Chapter 14 - For twelve years, I had believed my mother was dead.I had watched her coffin disappear beneath the earth.
I had touched the stone with her name.
I had cried until I could no longer remember her face without pain.
And now she stood in front of me.
Alive.
Older.
Scarred.
But unmistakably my mother.
“Mom?”
She looked at me.
Then at Sofia.
“My girls.”
Sofia dropped the gun.
Tears filled her eyes.
“You're alive.”
“I've been alive.”
“Why did you leave us?”
My mother looked at Richard.
“Because your father told me to disappear.”
Richard raised his weapon.
My mother didn't move.
“You won't shoot me.”
“Why not?”
“Because you still need Elena.”
Richard's expression hardened.
My mother smiled.
“For the same reason you've needed her for six years.”
Richard lowered the gun.
He was trapped.
Police sirens sounded in the distance.
Claire had managed to transmit everything.
The authorities were coming.
But Richard wasn't finished.
He grabbed the nearest man and pulled him in front of his body.
“Back away.”
Nobody moved.
He looked at me.
“You don't understand.”
“Then explain.”
He stared at my mother.
“She betrayed us all.”
My mother shook her head.
“I exposed you.”
“To whom?”
“Your father.”
Richard laughed.
“Your father was dead.”
“He wasn't.”
My mother stepped forward.
“He was alive when the helicopter was planned.”
I froze.
“What?”
She looked at me.
“He knew Richard intended to kill you.”
“Then why didn't he stop him?”
“Because the helicopter was a trap.”
I stared at her.
“What?”
“He wanted Richard to expose himself.”
That made no sense.
“My father died four years ago.”
My mother nodded.
“Yes.”
“Then how could he plan this?”
“He didn't.”
She pointed at Walter.
“Walter did.”
Everyone turned.
Walter lowered his head.
“The helicopter was supposed to be a controlled operation,” he admitted.
“You knew?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did Richard push me?”
Walter looked broken.
“Because he changed the plan.”
Richard laughed.
“I improved it.”
My stomach turned.
“You murdered my father.”
Richard's expression became cold.
“No.”
He looked at my mother.
“She did.”
My mother flinched.
Richard continued.
“Your mother killed your father.”
The room froze.
I turned to her.
She didn't deny it.
“Why?”
“Because he was going to hand Orion to the government.”
My mother whispered.
“And if he did, every person connected to us would have disappeared.”
She looked at Sofia.
“At first, I thought I was saving my daughters.”
“And then?”
“I realized I had become exactly what your father feared.”
Richard smiled.
“You see?”
He looked at me.
“Everyone lied.”
He threw the hostage aside and ran.
Claire fired.
Richard disappeared through a side corridor.
I started after him.
My mother grabbed me.
“No.”
“He'll get away.”
“No.”
She looked at my stomach.
“Let him run.”
“Why?”
“Because Orion has already chosen its final heir.”
I looked at the screens.
The fourth genetic marker was still there.
“Who is it?”
My mother closed her eyes.
“Your sister's daughter.”
Sofia froze.
She had never told me she had a child.
My mother continued.
“Sofia gave birth eighteen years ago.”
Sofia stepped forward.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“I was told she died.”
“She didn't.”
My mother looked at me.
“Her child was hidden.”
“Where?”
Before she could answer, the entire system shut down.
A single message appeared.
ORION COMPROMISED.
Then another.
FINAL HEIR LOCATED.
A location appeared.
Richard had found her.
Sofia screamed.
“My daughter.”
We ran outside.
Richard had taken a vehicle.
He was heading north.
Toward the town where Sofia's daughter lived.
The chase lasted three hours.
We followed his trail through mountain roads.
Then we reached a small house.
The front door was open.
Broken glass covered the porch.
Sofia ran inside.
“LUCY!”
No answer.
A child's photograph lay on the floor.
Sofia picked it up.
On the back was a message.
BRING ELENA. ALONE.
I looked at my mother.
“What does he want?”
She whispered:
“The same thing he's wanted since the day he married you.”
“What?”
“To control the bloodline.”
A phone rang.
I answered.
Richard's voice.
“Come to the old Hayes estate.”
“You have Sofia's daughter.”
“She's alive.”
“Where?”
“Bring yourself.”
“What if I don't?”
A pause.
Then Richard said:
“Then you can bury another member of your family.”
The call ended.
My mother touched my shoulder.
“You cannot go.”
I looked at her.
“I have to.”
She shook her head.
“You don't understand.”
“What?”
She looked at the ring on my finger.
“That ring doesn't just unlock Orion.”
I waited.
“It can destroy it.”
She lowered her voice.
“And Richard knows.”
The final message appeared on my phone.
COME ALONE, ELENA.
May you like
Then another.
OR YOUR BABY DIES FIRST.
