Chapter 5 - THE MAN WHO DIED TWICEThe cellar became pitch black.
Harper could hear Gabriel breathing.
Then Victoria whispered:
"He's here."
Gabriel raised his gun.
"Who?"
"Richard Queen."
Harper's father.
A metallic click came from behind the wine racks.
Gabriel fired.
A scream echoed.
Not Richard.
A police officer stumbled forward.
Dead before he hit the floor.
Harper covered her mouth.
Gabriel moved toward the body.
Inside the man's jacket was a note.
He unfolded it.
YOUR FATHER HAS 10 MINUTES.
Victoria grabbed Gabriel's arm.
"We need to leave."
"Where?"
"The old tunnel."
Harper stared at them.
"What tunnel?"
Victoria looked at her.
"The one beneath this house."
They moved through a hidden door beneath the wine racks.
A narrow staircase led underground.
Harper followed.
The walls were wet.
The air smelled like earth.
At the bottom was an abandoned subway tunnel.
Gabriel's flashlight revealed old graffiti.
Some of it was decades old.
Then Harper saw something written in red paint.
HER NAME.
HARPER.
She stopped.
"Why is my name here?"
Victoria said nothing.
Gabriel looked at her.
"You knew."
"I suspected."
"How long?"
"Six months."
Harper turned.
"You knew my father was alive?"
"No."
"Then what did you know?"
Victoria hesitated.
"That you weren't Harper Queen."
Silence.
Harper stared at her.
"What?"
Victoria looked at Gabriel.
He closed his eyes.
"You should have told her."
Gabriel stepped toward Harper.
"Your birth records were altered."
"Why?"
"To hide your identity."
"What identity?"
He handed her an old photograph.
It showed a little girl.
Emma.
Beside her was another girl.
The second girl looked exactly like Harper as a child.
Harper's knees weakened.
"That's me."
Gabriel nodded.
Harper shook her head.
"No."
"You and Emma were sisters."
The world stopped.
"No."
"Your mother had two daughters."
"Why was I told I had no sister?"
"Because the police were looking for Emma."
Harper stared at the photograph.
"Then why did they kill her?"
Gabriel's voice became quiet.
"They didn't."
Harper looked up.
"What?"
"Emma wasn't the girl whose body was found."
Victoria nodded.
"That was another child."
Harper stumbled backward.
"Then where is Emma?"
No one answered.
A voice came from the tunnel.
"Closer than you think."
Harper froze.
A woman stepped from the darkness.
Late twenties.
Long dark hair.
Scar across her cheek.
She looked at Harper.
Tears filled her eyes.
"Hi, little sister."
Harper couldn't breathe.
Gabriel raised his gun.
The woman lifted her hands.
"My name is Emma."
Harper stared.
"No."
Emma smiled sadly.
"That's what everyone has been waiting for you to remember."
Harper took one step toward her.
"You're alive."
"Yes."
"But everyone said..."
"Everyone lied."
Emma looked at Gabriel.
"Even him."
Harper's heart dropped.
She turned toward Gabriel.
"Is that true?"
Gabriel lowered his gun.
Emma stepped closer.
"Tell her."
Gabriel's face was grim.
"Emma disappeared because Michael was trying to protect her."
"And you?"
"I failed."
Emma laughed bitterly.
"You didn't fail."
Gabriel looked at her.
"You chose."
Then a gunshot exploded through the tunnel.
Emma fell.
Harper screamed.
Gabriel caught her before she hit the ground.
Blood spread across Emma's shirt.
Harper looked toward the darkness.
A man stood at the far end of the tunnel.
Silver badge.
Black coat.
White hair.
Richard Lawson.
Derek's father.
He smiled.
And beside him stood Noah.
Alive.
Terrified.
May you like
The old man raised a gun to Noah's head.
"Now," he said calmly, "we can finally finish what your mother started."
Related Stories
