Chapter 14 - My mother was gone.Police searched the compound.
Nothing.
No body.
No vehicle.
No trace.
Detective Harris looked furious.
“She planned this.”
“What did she know?”
“Everything.”
I stared at the photograph.
“Why would she be the real subject?”
Harris didn't answer.
Daniel was taken to another room for questioning.
Madison stayed with me.
I couldn't shake the feeling that the nightmare wasn't over.
That night, the police placed us in protective custody.
At 2:06 a.m., every light in the building went out.
Madison woke immediately.
“Mommy.”
I reached for her.
“I'm here.”
A voice came through the speaker.
My mother's voice.
“Renee.”
I froze.
“Where are you?”
“Where I've always been.”
“What do you want?”
“You need to remember the last piece.”
“What piece?”
“The day you were born.”
I looked at Madison.
Her eyes widened.
A monitor turned on.
A hospital room appeared.
A nurse carried a newborn baby.
Me.
I watched.
Then another newborn appeared.
A second infant.
I couldn't breathe.
“Two babies?”
My mother spoke through the speaker.
“Yes.”
I stared at the screen.
One baby had my face.
The other had Daniel's eyes.
Then I remembered.
Madison had a twin.
I felt my knees weaken.
“What happened to the other baby?”
My mother's voice was calm.
“He survived.”
“Where?”
Silence.
Then the monitor showed a man entering the room.
Jonathan.
He took the second baby.
“No.”
My mother continued.
“You thought Madison was the only child.”
“Where is he?”
“He grew up inside Orpheus.”
My chest tightened.
“Who is he?”
The door opened.
Detective Harris entered.
“Renee, don't listen to her.”
“What?”
He looked nervous.
Too nervous.
Then I saw blood on his sleeve.
“What's that?”
He slowly reached behind him.
A gun appeared.
Madison screamed.
Harris pointed it at us.
“I tried to warn Daniel.”
“You work for Orpheus.”
“Yes.”
The lights came back.
Behind Harris stood the young man from the underground facility.
The clone.
Except now he was wearing a police uniform.
His face looked exactly like Daniel's.
He smiled.
“Hello, Mother.”
I couldn't breathe.
He looked at Madison.
“Hello, Sister.”
Madison backed away.
“You're my brother?”
He nodded.
“My name is Elias.”
I stared.
“What happened to you?”
“They raised me.”
“Why?”
“To protect the secret.”
“What secret?”
He looked at me.
“The secret that Orpheus wasn't invented by your father.”
My stomach dropped.
“Then who invented it?”
Elias smiled.
“You did.”
“No.”
“You were fourteen when you began designing it.”
“That isn't possible.”
“You were a prodigy.”
He stepped closer.
“You designed the first neural imprint system.”
I shook my head.
“Why don't I remember?”
“Because your mother erased those memories.”
I looked toward the speaker.
“Mom?”
Her voice answered.
“I did what I had to do.”
Elias continued.
“Your father used your invention.”
“He turned it into Orpheus.”
“Yes.”
“And you?”
“I was the first human test.”
My eyes filled with tears.
“You're my son.”
Elias smiled.
“Yes.”
Madison looked at him.
“Why does Daddy have your face?”
Elias looked at Daniel through the glass.
“Because I was created from his memories.”
Then he turned toward me.
“But my mind came from yours.”
Daniel suddenly appeared behind the glass.
He saw Elias.
His face collapsed.
“My God.”
Elias smiled.
“Hello, Father.”
Daniel whispered:
“I thought you died.”
“I did.”
Elias walked toward him.
“Then you made me again.”
Daniel looked at me.
“I never knew.”
Elias raised his hand.
“Now you do.”
The room filled with smoke.
Harris collapsed.
My mother walked through the doorway.
She held a detonator.
“We have five minutes.”
I stared.
“Five minutes until what?”
May you like
She smiled.
“Until Orpheus goes public.”
