Chapter 11: The Man Holding Victor at Gunpoint
“Drop the weapon.”
Damian’s voice echoed through the vault speakers.
Victor stood outside the steel door, a pistol pressed against the back of his head.
His men had been disarmed.
Isabella was on her knees.
Lily watched the screen in horror.
“Damian!”
Damian smiled.
“Hello, little Crescent.”
Lily tightened her arms around Ethan.
“You're not getting him.”
Damian laughed.
“You still don't understand what Ethan is.”
“He's a baby.”
“No.”
Damian's smile disappeared.
“He's the key to everything.”
Behind him, Victor slowly moved his eyes toward the camera.
“Lily.”
She stepped closer to the screen.
“Victor.”
“Listen to me.”
Damian pressed the gun harder against his head.
“Don't.”
Victor ignored him.
“Whatever he asks, don't open that vault.”
Lily stared.
“But you're going to die.”
Victor's expression remained calm.
“I've survived worse.”
Damian laughed.
“Always the hero.”
He looked toward the camera.
“You have eight minutes.”
The countdown continued.
07:58
07:57
07:56
Damian raised his voice.
“Give me the Black Wolf key.”
Lily looked at Elena.
“What key?”
Elena pointed toward Lily's pendant.
“That.”
Lily touched it.
Damian smiled.
“Exactly.”
“You want the pendant?”
“No.”
Damian's eyes narrowed.
“I want you to place your hand on the scanner.”
Lily froze.
“Why?”
“Because the vault recognizes your blood.”
Elena stepped forward.
“Don't.”
Damian laughed.
“You know what happens if she refuses.”
He pointed the gun at Victor's head.
Lily's eyes filled with tears.
“Let him go.”
“Open the vault.”
“I can't.”
“You can.”
“I don't know how.”
Damian smiled.
“You've already done it.”
Lily looked at the open vault.
Then at the countdown.
“What happens if I open everything?”
“You get your life back.”
“And Victor?”
“He walks away.”
“Ethan?”
“Safe.”
Elena suddenly grabbed Lily's arm.
“Don't believe him.”
Damian laughed.
“She still thinks she can protect you.”
Lily looked at Elena.
“Can you stop the countdown?”
“No.”
“Then who can?”
Elena hesitated.
“My father.”
Lily's face changed.
“Adrian?”
Elena nodded.
“He designed the vault.”
Damian interrupted.
“Adrian can't save you.”
A second camera activated.
Adrian appeared on the screen.
He was standing somewhere underground.
His face was bruised.
Blood stained his shirt.
Damian smiled.
“You see him?”
Lily stared.
“What did you do to him?”
“He tried to interfere.”
Adrian looked directly at Lily.
“Don't give him the key.”
Damian struck him across the face.
Lily screamed.
“Stop!”
Victor suddenly moved.
Damian shoved the gun against his skull.
“Don't.”
Victor froze.
His eyes met Lily's through the screen.
“Listen to me.”
Lily shook her head.
“I can't watch them kill you.”
Victor's voice softened.
“Lily.”
She looked at him.
“You saved Ethan once.”
Lily's eyes filled with tears.
“Do it again.”
Damian's expression changed.
Victor continued:
“Whatever happens to me…”
He paused.
“Save him.”
Lily looked at Ethan.
The baby was asleep against her chest.
She whispered:
“I will.”
Damian laughed.
“Touching.”
He looked toward the countdown.
06:11
“Time is running.”
Lily walked toward the scanner.
Elena grabbed her wrist.
“Don't.”
Lily looked at her.
“If I don't, Victor dies.”
“He's willing to die.”
“I know.”
“And you're willing to sacrifice everything?”
Lily shook her head.
“No.”
She looked at Ethan.
“I'm going to save everyone.”
Elena stared at her.
“How?”
Lily smiled faintly.
“I don't know yet.”
She stepped toward the scanner.
Her palm touched the surface.
The machine beeped.
IDENTITY CONFIRMED.
Damian smiled.
“Yes.”
The vault lights turned white.
A massive screen appeared.
Files began opening.
Names.
Bank accounts.
Photographs.
Recordings.
Orders.
Assassinations.
Corruption.
Everything.
Damian's smile disappeared.
“What?”
Lily stared.
“I didn't open the vault.”
Damian looked confused.
“Then who did?”
Elena stepped forward.
“I did.”
Damian's eyes widened.
“What?”
Elena held up her hand.
A small device was embedded beneath her skin.
“I've been carrying the second key for fourteen years.”
Damian stared.
“You were supposed to be dead.”
Elena smiled.
“I was.”
The screen suddenly changed.
A new message appeared.
BLACK WOLF PROTOCOL: REVERSAL
Lily looked at Elena.
“What is that?”
Elena whispered:
“The vault isn't opening.”
“Then what?”
“It's exposing itself.”
The walls began glowing.
Every file was automatically transmitted.
To phones.
Servers.
News stations.
Government databases.
Private accounts.
Every secret was being released.
Damian's face turned white.
“Stop it!”
Elena shook her head.
“You can't.”
Damian screamed at his men.
“Kill them!”
Gunfire erupted.
Victor's men fought back.
The hallway became chaos.
Victor suddenly elbowed Damian.
The gun flew from his hand.
Victor turned and struck him.
Damian crashed against the wall.
He reached for the weapon.
Victor kicked it away.
“You should've killed me when you had the chance.”
Damian smiled.
“You still don't understand.”
Victor grabbed his collar.
“Explain.”
Damian whispered:
“Your father planned everything.”
Victor froze.
“What?”
“He wanted Lily to open the vault.”
“Why?”
Damian laughed.
“Because the vault isn't the real weapon.”
Victor's expression changed.
“What is?”
Damian looked toward the screen.
“Her.”
Victor turned.
Lily stood inside the vault.
Ethan in her arms.
The Black Wolf symbol on the wall had begun glowing.
Damian smiled.
“She's the weapon.”
Victor's face went pale.
Suddenly, Lily screamed.
The crescent mark on her wrist began burning.
Ethan began crying.
The lights flickered.
Elena rushed toward her.
“Lily!”
Lily dropped to her knees.
Her entire body shook.
Images flooded her mind.
Her father.
The old mansion.
A laboratory.
Children.
Doctors.
Machines.
And Victor.
Not the Victor she knew.
A younger Victor.
Standing behind glass.
Watching.
Lily gasped.
“I remember.”
Victor stared through the vault window.
“What do you remember?”
Lily looked at him.
“You.”
Victor froze.
Lily's voice trembled.
“You were there.”
“When?”
“Fourteen years ago.”
Victor shook his head.
“I never saw you before.”
“Yes.”
Lily's eyes filled with tears.
“You did.”
She stared at him.
“You held me.”
Victor couldn't speak.
“You told my father you'd protect me.”
“I don't remember.”
“They erased your memory too.”
Victor looked toward his father.
The old man was standing at the far end of the corridor.
Smiling.
Victor's blood ran cold.
“You.”
His father nodded.
“Yes.”
“You erased my memory?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because you were beginning to remember.”
Victor raised his weapon.
“You made me forget my own life.”
His father smiled.
“I gave you a life.”
“You stole it.”
“No.”
He pointed toward Lily.
“I saved you from her.”
Victor stared.
“What does that mean?”
His father looked at Lily.
“She was never supposed to protect Ethan.”
He smiled.
“She was supposed to kill him.”
Lily's face went white.
“No.”
Her father continued:
“The Black Wolf program was designed to create one perfect assassin.”
Victor stared at Lily.
“And she was the final subject.”
Lily shook her head.
“I would never hurt Ethan.”
Her father smiled.
“You already tried.”
Lily's eyes widened.
“What?”
The old man pointed toward Ethan.
“Fourteen months ago…”
He paused.
“…you were the one who tried to kill him.”
Lily froze.
Her memories flashed.
A hospital room.
A baby.
Her hands.
Blood.
Then darkness.
She dropped Ethan's blanket.
“No…”
Victor stared at her.
“Lily?”
She looked at him in terror.
“I remember.”
“What?”
Lily's voice broke.
“I was holding Ethan.”
She covered her mouth.
“And someone told me…”
A tear rolled down her cheek.
“To kill him.”
The vault fell silent.
Then Lily whispered the final words.
“And the person who gave me that order…”
May you like
She looked directly at Victor.
“…was you.”
