Chapter 9 - CATERINA'S LAST SECRETDante couldn't speak.
His mother pointed the gun toward the floor.
Not at anyone.
Her face was exhausted.
“I wanted it to end.”
Dante stared.
“You knew where this place was.”
“Yes.”
“You knew Sienna was here.”
“Yes.”
“You sent her into our family.”
“Yes.”
Sienna's voice trembled.
“Why?”
Caterina looked at her.
“Because you were the only one who could stop it.”
Damian laughed.
“You still believe that story?”
Caterina turned.
“You.”
Damian raised his weapon.
“You should have died years ago.”
“So should you.”
He smiled.
“Yet here we are.”
Dante stepped between them.
“Enough.”
He looked at his mother.
“Tell me everything.”
Caterina nodded.
“Twenty-five years ago, your father discovered a neurological pattern in our family.”
She looked at Dante.
“He thought it could be weaponized.”
“And you agreed.”
“At first.”
She paused.
“Then he created Black Rose.”
Sienna's breathing shook.
Caterina continued.
“You were chosen because of your memory.”
“To be trained.”
“Yes.”
“Why me?”
“Because your mother was pregnant with you.”
Dante froze.
Caterina looked at him.
“You weren't supposed to be born in Chicago.”
“What?”
“You were supposed to disappear.”
Dante stared.
“Who changed that?”
“Gabriel.”
Sienna cried silently.
“My father.”
“Yes.”
“He stole me?”
“He saved you.”
Sienna shook her head.
“But why did you give me away?”
Caterina looked at her.
“Because Lorenzo discovered that Damian was planning to use you against Dante.”
Dante frowned.
“What does that mean?”
Caterina answered:
“Damian knew you two shared the same genetic sequence.”
Dante went still.
“He wanted to connect you.”
“For what?”
“A weapon.”
Damian's smile widened.
“Now you're finally telling the truth.”
He raised his gun.
Dante fired first.
Damian's shoulder snapped backward.
He fell.
Rocco rushed forward.
“Hands!”
Damian laughed.
“You still think this is about me.”
Then he pointed to the ceiling.
The entire building began shaking.
Toby screamed.
A timer appeared on the central screen.
00:09:47
Dante looked at Rocco.
“What is that?”
“Explosives.”
“How many?”
“Enough.”
Sienna turned toward the machines.
“There's a shutdown panel.”
“Where?”
“Behind the archive.”
They ran.
Dante followed Sienna through the corridor.
The building shook again.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
Sienna reached the panel.
Locked.
She stared.
“No.”
“What?”
“It's biometric.”
She placed her hand on it.
Nothing.
She tried again.
Nothing.
Dante grabbed her shoulder.
“What does it need?”
“Blood.”
He cut his palm with a knife.
Pressed it against the scanner.
Still nothing.
Sienna looked at him.
“Not yours.”
She placed her hand again.
The machine lit up.
SUBJECT ZERO CONFIRMED.
Dante stared.
“Subject Zero?”
Sienna's eyes filled with tears.
She suddenly remembered.
She wasn't the first child.
She was the template.
Black Rose had been designed around her.
The door opened.
Inside was a small chamber.
A chair.
A mirror.
A file.
Sienna stepped inside.
The file contained one final message from Gabriel.
She opened it.
Elena, if you are reading this, remember one thing.
You were never created to obey them.
You were created to remember.
A second page followed.
And the final thing they wanted you to forget was this:
Sienna turned the page.
Her breath stopped.
Dante came closer.
“What?”
She showed him.
A photograph.
Lorenzo.
Caterina.
Gabriel.
Damian.
And between them stood a little girl.
Sienna.
But the date was impossible.
1969.
Dante stared.
“That can't be you.”
Sienna shook her head.
“No.”
She turned the page.
Another photograph.
The same girl.
Still appearing nine years old.
The next.
Still nine.
And the next.
Always nine.
Dante's blood went cold.
“This isn't possible.”
A voice came from behind them.
Gabriel.
“It is.”
Sienna turned.
Her father stood there.
Older.
Weak.
But alive.
He looked at her.
“They didn't train you.”
He smiled sadly.
“They cloned you.”
Dante stared.
“What?”
Gabriel continued:
“Every Black Rose child came from her.”
Sienna couldn't breathe.
“There was never one Sienna.”
Gabriel looked toward the laboratory.
“There were twelve.”
The countdown reached:
00:03:00
And somewhere below the building, twelve sealed doors began unlocking.
One after another.
May you like
Gabriel whispered:
“They're awake.”
