Chapter 8 - THE GENERAL'S LAST SECRETThe sirens weren't police.
They were military.
Black armored vehicles stormed the estate.
Floodlights swept across the windows.
Soldiers surrounded the mansion.
Julian disappeared.
Daniel vanished into the house.
My father grabbed my arm.
"We have to go."
"No."
"Claire."
"Where is Ethan?"
My father stared.
"I don't know."
"You know something."
"I don't."
Amelia stepped forward.
"I do."
We turned.
She pointed toward the library.
"There's a tunnel."
We followed her.
Behind a bookshelf was a hidden passage.
It descended underground.
The walls were reinforced concrete.
At the end was a steel door.
Amelia entered a code.
The door opened.
Inside was a command center.
Screens.
Maps.
Satellite feeds.
Military communications.
And one chair.
A man was sitting in it.
My breath stopped.
"Ethan."
He turned.
He looked exactly like my brother.
Same eyes.
Same face.
Same voice.
"Claire."
I ran toward him.
He stood.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then I hit him.
Hard.
He took it.
"You let me believe you were dead."
"I had to."
"You let them replace you."
"I had no choice."
"You always say that."
He looked at Amelia.
"Did she tell you?"
"Enough."
He sighed.
"I've been investigating Daniel for twelve years."
"You were alive."
"Yes."
"Where?"
"Inside the network."
I stared.
He had infiltrated Daniel's organization.
He had spent years pretending to work for the people who destroyed our family.
He had watched me from a distance.
Protected me.
Never contacting me.
Because any contact would expose him.
"What about Julian?"
"He was supposed to be you."
My stomach turned.
"What?"
"Daniel kidnapped me when I was ten."
He looked at Amelia.
"Amelia helped me escape."
"Then why did Julian take your place?"
"Because Daniel needed someone inside the Whitmore family."
I understood.
"Father knew?"
"Yes."
"Mother?"
"Yes."
I looked at both of them.
My entire family had known.
Everyone except me.
Ethan stepped closer.
"You were the only one Daniel couldn't control."
"Because I didn't know."
"Exactly."
He looked at the screens.
"Until tonight."
A monitor displayed a live feed.
General Hale was entering the estate.
Alone.
My stomach tightened.
"You said Hale couldn't be trusted."
Ethan nodded.
"He isn't."
"Then why did he help me?"
"Because he needs the archive."
"Why?"
Ethan looked at me.
"Because Hale is on the list."
I stared.
"So Daniel was telling the truth?"
"About some things."
My father entered the room.
He looked at Ethan.
"My son."
Ethan smiled sadly.
"Dad."
They embraced.
I watched them.
For the first time in seventeen years, I saw the family I'd thought I'd lost.
Then a gunshot echoed from upstairs.
Everyone froze.
Another shot.
Ethan drew his weapon.
"We're out of time."
We moved back toward the passage.
Suddenly the lights flickered.
A voice came over the speakers.
"Claire."
Daniel.
"We need to talk."
Ethan looked at the ceiling.
"He hacked the system."
The speakers crackled.
"Your brother will tell you I'm the villain."
Daniel laughed.
"But ask him where the archive really is."
Ethan shouted:
"Ignore him."
Daniel continued.
"Ask him why he kept you away."
I looked at Ethan.
He said nothing.
"Why?"
Ethan lowered his gun.
"Because I was afraid."
"Of what?"
He looked directly at me.
"Because the archive isn't a place."
My blood froze.
"It's a person."
Silence.
Ethan continued.
"The information was split into pieces."
"Where?"
He looked at Amelia.
"One piece is in her memory."
I looked at my sister.
Another piece was in my father's company.
Another was in Daniel's possession.
And the final piece...
Ethan's eyes met mine.
"...was implanted in you."
I felt dizzy.
"How?"
"During the operation."
"What operation?"
He hesitated.
"Iron Dagger."
The memories came flooding back.
A room.
Machines.
My father.
Daniel.
A needle.
A voice.
My own voice saying:
"Remember the numbers."
I collapsed into a chair.
Ethan grabbed me.
"You were never the witness."
I looked at him.
"You were the archive."
Then the door behind us exploded.
Soldiers poured into the command room.
At their center stood General Hale.
He raised his weapon.
"Ethan Whitmore."
Ethan raised his.
Hale smiled.
"Finally."
Then he looked at me.
"Colonel, step away from your brother."
I didn't move.
Hale's expression hardened.
"He's compromised."
Ethan whispered:
"Claire."
"What?"
"Look at his left hand."
I did.
A small triangle.
Burned into the skin.
The same symbol.
My stomach dropped.
Hale smiled.
"You finally noticed."
Then every monitor in the room turned black.
May you like
A single message appeared.
IRON DAGGER: FINAL PHASE INITIATED.
