CHAPTER 10 THE ARCHIVE OF THE DEAD
The doors slammed shut.
BOOM.
The sound rolled through the underground archive.
Dominic Vale spun toward the entrance.
Locked.
The countdown continued above them.
00:29
00:28
Red lights flashed across thousands of black files.
Eleanor stood beside the central chamber.
Her face had lost all color.
“Dominic, listen to me.”
He turned.
“How do we stop it?”
“You can't stop the purge from outside.”
“Then how?”
“Inside.”
She pointed toward the circular chamber.
“Harper and Emily must activate the Archive manually.”
Dominic looked at the two girls.
“They're children.”
“I know.”
“Then I'm going in with them.”
Eleanor shook her head.
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because the Archive only recognizes the subjects.”
Dominic's expression hardened.
“Then I'll force it.”
“You can't.”
“Watch me.”
Elias stepped between them.
“Dom.”
Dominic looked at him.
“You heard her.”
“I heard her.”
“Then move.”
Elias didn't.
“Your father needs to talk to you.”
Dominic glanced toward Victor.
The old man was leaning against a desk.
Blood stained his shirt.
He looked exhausted.
But his eyes were clear.
Victor said quietly:
“Your mother is right.”
Dominic stared.
“You've been alive for twenty years.”
“Yes.”
“You let me mourn you.”
“I had no choice.”
“You always have a choice.”
Victor looked down.
“Not when Alexander controls everything.”
Dominic's eyes narrowed.
“You worked for him.”
“I did.”
“And my mother?”
“I tried to save her.”
Eleanor looked at him.
“You failed.”
Victor lowered his head.
“Yes.”
The countdown continued.
00:19
Eleanor grabbed Dominic's arm.
“There isn't time.”
Dominic looked at Harper.
Then Emily.
He crouched in front of them.
“Listen to me.”
Harper nodded.
“I'm scared.”
“I know.”
“Will you come with me?”
Dominic looked at the circular chamber.
“I'll be right here.”
“But Mommy said…”
“I'll never leave you.”
Harper looked at him.
“Promise?”
Dominic held out his hand.
“Promise.”
She took it.
Emily approached.
She was shaking.
Dominic looked at her.
“You don't have to do this.”
Emily whispered:
“I want to.”
“Why?”
She looked at Harper.
“Because she shouldn't be alone.”
Dominic's chest tightened.
He looked toward the chamber.
“Then both of you go together.”
The two girls stepped inside.
The glass door closed.
00:10
00:09
Eleanor rushed to the control panel.
“Now!”
Harper placed her hand against the glass.
Emily copied her.
The machine activated.
00:07
00:06
The Archive shook.
00:05
00:04
Dominic shouted:
“Come on!”
00:03
00:02
00:01
Everything went black.
Then silence.
Dominic stared at the chamber.
No explosion.
No fire.
Nothing.
He rushed toward the glass.
“Harper!”
The chamber door opened.
Harper stepped out.
Emily followed.
Both girls were standing.
Alive.
Dominic dropped to his knees and pulled Harper into his arms.
“You're safe.”
Harper hugged him tightly.
“Daddy.”
Dominic closed his eyes.
Then Emily touched his shoulder.
“There's someone inside.”
Dominic looked up.
“What?”
Emily pointed toward the chamber.
“There.”
Dominic turned.
A shadow stood inside.
Someone was sitting in the center.
Dominic slowly approached.
The lights came on.
His blood froze.
A woman sat in the chair.
Young.
Pale.
Her eyes closed.
Dominic recognized her immediately.
Claire.
But she wasn't alone.
Behind her stood Alexander.
Dominic raised his weapon.
“Let her go.”
Alexander smiled.
“She chose to stay.”
Dominic's eyes moved toward Claire.
“Claire.”
Her eyes opened.
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
“I'm sorry.”
Alexander placed a hand on her shoulder.
“She betrayed me.”
Dominic stared.
“You betrayed him?”
Claire nodded.
“I tried to destroy the Archive.”
Dominic's eyes narrowed.
“How?”
“By giving Harper to Mia.”
Alexander's expression hardened.
“Claire was the reason Harper survived.”
Dominic looked at her.
“You saved my daughter.”
“Yes.”
“Then why did you take her tonight?”
“I didn't.”
Dominic froze.
“Who did?”
Claire looked toward Alexander.
“He did.”
Alexander smiled.
“I needed Dominic to open the Archive.”
Dominic's voice became cold.
“You used Harper.”
“Yes.”
“You used Claire.”
“Yes.”
“You used Nathan.”
“Yes.”
“You used my entire family.”
Alexander nodded.
“That's what power looks like.”
Dominic slowly lowered his weapon.
Alexander smiled.
“You finally understand.”
“No.”
Dominic's eyes hardened.
“I finally understand that you're afraid.”
Alexander's smile disappeared.
“Afraid?”
“Of the Archive.”
Dominic looked around.
“Of what's inside.”
Alexander's face tightened.
“You have no idea what's inside.”
“I know enough.”
Dominic pointed toward the black shelves.
“Every murder.”
“Every betrayal.”
“Every secret.”
Alexander's eyes became furious.
“Those records belong to me.”
“No.”
Dominic stepped forward.
“They belong to the dead.”
Suddenly, every monitor switched on.
Thousands of files appeared.
Names.
Dates.
Payments.
Photographs.
Videos.
Dominic stared.
One file appeared in the center of the screen.
ELEANOR VALE
Another.
VICTOR VALE
Another.
DOMINIC VALE
Then one final file.
ALEXANDER VALE
Alexander stepped backward.
“No.”
Dominic looked at him.
“You're scared.”
Alexander rushed toward the control panel.
Elias tackled him.
The two men crashed to the floor.
Dominic grabbed Alexander's wrist.
“Open the Archive.”
Alexander struggled.
“You don't know what you're doing!”
“Then tell me.”
Alexander stared at him.
“You want the truth?”
“Yes.”
“You're not ready.”
Dominic punched him.
“Try me.”
Alexander spat blood.
“Your family didn't build the Black Archive.”
Dominic stopped.
“Then who did?”
Alexander laughed.
“Someone older.”
“Who?”
Alexander looked toward Harper.
“She knows.”
Dominic turned.
Harper was staring at the monitors.
Her eyes were unfocused.
“Harper?”
She didn't answer.
Dominic crouched beside her.
“What do you see?”
Harper whispered:
“A room.”
“What room?”
“A hospital.”
Dominic frowned.
“What happened there?”
Harper's eyes filled with tears.
“They took Mommy.”
“Mia?”
Harper shook her head.
“Grandma.”
Eleanor stepped closer.
“Dominic…”
Harper continued.
“Grandma was pregnant.”
Dominic looked at Eleanor.
She froze.
Harper whispered:
“With two babies.”
Dominic's face changed.
“Two?”
Eleanor closed her eyes.
“Harper…”
Harper looked at Dominic.
“One was you.”
Dominic's heart stopped.
“And the other?”
Harper pointed at Elias.
“Uncle Elias.”
Elias stepped backward.
“No.”
Harper shook her head.
“No.”
She pointed toward the screen.
“There was another baby.”
Everyone went silent.
Dominic stared at her.
“What baby?”
Harper whispered:
“The first one.”
Eleanor's face turned white.
Alexander stopped struggling.
Victor looked toward the floor.
Even Elias seemed unable to breathe.
Dominic looked at his mother.
“What first baby?”
Eleanor's eyes filled with tears.
“The child we thought died.”
“Who?”
Eleanor whispered:
“Your sister.”
Silence.
Dominic stared.
“I don't have a sister.”
Eleanor shook her head.
“You did.”
“Where is she?”
Eleanor looked toward Alexander.
Alexander smiled.
“She never died.”
Dominic's blood turned cold.
“Where is she?”
Alexander looked at Harper.
Then at Emily.
Then toward the deepest part of the Archive.
“She built all of this.”
Dominic's face went blank.
“Who?”
Alexander whispered:
“Your sister.”
Suddenly, the Archive lights went out.
A woman's voice came from the darkness.
Calm.
Cold.
Familiar.
“Hello, Dominic.”
Dominic slowly turned.
The voice continued.
“I've been waiting twenty years for you.”
A single light came on.
A woman stood at the far end of the Archive.
She looked almost exactly like Dominic.
Same eyes.
Same jaw.
Same blood.
She smiled.
May you like
And then she said:
“I'm sorry it took me so long to come home.”
