnel appeared.
Rebecca examined it.
“This could lead outside.”
My grandfather's voice returned.
“You can leave.”
We froze.
“But one of you must stay.”
Daniel shook his head.
“No.”
I looked at him.
“Daniel?”
He was staring at the screen.
“Dad said this.”
“What?”
“He said…”
Daniel swallowed.
“He said Grandpa makes people choose.”
Michael stepped closer.
“And?”
Daniel looked at him.
“He said the choice is always fake.”
I froze.
“What?”
Daniel pointed at the countdown.
“Look.”
I stared.
9:59 had appeared again.
The countdown had reset.
My grandfather had been lying.
We hadn't lost nine minutes.
We had gained something.
Time.
Michael suddenly smiled.
“It's a test.”
“What?”
“Dad used to do this.”
I looked at him.
“When?”
“When we were children.”
“What did he do?”
“He created impossible choices.”
“Why?”
“To teach us not to panic.”
Daniel nodded.
“He told us to look for the third option.”
I stared at the screen.
Three names.
Two survivors.
Maybe the choice wasn't which two lived.
Maybe it was something else.
I turned toward the archive.
The files.
Hundreds of them.
I suddenly understood.
“People.”
Michael looked at me.
“What?”
“The three names.”
I pointed at the files.
“These aren't the only names.”
Rebecca stepped closer.
“You think the system is counting everyone?”
“No.”
I grabbed a folder.
“The network isn't just about us.”
I opened it.
Inside were dozens of names.
Patients.
Witnesses.
Doctors.
Guardians.
Then I found something.
A master list.
BLACKWOOD SUBJECTS.
There were 147 names.
I stared at the number.
“What if the three names aren't people?”
Michael frowned.
“What are they?”
I pointed to the screen.
“Daniel.”
“Michael.”
“Me.”
“Three generations.”
Michael's expression changed.
“Your grandfather.”
I nodded.
“The three names represent the three people who can expose him.”
Daniel suddenly pointed at the monitor.
“There.”
A hidden line appeared beneath the names.
ACCESS REQUIRED.
Then:
DANIEL = MEMORY
MICHAEL = IDENTITY
ME = EVIDENCE
I stared.
“My grandfather needs all three.”
Michael nodded slowly.
“He needs Daniel's memories.”
“My identity?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To access something Dad protected.”
I looked at the metal box.
“The evidence.”
Rebecca stepped forward.
“Your father split the key.”
“Three pieces.”
Daniel had the memory.
Michael had the identity.
I had the evidence.
My grandfather couldn't access the final archive without all three.
Then why had he brought us here?
I looked at my mother.
“You know where the final archive is.”
She nodded.
“Yes.”
“Where?”
She hesitated.
“Under Blackwood.”
“What's inside?”
“The original patient registry.”
I stared.
“The names of everyone your grandfather disappeared.”
My blood went cold.
“And Dad?”
“He's on it.”
I froze.
“Dad's name?”
She nodded.
“But that's impossible.”
“Why?”
“Because he's dead.”
My mother looked at me.
“That's what they wanted everyone to believe.”
Michael grabbed her arm.
“What are you saying?”
She whispered:
“Your father may still be alive.”
The world stopped.
I stared at her.
“Mom.”
“I don't know.”
“You just said…”
“I said he may be alive.”
Michael stepped backward.
“No.”
“You're lying.”
“I wish I were.”
Daniel suddenly started crying.
“I knew.”
I turned.
“You knew?”
“He told me.”
“Who?”
“Dad.”
“When?”
“After he died.”
I stared.
“That doesn't make sense.”
Daniel looked at the floor.
“He called me.”
“From where?”
“Blackwood.”
My heart slammed against my ribs.
“When?”
“Every year.”
“Every year?”
Daniel nodded.
“On my birthday.”
I couldn't speak.
Michael stared at him.
“Why didn't you tell us?”
“Dad told me not to.”
“Why?”
“He said Grandpa was listening.”
The countdown changed.
00:04:00.
Four minutes.
My grandfather's voice returned.
“You're getting close.”
I looked at the monitor.
“Where is my father?”
Silence.
Then:
“Come find him.”
A door opened at the far end of the archive.
Behind it was a staircase leading down.
My mother whispered:
“That's the way.”
Michael looked at me.
“Could be a trap.”
“Of course it is.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“I'll go.”
“No.”
He looked at me.
“Dad said I have to.”
I shook my head.
“I'm coming with you.”
Michael followed.
Rebecca grabbed my shoulder.
“You can't all go.”
I looked at the screen.
Three names.
Three pieces.
Three people.
Maybe my grandfather had made one mistake.
He assumed we would choose between ourselves.
Instead, we were going together.
We descended.
The staircase seemed endless.
At the bottom was a single door.
A camera was mounted above it.
The door opened.
Inside was a room.
A bed.
Medical equipment.
A chair.
And a man sitting beside the window.
His back was turned.
Daniel stopped breathing.
Michael whispered:
“No.”
I stepped forward.
“Dad?”
The man slowly turned.
His face was older.
Thin.
Scarred.
But unmistakable.
My father.
Alive.
He looked at me.
Then at Daniel.
Then at Michael.
His eyes filled with tears.
“You finally came.”
I couldn't move.
Michael collapsed against the wall.
Daniel whispered:
“Dad.”
My father smiled.
Then his eyes moved toward the camera.
His smile disappeared.
“Listen carefully.”
“What?”
He looked terrified.
“Your grandfather isn't the one who brought you here.”
I stared at him.
“Then who did?”
Dad looked toward the door.
The lights flickered.
May you like
And he whispered:
“The person who betrayed me is standing behind you.”
