Chapter 13 - LilyLily was fifteen.
Her entire life had been built on a lie.
She had been raised under another surname.
Another identity.
Another family.
Avery held her like she was afraid the girl might disappear again.
Lily cried into her mother's shoulder.
“I thought you were dead.”
Avery whispered:
“I thought you were.”
I looked at Margaret.
“What happened?”
Margaret couldn't meet my eyes.
“She was taken at birth.”
“By whom?”
“Your father arranged it.”
I stared.
“For protection?”
“Yes.”
“From Thomas?”
“From everyone.”
Robert arrived.
“The fire department has contained the blaze.”
I looked toward the house.
“Thomas?”
“Gone.”
Alan laughed from behind us.
“Not gone.”
We turned.
He pointed toward the field.
A black helicopter was lifting off.
Thomas stood near the open door.
Julian was in his arms.
“No!”
I ran toward the helicopter.
It rose too quickly.
Thomas looked down at me.
He held Julian against his chest.
Then he dropped something.
A phone.
It landed in the grass.
The screen was still on.
A message appeared.
THE FINAL VAULT. 12 MILES SOUTH.
Robert picked it up.
“That is not a location.”
“What is it?”
“A countdown.”
The screen showed:
01:59:43.
Two hours.
“What happens when it reaches zero?”
Robert looked at me.
“I suspect we find out.”
We drove south.
Lily came with us.
Avery refused to stay behind.
Margaret joined us.
Alan was taken into custody.
But before the police could transport him, he stopped me.
“Clifford.”
I turned.
“Thomas isn't the one you should be afraid of.”
I didn't answer.
He looked at Lily.
“Ask her what she remembers.”
I stared at the girl.
“Lily?”
She looked confused.
“I don't remember anything before I was five.”
Alan smiled.
“Exactly.”
Then he was taken away.
The final vault was hidden beneath an abandoned church.
Inside was a circular chamber.
At the center stood a metal box.
The countdown on my phone hit ten seconds.
Nine.
Eight.
Seven.
Robert shouted.
“Everyone out!”
Six.
Five.
Four.
Three.
Two.
One.
Nothing happened.
Then the floor opened.
A hidden staircase descended.
We looked at each other.
Margaret whispered:
“This wasn't built by your father.”
We descended.
At the bottom was an enormous underground archive.
Boxes.
Hard drives.
Photographs.
Documents.
And hundreds of names.
Robert stared.
“This is the organization's history.”
I looked at the first file.
Thomas Hale.
Vivian Rook.
Alan Mercer.
Then my name.
My hands froze.
Inside my file was a photograph of me as a child.
But beneath it was another document.
A birth certificate.
My father's name was listed.
My mother's name was listed.
And then a third name.
Biological Father: Edward Vale.
Vivian's husband.
The same man Thomas had claimed was his father.
I looked at Margaret.
“What is this?”
She began crying.
“I was going to tell you.”
“You knew?”
“Yes.”
“So Thomas is my full brother.”
“No.”
“What?”
She shook her head.
“Thomas was telling the truth about one thing.”
“Which?”
“You and Thomas are brothers.”
She swallowed.
“But not through your father.”
I stared.
“Then how?”
Margaret looked toward Lily.
“Through your mother.”
I felt dizzy.
“Thomas and I share the same mother?”
“No.”
She closed her eyes.
“Thomas is your biological father.”
Silence.
I couldn't breathe.
“What?”
“You were raised by Clifford Hale.”
“I am Clifford Hale.”
Margaret shook her head.
“No.”
She whispered:
“The man you thought was your father gave you his name.”
My entire life cracked open.
“Who am I?”
Margaret pointed to a final file.
“You are Edward Vale's son.”
I stared at the document.
Then I heard a voice behind us.
Thomas.
He stood at the end of the chamber.
“You finally know.”
May you like
He raised his gun.
“And now you know why Lily is the only person who can destroy everything.”
