Chapter 10 - THE WAR SHE WAS BORN TO FINISHTime stopped.
Elena's gun pointed directly at my daughter.
I moved between them.
"Put it down."
Elena's hands trembled.
"I'm not going to shoot her."
"You just aimed at her."
"I need her to listen."
Grace stood behind me.
"Mom?"
Elena's face shattered.
She lowered the gun.
"My baby."
Grace stepped forward.
I grabbed her hand.
"No."
Elena began to cry.
"I'm sorry."
Grace whispered:
"Are you really my mother?"
Elena nodded.
"Yes."
"Did you make me blind?"
Elena closed her eyes.
"Yes."
"Did you hurt me?"
"Yes."
"Did you give me to them?"
"I tried to save you."
"Did you love me?"
Elena collapsed to her knees.
"More than anything."
Grace was silent.
Then she stepped toward her.
I expected anger.
Instead, she hugged her.
Elena sobbed.
I stood frozen.
Behind her, Marcus watched us.
"Beautiful."
I turned toward him.
"You."
He smiled.
"Your family has always been impressive."
I raised my gun.
Marcus didn't move.
"You used my daughter."
"No."
He shook his head.
"We created her."
"You created nothing."
"Then why can she remember things no human should?"
I didn't answer.
Marcus stepped closer.
"Your daughter is the culmination of thirty years of work."
Elena stood.
"No."
Marcus looked at her.
"You failed."
"I protected her."
"You delayed the inevitable."
He turned toward Grace.
"Come with me."
Grace shook her head.
"No."
"You don't understand what you are."
Grace smiled.
"I understand enough."
Marcus frowned.
"You have the memory."
Grace nodded.
"But Lily has the key."
Marcus froze.
"You found her?"
Grace smiled again.
"She's already here."
The basement lights came on.
Lily appeared behind Marcus.
She pointed a gun at his head.
"Hello, grandfather."
Marcus slowly turned.
"What?"
Lily smiled.
"You really thought I'd stay dead?"
Gunshots erupted.
Everything happened at once.
My mother fired.
Elena tackled Marcus.
Evelyn appeared from the shadows.
I stared.
"You survived?"
She nodded.
"I told you."
Then the room shook.
Explosions thundered outside.
Marcus's men had found us.
Windows shattered.
Bullets tore through the walls.
I pushed Grace behind a stone column.
"Stay down."
"No."
"This time you listen to me."
Grace shook her head.
"Dad."
"What?"
"I've been listening all my life."
She pointed toward the hallway.
"I know where they're coming."
I looked at her.
"How?"
"I can hear their intentions."
I almost laughed.
Then I realized she was serious.
"How many?"
"Twenty."
"Where?"
"Ten front."
She turned.
"Six west."
Then she pointed upward.
"Four behind us."
Evelyn stared.
"She's right."
I looked at Grace.
My twelve-year-old blind daughter was directing a tactical operation inside a burning house.
I understood then.
The training had never been about turning her into a killer.
It was about teaching her to survive long enough to choose what kind of person she wanted to become.
I handed her a radio.
"Tell me where."
Grace smiled.
"Okay."
The next ten minutes became a war.
Evelyn and Lily covered the west hall.
Elena took the front entrance.
My mother moved to the stairs.
I stayed with Grace.
Every time she whispered a direction, I moved.
Every time she said "now," we fired.
One by one, the attackers fell back.
Then silence.
Marcus was gone.
Again.
We found his coat in the basement.
Inside was a letter.
Addressed to Grace.
She opened it.
I watched her eyes move across the page.
"What does it say?"
Grace didn't answer.
"Grace."
She folded it.
"He says the war isn't over."
"That's all?"
"No."
She looked at me.
"He says there are seven children."
"We know."
Grace shook her head.
"There were seven."
She handed me the letter.
I read the final line.
THERE ARE EIGHT NOW.
My stomach dropped.
"What does that mean?"
Grace whispered:
"Someone else was created."
"Who?"
She looked toward Elena.
Elena's face went pale.
"Michael..."
"What?"
Elena stepped backward.
"I never told you."
"Told me what?"
She looked at Grace.
Then at Lily.
Then at Evelyn.
Finally, she looked at me.
"There was another child."
I clenched my jaw.
"Where?"
Elena whispered:
"With your blood."
I stared.
"Another daughter?"
Elena shook her head.
"A son."
Silence.
My entire body went cold.
"Where is he?"
Elena didn't answer.
Grace suddenly turned toward the window.
She froze.
"What?"
She whispered:
"He's here."
I reached for my gun.
"Where?"
Grace pointed toward the forest.
A figure stood beneath the trees.
A boy.
Perhaps fourteen.
Dark coat.
Pale face.
Silver wolf emblem around his neck.
He raised one hand.
In it was a photograph.
Grace gasped.
"It's me."
I looked closer.
The photograph showed Grace as a baby.
And beside her...
the boy.
On the back of the photograph were four words.
WE WERE THE FIRST TWO.
The boy smiled.
Then the lights in the house went out.
A voice came from the darkness.
My father's voice.
"You finally found the beginning."
And Grace whispered:
"Dad..."
"What?"
"I remember him."
"Who?"
She turned toward me.
"The boy who taught me how to fight."
May you like
The gunfire began again.
And somewhere in the darkness, someone laughed.
