Chapter 13 - THE REAL MOTHERRex hit the woman before she could raise her weapon.
Daniel ran.
The woman screamed as the dog pinned her arm.
Sarah grabbed Eli.
“Don't look!”
But Eli was already looking.
The woman wore Olivia's face.
Same hair.
Same clothes.
But her eyes were different.
Cold.
Daniel restrained her.
“Who are you?”
She laughed.
“You're too late.”
Rex growled.
Daniel searched her coat.
He found a communication device.
Then a photograph.
A real photograph.
Olivia.
Nathan.
Eli.
And another woman.
Daniel stared at the fourth person.
Sarah.
But Sarah was much younger.
Behind them stood a little girl.
Daniel looked at Sarah.
“Who's she?”
Sarah couldn't answer.
The girl was Eli's real mother.
And Sarah had known her.
For years.
“Her name was Mara,” Sarah whispered.
“What happened?”
“She refused to cooperate.”
“With Meridian?”
“With everyone.”
Daniel looked at Eli.
“Did you know your mother was Mara?”
Eli shook his head.
“No.”
Sarah's voice broke.
“I told you she was dead because it was the only way to keep you alive.”
The terminal shook again.
A deep mechanical roar echoed through the walls.
The server system was starting.
Daniel looked at the clock.
Twenty minutes until emergency lockdown.
They had less than five.
They reached the central server entrance.
Chief Martin was waiting.
He stood before a gigantic blast door.
No weapon.
No guards.
Just him.
“Daniel.”
Daniel raised his weapon.
Martin looked tired.
“Put it down.”
“No.”
Martin glanced at Eli.
“You have no idea what is behind this door.”
“Then open it.”
“I can't.”
“Why?”
“Because the system is already running.”
Daniel looked at the control panel.
Rows of indicators flashed.
Green.
Red.
Yellow.
Then one message appeared:
MASS IDENTIFICATION ACTIVE.
Martin whispered:
“Every person in this terminal has been scanned.”
Daniel stared.
“Why?”
“Because the system is looking for them.”
“For who?”
Martin pointed at Eli.
“For him.”
Eli stepped backward.
“Why me?”
Martin looked at him.
“Because you're the only living person who remembers the original command.”
Eli's voice shook.
“I don't know any command.”
“Yes, you do.”
Martin knelt.
“You just don't know you know.”
He took out a photograph.
A little boy.
Eli.
Four years old.
Standing beside Mara.
And in the background was a sign:
SERVER ROOM 7.
Eli touched the photograph.
Then his face changed.
He remembered.
“The blue door.”
Martin nodded.
“The blue door.”
“The man in the room.”
“Who?”
Eli looked at Daniel.
“Your father.”
Daniel froze.
“My father?”
Eli nodded.
“He told Mom to run.”
Martin's face changed.
“That's impossible.”
Eli continued.
“Then your father gave my mom something.”
“What?”
“A key.”
Daniel looked at Rex.
Rex had stopped growling.
He was staring at Eli's pocket.
Daniel reached inside.
Eli pulled out a tiny brass key.
He had been carrying it the entire time.
The same key Nathan had hidden in the old photograph.
Daniel inserted it into the final lock.
The server door opened.
Inside was a wall of screens.
At the center was a single chair.
And in that chair sat Nathan Hart.
Alive.
But restrained.
Daniel stared.
Nathan smiled weakly.
“You're late.”
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Then every screen behind him displayed the same message:
WELCOME, OFFICER BROOKS.
