Chapter 10 - THE BOY WHO DISAPPEAREDA Message from the Locked PhoneAnna screamed for her brother.
Sylvester ran through the vault.
No Noah.
No Daniel.
The tunnel exits were sealed.
Victor lay unconscious near the wall.
Sylvester grabbed him by the collar.
"Where is my son?"
Victor smiled through blood on his lip.
"I didn't take him."
"Who did?"
Victor looked toward the ceiling.
"The mother."
Sylvester froze.
He turned.
His wife stood near the vault door.
Alone.
Her expression was unreadable.
"Tell me he's lying."
She didn't answer.
"Tell me."
She slowly shook her head.
"I took Noah."
Anna stepped backward.
"Mom?"
"I had to."
Sylvester stared at her.
"You kidnapped our son?"
"To save him."
"From who?"
"From Victor."
"He was already under guard."
"Not from Victor's people."
She looked at Anna.
"From the people who work above him."
Victor laughed.
"They finally told you."
Sylvester looked down at him.
"Who?"
Victor whispered:
"The board."
"What board?"
"The family board."
He pointed at Sylvester.
"Your own corporate board has known about Project Mirror from the beginning."
Sylvester's face hardened.
"You're lying."
"Check the old trust."
Sylvester opened the recovered documents.
One page contained twelve signatures.
Executives.
Lawyers.
Investors.
And one signature he recognized.
His own.
Except he knew he had never signed it.
The forged signature.
Beside it was a handwritten note.
HE WILL NEVER KNOW.
Sylvester's wife moved closer.
"Noah is at the lake house."
"Why?"
"Because that's where the final evidence is."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because someone inside your security detail is working for them."
Sylvester looked at the guards.
Everyone suddenly became suspicious.
One guard stepped backward.
Sylvester raised his weapon.
The man reached for his own.
A shot rang out.
The traitor dropped.
Anna screamed.
Sylvester lowered his gun.
His wife whispered:
"They know we're coming."
Then his phone vibrated.
A message appeared.
From Noah.
DAD, DON'T COME ALONE.
Sylvester typed:
Where are you?
Three dots appeared.
Then:
UNDER THE FLOOR.
Another message.
MOM DOESN'T KNOW EVERYTHING.
Sylvester looked at his wife.
Her face changed.
"What did he mean?"
"I don't know."
A final message arrived.
SHE THINKS SHE SAVED ME. SHE DIDN'T.
Then the phone died.
Anna whispered:
"Mom?"
The woman sat down.
Her hands were shaking.
"I don't understand."
Victor laughed again.
"You still believe you're the mother."
Sylvester looked at him.
Victor said:
"Ask her what happened twelve years ago."
She stared at Victor.
"I know what happened."
"Do you?"
He smiled.
"Then tell them why Noah was born before you were ever pregnant."
Sylvester froze.
His wife looked at him.
"I can explain."
"No."
He took one step backward.
"Explain now."
She closed her eyes.
"I wasn't pregnant with Noah."
Anna whispered:
"Then whose baby was he?"
The answer never came.
Because the vault walls suddenly shook.
A deep explosion thundered above them.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
Victor smiled.
"They've reached the lake."
Then the floor beneath Anna cracked.
She screamed.
Sylvester grabbed her hand.
But the stone gave way.
Anna dropped into darkness.
Sylvester reached for her.
And the last thing he saw was a hidden chamber opening beneath the vault.
Inside were dozens of photographs.
May you like
All of them showed children.
Every one of them had the same face.
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