Chapter 12: The Son Who Chose His Own Father
"Let him go!""
My voice thundered through the chamber.
Michael tightened his grip around Daniel's arm.
"Careful, Alexander.""
I kept my weapon trained on him.
"You've had fifteen years with my son. That's fifteen years more than you deserved.""
Michael smiled.
"Do you know what he calls me when nobody is watching?""
I said nothing.
"Father.""
Daniel shook his head.
"That's not true.""
Michael leaned toward him.
"Tell him.""
Daniel looked at me.
His eyes were filled with tears.
"I thought he was my father.""
Michael smiled.
"Because I was.""
My wife stepped forward.
"Michael, you kidnapped him. You stole him from me.""
"I raised him.""
"You lied to him!""
"I gave him a home.""
Edward interrupted.
"Enough.""
He turned toward Daniel.
"Young man, I need your hand.""
Daniel backed away.
"No.""
Edward's expression became impatient.
"You're making this unnecessarily difficult.""
Daniel looked at the screen.
A blue scanner had appeared beside the central computer.
I understood immediately.
That was the final authorization point.
"Daniel, don't touch it.""
Edward smiled.
"Your father doesn't understand what we're building.""
I stepped forward.
"He understands enough to know you're a monster.""
Edward's face hardened.
"Your father?""
He pointed toward the screen showing my mother's hospital room.
"John Hayes was a weak man who spent his entire life trying to steal what belonged to me.""
I looked at him.
"You mean my mother?""
Edward laughed.
"Elizabeth was never yours to begin with.""
My wife suddenly spoke.
"That's not true.""
Everyone turned.
She was staring at Edward.
"You told me you had destroyed the original records.""
Edward narrowed his eyes.
"What records?""
"The birth records.""
My wife looked toward Daniel.
"Marcus, there's something else you need to know.""
I felt dread settle in my stomach.
"What?""
She swallowed.
"Daniel isn't the only child we had.""
The chamber became silent.
I stared at her.
"What?""
She began crying.
"Before Daniel was born, I had another baby.""
Edward looked furious.
"Be quiet.""
My wife continued.
"She was a girl. She was born two years before Daniel.""
I couldn't move.
"Where is she?""
My wife shook her head.
"I don't know. Blackstone took her before I woke up.""
Daniel stared at her.
"I have a sister?""
She nodded.
"Yes, sweetheart.""
Edward moved toward the central console.
"Enough family history.""
He entered a command.
The screen changed.
*SECONDARY SUBJECT DETECTED.*
A new photograph appeared.
A little girl.
Maybe thirteen years old.
Dark hair.
Brown eyes.
And the same small scar above her left eyebrow.
I looked at the photograph.
Then at Victoria.
Victoria had gone completely pale.
"That's impossible," she whispered.
I turned.
"What?""
She pointed toward the screen.
"That's Lucy.""
The little girl who had delivered the envelopes.
The girl who had stood beside Daniel in the church.
The girl who had told us she had a message from my wife.
My wife began sobbing.
"Marcus, she's our daughter.""
I felt as though the floor had disappeared beneath me.
Lucy.
Our daughter.
She had been right there.
She had helped us.
She had watched me discover that Daniel existed.
And I hadn't known who she was.
Michael laughed.
"Surprise.""
He pushed Daniel toward the scanner.
Edward entered another command.
*FAMILY AUTHORIZATION: THREE SUBJECTS REQUIRED.*
Three subjects.
Me.
Daniel.
Lucy.
I looked toward the control room.
"Where is Lucy?""
Edward smiled.
"She has already been brought here.""
A side door opened.
Two guards entered.
Between them walked Lucy.
Her yellow raincoat was gone.
She wore a white shirt and dark trousers.
Her hands were tied.
She looked directly at me.
"Marcus?""
I stepped forward.
"Lucy!""
One of the guards pulled her back.
Edward approached her.
"Hello, little one.""
Lucy looked at him.
"You're not my grandfather.""
Edward laughed.
"Technically, I am.""
She spat at him.
He slapped her.
My wife screamed.
I raised my weapon.
Nathan appeared from the upper gallery.
"NOW!""
The lights went out.
A series of gunshots echoed through the chamber.
Daniel dropped to the floor.
Michael released him.
I rushed forward and grabbed my son, pulling him behind a computer console.
"Are you hurt?""
He shook his head.
"Mom!""
"She's okay. Stay down.""
I looked across the room.
Nathan was fighting one of the guards.
Daniel was crawling toward my wife.
Victoria had reached the central console.
And Lucy was running toward me.
I caught her and pulled her into my arms.
She buried her face against my chest.
"Are you my dad?""
I held her tighter.
"Yes, sweetheart.""
She began crying.
"I knew it.""
I looked down.
"What?""
"Mom said you would come.""
My throat tightened.
"I should have come sooner.""
She shook her head.
"You're here now.""
For one brief moment, the entire world seemed to disappear.
Then a loud alarm sounded.
Victoria shouted from the console.
"Marcus! I need you!""
I handed Lucy to Daniel.
"Stay with your brother.""
He looked at her.
"You're my sister?""
Lucy nodded.
Daniel held out his hand.
"I'm Daniel.""
She took it.
"I'm Lucy.""
Then he pulled her behind the console.
I ran toward Victoria.
She was staring at a rapidly changing screen.
"What's happening?""
"Edward activated the archive before we could stop him.""
The display showed thousands of names.
One by one, they were turning red.
*IDENTITY DELETION INITIATED.*
"Can you stop it?""
"Yes, but I need the three family authorizations.""
"Which three?""
"Yours, Daniel's, and Lucy's.""
I looked at my children.
"Then let's do it.""
Victoria shook her head.
"There's a problem.""
"What?""
"The system requires one person to remain inside the original chamber during the shutdown.""
"Why?""
"Because the original archive was designed to preserve itself. Someone has to manually sever the connection.""
I stared at the screen.
"How long?""
"Once activated, the person inside has approximately sixty seconds to escape.""
"Approximately?""
Victoria looked at me.
"Marcus, the chamber is designed to seal permanently.""
I turned toward Edward.
He was standing near the far wall, calmly watching the countdown.
Michael had recovered and was moving toward Daniel and Lucy.
I raised my weapon.
"Stop!""
Michael froze.
Edward smiled.
"Do you see now, Alexander? Every family needs someone willing to make sacrifices.""
I looked at my wife.
She was finally free of her restraints.
She ran toward me.
"Marcus, don't.""
I held her face between my hands.
"We're getting our children out.""
She shook her head.
"Not if you have to die.""
I looked at the two teenagers behind her.
A son I had never known.
A daughter I had unknowingly met in a church.
A wife who had spent fifteen years protecting them.
And a brother who had sacrificed his entire life trying to bring us back together.
I turned toward the central console.
"Victoria, prepare the shutdown.""
She stared at me.
"Marcus—"
"Do it.""
Then Daniel stepped forward.
"No.""
I turned.
He looked directly into my eyes.
"You don't get to disappear after finding us.""
I swallowed.
"Daniel...""
He moved beside the console.
"I know how the system works.""
Victoria looked at him.
"How?""
Daniel pointed toward the screen.
"Michael taught me.""
I felt my blood run cold.
Daniel continued.
"But he never knew I changed the original code.""
Edward's smile disappeared.
"What did you do?""
Daniel looked at him.
"I gave the system a new instruction.""
The screen flickered.
Then every name turned blue.
A new message appeared.
*ORIGINAL ARCHIVE RESTORED.*
*ALL ERASED IDENTITIES RECOVERED.*
Edward stepped backward.
"No.""
Daniel pressed one final button.
Then he looked at me.
"Grandpa said you would know what to do next.""
I frowned.
"Which grandpa?""
Daniel pointed toward the main screen.
A live video connection appeared.
John Hayes.
My father.
He was no longer in the hospital room.
He was standing in front of a camera.
And behind him stood another man.
A man wearing the same face as Edward Voss.
John looked directly into the camera.
"Alexander, if you can hear me, there's something you must understand.""
He took a breath.
"Edward Voss was never your biological father.""
I stared at the screen.
John continued.
"He's your brother.""
The entire chamber fell silent.
Then Edward screamed.
"SHUT IT DOWN!""
May you like
And for the first time that night, the man who had controlled our family for decades looked genuinely afraid.
*Because the original archive had just revealed who really owned Bluebird.*
