Chapter 8 - BLACK MERIDIANWe reached the emergency command center at 11:41 p.m.

Dad locked the room behind us.

Daniel collapsed into a chair.

Blood soaked his shirt.

“You need a doctor,” I said.

“No.”

“You'll die.”

“Then at least I'll die after telling you everything.”

I stared at him.

“Start.”

Daniel looked at Dad.

“Tell her.”

Dad stood by the window.

“I helped create Black Meridian.”

He spoke slowly.

“After the Red Hollow disaster, governments wanted a system capable of predicting industrial failures.”

“That sounds harmless.”

“It wasn't.”

“Why?”

“Because prediction became manipulation.”

He looked at me.

“Certain people discovered that controlling a disaster could be more profitable than preventing one.”

My stomach tightened.

“Real estate.”

“Yes.”

“Insurance.”

“Yes.”

“Government contracts.”

“Yes.”

“Human lives.”

Dad's face hardened.

“Yes.”

I felt sick.

“You let this happen?”

“No.”

“Then why create it?”

“To expose it.”

“What?”

“My father and I built the system to identify corrupt networks.”

“But someone took it.”

“Samuel.”

I looked at Daniel.

“And he joined them?”

Dad nodded.

“He believed the only way to destroy Black Meridian was to control it.”

“That sounds insane.”

“It was.”

“Why was he reported dead?”

Dad's silence was answer enough.

“You killed him.”

“No.”

“But you told everyone he died.”

“I had no choice.”

“What did you do?”

“I disappeared him.”

I stared.

“You faked his death?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“To protect him.”

Dad's voice cracked.

“He refused.”

“Refused what?”

“To stop.”

Daniel interrupted.

“There's more.”

I looked at him.

“Vanessa.”

“She was never a victim.”

“I know.”

“She married into Daniel's circle intentionally.”

I turned toward him.

“You knew she was using you?”

Daniel shook his head.

“I knew she was dangerous.”

“Then why keep her?”

“Because she had access.”

“To what?”

“The demolition contracts.”

I froze.

“The hotel.”

“The hotel is only one property.”

“How many?”

“Thirty-seven.”

Dad's face hardened.

“And the earthquakes?”

Daniel hesitated.

“Some were natural.”

“Some?”

He looked down.

“Some were accelerated.”

My stomach turned.

“You're telling me people caused disasters for profit.”

“Yes.”

I looked at my father.

“And Mason?”

Daniel said:

“Your son became a problem because of the bloodline archive.”

Dad nodded.

“The archive contains the original Black Meridian algorithm.”

I stared.

“Why does Mason matter?”

Dad answered:

“Because the system was redesigned by your grandfather after he discovered what the network was doing.”

“And?”

“The final version was encoded using biological markers.”

I looked at him.

“That's why Mason can access it.”

“Yes.”

I thought about the ring.

The key.

The warehouse.

Then the door behind us unlocked.

Everyone froze.

A woman's voice came through the speaker.

“Arthur.”

Dad's face went pale.

Mom.

Her voice.

“Arthur, please.”

I ran toward the door.

Dad grabbed me.

“Wait.”

Mom screamed.

“CLAIRE!”

A gunshot.

Silence.

I collapsed.

“Mom!”

A second voice replaced hers.

Samuel.

“The hour is nearly over.”

Dad stepped toward the speaker.

“You have her.”

“Yes.”

“Where is Mason?”

“With me.”

“Let them go.”

“No.”

Samuel's voice became colder.

“Bring Claire.”

I stared at Dad.

“Why me?”

Samuel answered.

“Because your grandfather never trusted your father.”

I froze.

“He left the archive to you.”

“What?”

“Not Arthur.”

Samuel laughed.

“To his granddaughter.”

Dad lowered his head.

I suddenly understood.

The archive had never belonged to my father.

It belonged to me.

Samuel continued.

“Your son is only the key.”

“And I am what?”

“The owner.”

A location appeared on the monitor.

An old warehouse outside the city.

My grandfather's warehouse.

Samuel said:

“Come alone.”

Dad immediately shook his head.

“Don't.”

I looked at him.

“You said Mason is the only thing that matters.”

“Yes.”

“Then I'm going.”

Daniel stood.

“I'll go with you.”

“No.”

He stared.

“Why?”

“Because I don't trust you.”

He flinched.

“You shouldn't.”

I walked toward the door.

Dad grabbed my wrist.

“Claire.”

I turned.

He looked terrified.

“There's one thing you need to know.”

“What?”

“The archive doesn't just contain evidence.”

“What else?”

He whispered:

“It contains names.”

“Whose names?”

“My God.”

Dad's eyes filled with dread.

“Every person who ever helped Black Meridian.”

I realized why they were willing to kill us.

The archive wasn't just a file.

It was a graveyard of secrets.

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