Chapter 14 - The Last BetrayalThe photograph was real.
I knew because of one detail.
Sophia was wearing the unicorn pajamas I had bought her last Christmas.
The photograph had been taken recently.
My wife was alive.
Somewhere.
And she had been near my daughter.
Andrew noticed the realization.
"She tried to get back to you."
"Where is she?"
"Ask Daniel."
I turned.
Daniel looked away.
I walked toward him.
"Tell me."
"Michael..."
"Tell me!"
He closed his eyes.
"She contacted me six months ago."
Everything went silent.
"You knew she was alive?"
"Yes."
I wanted to hit him.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because she wasn't safe."
"Neither was I."
"You had Sophia."
"So did she!"
Daniel's voice cracked.
"She believed someone inside your family would expose her."
I stopped.
"Sarah?"
"No."
"Claire?"
He looked at me.
"Yes."
I stared.
The woman I had trusted.
The woman who had helped us.
The woman who had warned us.
Claire.
Daniel continued.
"Claire wasn't working for Cole."
"Then who?"
"For your wife."
I froze.
"She was part of Echo."
Everything I knew was collapsing.
"Then why did she work with Cole?"
"She was undercover."
Andrew laughed.
"You still don't see it."
He threw another photograph onto the table.
Claire.
Sarah.
Cole.
Daniel.
My wife.
All together.
Years ago.
A plan.
A network.
A family.
I looked at Andrew.
"What is the real objective?"
He answered calmly.
"Sophia."
"Why?"
"Because your wife hid the access key inside her."
I felt sick.
"What access key?"
"The original Black Harbor archive."
I stared at my daughter in my mind.
Five years old.
A child.
Andrew continued.
"Her memory contains the final sequence."
"She doesn't know it."
"She doesn't need to."
He smiled.
"Children remember what adults forget."
I looked at Daniel.
"What now?"
He stared at Andrew.
"We end it."
Suddenly the warehouse doors opened.
Claire entered.
She was holding a gun.
Everyone froze.
Claire looked at me.
"I'm sorry."
I raised my hands.
"Claire."
"I had no choice."
"Everyone says that."
She started crying.
"Your wife made me promise."
"Promise what?"
Claire whispered:
"To protect Sophia."
Then she turned the gun toward Andrew.
Andrew's smile disappeared.
Claire fired.
Andrew fell.
The warehouse erupted.
People screamed.
Lights shattered.
Daniel pulled me down.
When the noise stopped, I looked toward Andrew.
He was gone.
Only blood remained.
Claire stared at the empty floor.
Then she whispered:
"That's not possible."
I looked at her.
"What?"
She pointed toward the blood.
"There was never supposed to be more than one."
I didn't understand.
"What are you talking about?"
Claire slowly turned toward me.
Then toward the warehouse mirror.
"You killed the wrong brother."
I looked into the reflection.
A man stood behind me.
Scar on his jaw.
Same height.
Same eyes.
Same face.
Andrew Mercer.
May you like
Alive.
And holding Sophia's pink unicorn.
