Chapter 11: Subject 18
For several seconds, I couldn't move.
The basement was silent.
Too silent.
The gunshot still rang inside my ears.
Lily was crying behind me.
Elias was staring at the empty doorway.
And Detective Collins was gone.
My mother was gone.
My father was gone.
My wife was supposedly alive.
My brother had been hidden underground for twenty-one years.
And now someone was telling me Lily had a sister.
I looked down at the photograph.
Anna was holding a newborn baby.
The baby wore a hospital bracelet.
I turned the photograph over.
SISTER. SUBJECT 18.
My hands began shaking.
“Elias.”
He looked at me.
“What?”
“Who is Subject 18?”
He didn't answer.
“Elias.”
He closed his eyes.
“Your sister.”
“I don't have a sister.”
“You do.”
“Who?”
He looked toward Lily.
“Her name is Emily.”
I felt my stomach drop.
“Emily?”
“She was born before Lily.”
“When?”
“2006.”
The same year as the mysterious pregnancy.
The same year as Subject 17.
I stared at the photograph.
“Then why have I never heard of her?”
“Because everyone wanted you to believe she didn't exist.”
“Who?”
“Your father.”
“Why?”
“Because Emily was the first child to inherit the trust.”
I looked at Lily.
“And Lily?”
“The second.”
“Subject 17.”
Elias nodded.
“Then why is Emily Subject 18?”
“Because the numbers weren't assigned by birth order.”
“What were they assigned by?”
He looked at me.
“Risk.”
My throat tightened.
“Risk of what?”
“Being able to expose them.”
I didn't understand.
“Explain.”
Elias walked toward the old table.
He pulled out a folder.
On the cover:
SUBJECT 17 / SUBJECT 18
He opened it.
Inside were photographs.
Anna pregnant.
Anna entering the hospital.
Anna leaving with a newborn.
Then another photograph.
A baby.
Another.
A little girl.
Then a teenage girl.
My heart stopped.
“That's Emily?”
“Yes.”
“How old is she?”
“Twenty.”
I stared at the photograph.
She had dark hair.
Anna's eyes.
My face.
It was unmistakable.
My sister was alive.
And I had never known she existed.
“Where is she?”
Elias shook his head.
“I don't know.”
“Someone does.”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
He looked at the photograph.
“Your father.”
I clenched my fists.
“He took her?”
“No.”
“Then who?”
“Anna.”
I froze.
“What?”
“Anna hid her.”
“Why?”
“To protect her.”
“From my father?”
“From everyone.”
I stared at the photograph.
“Why didn't Anna tell me?”
“Because you weren't ready.”
“Ready for what?”
Elias looked at me.
“To learn that you weren't the victim.”
I felt cold.
“What does that mean?”
“You were part of the plan.”
I stepped backward.
“No.”
“You were nine when they took me.”
“I was a child.”
“I know.”
“They forced me.”
“I know.”
“Then why are you blaming me?”
“I'm not.”
He lowered his voice.
“I'm warning you.”
“About what?”
“You helped them choose Michael.”
My stomach turned.
“I already know.”
“No.”
He shook his head.
“You don't know what happened afterward.”
“What?”
“Michael wasn't supposed to replace me.”
I stared at him.
“Then who was he supposed to replace?”
Elias looked at Lily.
“Your father.”
Silence.
I couldn't understand.
“What?”
“Michael wasn't pretending to be me.”
“Then what was he doing?”
“He was pretending to be your father.”
I stared at him.
“That's impossible.”
“Your father disappeared in 2005.”
“He was alive until 2010.”
“That was the man you thought was your father.”
I felt sick.
“Then who was he?”
“Michael.”
My heart stopped.
“The man who raised you after Elias disappeared wasn't your father.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
“He was the first replacement.”
“Replacement for my father?”
“Yes.”
“Then who was my real father?”
Elias looked at me.
“You already know.”
I couldn't breathe.
“Who?”
“Your father was the man you saw in the photograph.”
“The man with the tattoo?”
“Yes.”
“He died in 2010.”
“No.”
“Elias…”
“He disappeared.”
I stared at him.
“Then who died?”
“Michael's first identity.”
My head spun.
“Wait.”
I held up my hand.
“You're telling me that the man I called Dad wasn't Dad?”
“Yes.”
“And the man I called Michael isn't Michael?”
“Yes.”
“And Detective Collins is my mother?”
“Yes.”
“And Anna is alive?”
“Yes.”
“And I have a sister named Emily?”
“Yes.”
I stared at him.
“Anything else?”
Elias hesitated.
“Yes.”
“What?”
“You aren't Daniel Carter.”
The words hit harder than everything else.
I laughed.
A short, broken laugh.
“That's ridiculous.”
“I wish it were.”
“That's my name.”
“It's the name they gave you.”
“Who?”
“Your mother.”
I stared at him.
“Why?”
“Because your real identity had to disappear.”
“What is my real name?”
Elias looked at the floor.
“I don't know.”
“You don't know?”
“No.”
“Then how do you know I'm not Daniel?”
“Because Daniel Carter died in 2005.”
My heart stopped.
“What?”
“You died.”
I looked at Lily.
She was staring at me.
“Elias…”
“You were in the same room when I disappeared.”
“What happened?”
“You were shot.”
My hands went numb.
“You were supposed to die.”
“But I didn't.”
“No.”
“Then who saved me?”
Elias swallowed.
“Anna.”
I couldn't breathe.
“She took you.”
“Where?”
“Hospital.”
“Which hospital?”
“This one.”
I stared at the walls.
“This hospital?”
“Yes.”
“And then?”
“She changed your identity.”
“Why?”
“Because your father wanted you dead.”
I shook my head.
“My father?”
“Your real father.”
“Who?”
Elias looked at me.
Then whispered:
“Thomas Carter.”
I froze.
The name meant nothing.
But something inside me reacted.
A memory.
A man.
A voice.
A red door.
A hand on my shoulder.
Then pain.
A gunshot.
Darkness.
I grabbed my head.
“Daniel?”
I collapsed to my knees.
Images flooded my mind.
A little boy running.
Elias screaming.
Anna crying.
A woman holding a baby.
A man pointing a gun.
And someone saying:
“Subject 17 must survive.”
I opened my eyes.
Elias was kneeling beside me.
“You remembered.”
I nodded.
“I saw him.”
“Who?”
“My father.”
“What did he look like?”
I stared at him.
Then whispered:
“Like me.”
Elias nodded.
“Yes.”
I looked toward the door.
“We need to find my mother.”
“She'll find us.”
“How?”
“Because she knows where Emily is.”
I stood.
“Where?”
Elias reached into his pocket.
He pulled out a small piece of paper.
A location was written on it.
I recognized the address.
My old childhood home.
The house where Elias disappeared.
My blood ran cold.
“She's there?”
“No.”
“Then who?”
Elias looked at me.
“Emily.”
We left the basement.
The house was still dark.
The police arrived minutes later.
But Detective Collins was gone.
No trace.
No blood.
No weapon.
Nothing.
Only the photograph.
I kept it.
We got into a police vehicle.
Lily sat beside me.
Elias sat in front.
Nobody spoke.
Then my phone buzzed.
A message.
Unknown number.
You found Elias.
Another.
Good.
Another.
Now find Emily.
I typed:
Who are you?
The answer came immediately.
Your wife.
My heart stopped.
Anna?
Three dots.
Then:
Yes.
Another message.
But don't bring Elias.
I stared at the screen.
Then another message appeared.
He isn't the brother you think he is.
I looked at Elias.
He was watching the road.
I locked my phone.
Something was wrong.
I could feel it.
But I didn't know what.
Then Lily whispered:
“Daddy.”
“What?”
“Uncle Elias is crying.”
I looked toward him.
He was.
Silent tears were running down his face.
“Elias?”
He wiped them away.
“I'm fine.”
“What's wrong?”
He looked at me.
“I just remembered something.”
“What?”
“The first time I saw Emily.”
I waited.
“Where?”
He swallowed.
“In the hospital.”
“When?”
“After you were shot.”
I stared at him.
“What did she look like?”
“She was a baby.”
“That's impossible.”
“No.”
He looked at Lily.
“They switched the babies.”
My blood froze.
“What babies?”
“Emily and Lily.”
I stared at him.
“What are you saying?”
“The girl you believe is Lily…”
He stopped.
My heart pounded.
“Go on.”
“She isn't Lily.”
The world seemed to stop.
“What?”
Elias whispered:
“Your daughter was switched at birth.”
I looked at the little girl beside me.
She stared back at me with terrified eyes.
“Daddy?”
I couldn't speak.
Elias continued:
“The real Lily was taken twenty years ago.”
I shook my head.
“That can't be true.”
He reached into his pocket.
Pulled out an old hospital bracelet.
I took it.
The name on it was clear.
LILY CARTER.
The date:
2006.
I stared at it.
Then looked at the photograph of Anna holding the newborn.
The baby in the photograph wore the same bracelet.
My hands trembled.
Elias whispered:
“The girl sitting beside you…”
He looked at Lily.
“…is Emily.”
My heart shattered.
Lily began crying.
“Daddy…”
I pulled her into my arms.
“No matter what they say, you're my daughter.”
Then my phone rang.
Anna.
I answered.
Her voice came through.
“Daniel…”
I couldn't speak.
She continued:
“I'm sorry.”
“For what?”
“For switching them.”
I froze.
“Anna?”
“I had no choice.”
“Where is my real daughter?”
Silence.
Then Anna whispered:
“She's with the man who took me.”
“Who?”
A long pause.
Then:
“Your father.”
The call ended.
I looked at Elias.
He was staring at the road.
Then he whispered:
“We're too late.”
I frowned.
“What?”
He pointed ahead.
A black SUV was following us.
Its headlights came closer.
And behind the windshield stood a man wearing a black hat.
The same man from the photographs.
He raised his hand.
In it was a silver key.
May you like
Then the SUV accelerated.
Straight toward us.
