Chapter 13 - Nobody moved.The young man standing across the chamber looked exactly like Daniel.
Same face.
Same eyes.
Same scar.
But there was something wrong with him.
His eyes were empty.
Not lifeless.
Controlled.
Like someone had turned off everything human inside him.
Daniel struggled to stand.
“What did you do?”
My father smiled.
“Daniel was always unreliable.”
The younger version of Daniel stepped forward.
“You're not real,” Daniel whispered.
The clone tilted his head.
“I remember being you.”
Daniel froze.
“You were built from your memories.”
“No.”
The clone looked toward me.
“I was built from hers.”
My blood froze.
“What?”
My father smiled.
“You were Subject Zero.”
The clone pointed at me.
“She was Subject One.”
Then the truth struck me.
The copies weren't copies of people.
They were copies of memories.
Identity could be transferred.
Rewritten.
Rebuilt.
My father had spent years creating perfect replacements.
The clone looked at Madison.
“She's different.”
I pulled Madison behind me.
“You won't touch her.”
The clone ignored me.
He looked at Daniel.
“You sacrificed everything for her.”
Daniel stared.
“What?”
The clone smiled.
“You erased her memories because she begged you.”
“Yes.”
“But you also erased your own.”
Daniel's face went pale.
I looked at him.
“What does he mean?”
My father answered.
“Daniel doesn't remember the final night.”
“What night?”
“The night he killed you.”
I felt sick.
“He didn't.”
“He did.”
Daniel shook his head.
“No.”
My father continued.
“You were bleeding.”
“You weren't going to survive.”
“Daniel held the gun.”
“I didn't.”
“You pointed it at her.”
“I didn't!”
My father smiled.
“Then ask him.”
Daniel stared at me.
Tears formed in his eyes.
“I remember.”
I stepped backward.
“No.”
“I remember holding you.”
“Stop.”
“I thought you were dying.”
“Stop!”
“I thought pulling the trigger would end your suffering.”
The world blurred.
“You shot me?”
Daniel nodded.
“I thought you were already dead.”
My father smiled.
“But she survived.”
I looked at my husband's face.
For the first time, I saw him not as the man who had lied to me.
But as a man who had been carrying guilt for seven years.
Then Madison spoke.
“Daddy didn't shoot Mommy.”
Everyone looked at her.
She stepped forward.
“I saw.”
Daniel stared.
“What did you see?”
Madison pointed at Michael.
“Uncle Michael had the gun.”
Michael froze.
“You're lying.”
“I saw him.”
Jonathan turned toward Michael.
“Is that true?”
Michael backed away.
“I didn't mean to.”
My mother began crying.
Michael looked at her.
“She was going to expose us.”
“You killed her?”
“I had no choice!”
My father grabbed him.
“You idiot.”
Michael pushed him away.
“You said you'd protect me!”
“I said nothing.”
Michael raised his weapon.
Jonathan fired first.
Michael fell.
Everything happened at once.
Lucas tackled the armed guards.
My mother grabbed Madison.
Daniel pulled me behind a metal console.
The clone simply watched.
Then the underground facility exploded.
A wall collapsed.
The clone disappeared beneath the rubble.
My father vanished.
The alarms screamed.
We ran.
Outside, dawn had broken.
Fire trucks surrounded the compound.
Police stormed the building.
Detective Harris appeared.
He stared at Daniel.
Then me.
“You're alive.”
I nodded.
Harris pulled out handcuffs.
“Daniel Hayes, you're under arrest.”
I stared.
“For what?”
“Multiple counts of fraud, identity manipulation, conspiracy…”
Daniel said nothing.
Then Harris looked at me.
“Renee, there is one more thing.”
“What?”
He handed me a sealed envelope.
“Found it in your father's office.”
I opened it.
Inside was a photograph.
Me.
Daniel.
Madison.
And someone standing behind us.
Someone I hadn't seen before.
On the back, there were four words.
THE REAL SUBJECT IS MOTHER.
May you like
I looked at my mother.
She had disappeared.
