Chapter 14 - The two men stood facing each other in the cemetery fog.The real Martin Whitmore.
And the man who had worn his face for twelve years.
Daniel couldn't breathe.
His father looked at him.
“Daniel.”
The word sounded broken.
Daniel stared.
“Dad?”
Martin lowered the gun.
“I am sorry.”
Emily stepped from behind the mausoleum.
“Why did you let us believe you were dead?”
Martin looked at her.
“Because your life depended on it.”
The impostor laughed.
“You always were sentimental.”
The real Martin's face hardened.
“This is over.”
“No.”
The impostor pulled out a second weapon.
“It's beginning.”
Gunfire erupted.
Harris returned fire.
Claire pulled Emily behind a stone wall.
Daniel tackled the impostor.
They crashed against a grave.
The man struck Daniel across the face.
“You have no idea what your father built.”
Daniel hit back.
“You built nothing.”
The impostor laughed.
“I perfected it.”
He reached for a blade.
Daniel grabbed his wrist.
The two struggled.
Then the real Martin fired.
The impostor dropped.
Silence.
Daniel stared at the body.
“Is he dead?”
Martin nodded.
“Yes.”
Emily emerged slowly.
“Who was he?”
Martin looked toward the grave.
“His name was Victor Kane.”
Claire frowned.
“Why did he look like you?”
“Because he was my brother.”
Daniel froze.
“You had a brother?”
Martin nodded.
“He died years ago.”
Daniel stared.
“Then who is this?”
Martin looked at the dead man.
“The one who was supposed to inherit everything.”
Harris approached.
“You knew about the experiments.”
“Yes.”
“You funded them.”
Martin closed his eyes.
“Yes.”
Emily stared at him.
“Then you're guilty too.”
“Yes.”
No excuses.
No defense.
Just the answer.
“I tried to stop it too late.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“Why fake your death?”
“Because Victor took control.”
“And my mother?”
“I protected her.”
“And Emily?”
Martin looked at her.
“She was the one person Victor feared.”
“Why?”
“Because she remembered.”
Emily's voice trembled.
“What do I remember?”
Martin reached inside his coat.
He removed a small cassette.
“Your first memory.”
They listened in the car.
A child's voice.
Emily.
Eight years old.
She was crying.
Then another voice.
Victor.
Then Martin.
Then a third voice.
A woman.
Elise.
The recording revealed the truth.
Emily had discovered the experiments.
She had tried to free the children.
Victor caught her.
Elise helped her escape.
Martin arrived too late.
Victor kidnapped Emily and erased her medical record.
The "death" years later had been another attempt to silence her.
But one question remained.
Daniel turned to his father.
“Who put her in the coffin?”
Martin looked at him.
“Victor arranged it.”
“But he's dead.”
“He had people.”
“Who?”
Martin hesitated.
Then looked at Harris.
The detective stiffened.
“What?”
Martin said:
“Your captain.”
Harris stepped backward.
“Captain Ross?”
Martin nodded.
“He was Victor's last ally.”
Harris pulled out his phone.
“No signal.”
Claire looked at her own.
Nothing.
Daniel suddenly realized something.
The ambulance.
The hospital.
The warehouse.
The church.
Every location had been leaked.
Someone had been tracking them the entire time.
Martin opened the car door.
“We have to move.”
“Where?”
“Back to the hospital.”
Emily frowned.
“Why?”
“Because Lena isn't there.”
The car went silent.
“What?”
Martin stared ahead.
“Victor never wanted Lena.”
“Then who did he take?”
Martin answered:
“Your mother.”
Everyone froze.
Daniel looked back toward the cemetery.
The real Martin Whitmore was gone.
His car was empty.
On the seat lay a single envelope.
Written across it:
YOU HAVE UNTIL SUNRISE.
Inside was one photograph.
Elise.
Bound to a chair.
And behind her stood Captain Ross.
Holding a gun.
May you like
On the back were four words:
BRING EMILY TO THE COFFIN.
