Chapter 11 - Midnight at Saint Joseph's CemeteryThe cemetery was empty.
Fog covered the graves.
The clock on the church tower showed 11:53.
Ruiz positioned her officers around the perimeter.
Daniel stood beside Ethan and Claire.
No sign of Thomas.
At 11:59, a bell rang.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Ethan felt his skin crawl.
“That's not random,” he whispered.
Claire nodded.
“No.”
A grave marker stood in the center of the cemetery.
RICHARD PARKER.
Ethan stared.
“But Richard isn't dead.”
Daniel said nothing.
The ground beside the grave shifted.
A hidden door opened.
A man climbed out.
Richard.
He looked exhausted.
Bruised.
But alive.
Claire stepped toward him.
“Richard?”
He pointed a gun at Daniel.
“Don't.”
Ethan froze.
Richard's eyes filled with tears.
“I tried to protect you.”
Claire shook her head.
“You put me in a coffin.”
“I had no choice.”
“You always say that.”
Richard looked at Ethan.
“I was running out of time.”
“Why?”
“Because Thomas knew.”
“Knew what?”
Richard lowered the gun.
“Your father wasn't the one who betrayed Morrow.”
Daniel's face went pale.
Richard continued.
“I did.”
Ethan stared.
Richard explained.
“Years ago I discovered Morrow was preparing something called the Heir Program.”
“What is that?”
“A way to control people through bloodline evidence.”
Daniel whispered:
“They found a genetic connection.”
Richard nodded.
“To someone powerful.”
“Who?”
Richard looked at Ethan.
“You.”
The cemetery went silent.
“That doesn't make sense.”
“It will.”
Richard pulled out a sealed envelope.
“There was another child.”
Ethan frowned.
“What child?”
“Your twin.”
Claire covered her mouth.
“No.”
Ethan stared at her.
“I had a twin?”
Claire was crying.
“He died.”
Richard shook his head.
“No.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“Stop.”
Richard looked at him.
“You know it's true.”
Daniel whispered:
“I buried him.”
Ethan looked between them.
“Where?”
Richard pointed at the grave.
“Under your name.”
Ethan stepped back.
A terrible thought formed.
The funeral.
The coffin.
The records.
Maybe the body Richard claimed belonged to Claire wasn't Claire.
Maybe the entire death certificate was based on a lie.
Richard handed Ethan the envelope.
Inside was a photograph.
Two newborn babies.
One was Ethan.
The other looked exactly like him.
On the back:
ONE SURVIVED. ONE WAS SUPPOSED TO.
Then gunfire erupted across the cemetery.
The lights of black vehicles appeared through the fog.
Thomas's voice came through a loudspeaker.
“Thank you for bringing him.”
Ethan looked up.
May you like
Thomas stood on the church roof.
And he was smiling.
