Chapter 13: The Brother Behind the Empire
For several seconds, nobody moved.
I stared at the screen.
John Hayes stood beside a man who looked exactly like Edward Voss.
Except the man on the screen was older.
His hair was completely white. His face was covered in scars. One of his eyes appeared damaged.
But the resemblance was unmistakable.
Edward looked at the screen as though he had seen a corpse climb out of its grave.
"Turn it off!"" he screamed.
Victoria stepped away from the console.
"Who is that?""
John looked directly into the camera.
"His name is Alexander Edward Voss. He is the original heir to the Bluebird project.""
I looked toward Edward.
"You're telling me this man isn't my father?""
John shook his head.
"No, Marcus. He's your uncle.""
Edward laughed.
It was a horrible sound.
"John, you always were a sentimental fool.""
He turned toward me.
"Don't listen to him. He's trying to destroy everything.""
I kept my weapon raised.
"Then explain the photograph.""
Edward's expression hardened.
John answered instead.
"Edward and I were raised together. We were both adopted by the Voss family after our biological parents died. Edward was the brilliant one. I was the ordinary one.""
He paused.
"At least, that's what everyone believed.""
The older man beside him stepped forward.
"Edward was born with a genetic condition that prevented him from accessing the original Bluebird system. He spent his entire life trying to overcome that limitation.""
I looked at Edward.
"And you?""
The man on the screen nodded.
"I was born with the authorization markers.""
Edward slammed his hand against a nearby console.
"You're lying!""
John continued.
"Edward stole my identity when we were young. He altered the records, took control of the family company, and eventually replaced me with a false identity.""
I looked toward my father.
"Why did you let him?""
John lowered his eyes.
"Because he had your mother.""
The room fell silent.
"He threatened Elizabeth," John continued.
"He threatened every child in our family. I gave him my identity because I believed it would keep them safe.""
Edward stepped forward.
"Enough!""
He grabbed a pistol from his waistband.
Before he could raise it, Nathan fired.
The bullet struck the floor beside Edward's foot.
"Drop it!"" Nathan shouted.
Edward froze.
Michael moved toward the nearest exit.
But Victoria pressed a button.
Steel barriers slammed down across the chamber.
"Nobody leaves," she said.
Michael turned toward her.
"You think you've won?""
Victoria looked at him.
"No. I think you've finally run out of places to hide.""
Edward lowered his weapon.
His face had changed.
The polished businessman was gone.
In his place stood an old, frightened man whose entire empire was collapsing.
I approached him.
"Why did you do it?""
He looked at me.
"Because I deserved everything your father had.""
"Twenty-seven thousand people?""
"They were necessary.""
"My wife?""
"She was useful.""
"My children?""
His eyes moved toward Daniel and Lucy.
"They were valuable.""
I hit him.
The sound echoed through the chamber.
He stumbled against the console.
I wanted to hit him again.
But my wife grabbed my arm.
"Marcus.""
I turned.
She was crying.
"Don't let him turn you into someone he understands.""
I lowered my fist.
Edward wiped blood from his lip.
Then he smiled.
"You really believe you've won?""
I looked at him.
"What now?""
He pointed toward the central screen.
The restored archive was still running.
*IDENTITY RECOVERY: 87%.*
*SYSTEM OWNERSHIP: TRANSFER PENDING.*
Then a new warning appeared.
*ORIGINAL OWNER AUTHENTICATION REQUIRED.*
Victoria frowned.
"That shouldn't be happening.""
John's voice came through the speakers.
"What's wrong?""
She examined the screen.
"The archive restored the identities, but it hasn't released the original records.""
"Why?""
"Because the original owner is still recognized as active.""
I turned toward Edward.
He smiled.
"Exactly.""
Victoria looked at him.
"You're not the original owner.""
Edward laughed.
"No. But the system thinks I am.""
I looked at the screen.
"How do we fix it?""
Victoria slowly turned toward me.
"There's only one way.""
"What?""
"Someone has to authenticate the original owner's death.""
Edward stopped smiling.
I stared at him.
"You mean we have to kill him?""
Victoria shook her head.
"No. We need proof that the original owner is already dead.""
She looked toward John on the screen.
"The original owner wasn't Edward.""
John nodded.
"It was Elizabeth.""
My wife gasped.
I felt the room tilt.
"My mother?""
John nodded.
"Your real mother created the original system. Edward stole her work and altered the records to make himself the owner.""
Victoria looked at the screen.
"Then why does the system think Edward is active?""
John's expression became grave.
"Because Elizabeth's identity was never officially closed.""
I looked toward the hospital image.
"Where is she?""
John lowered his head.
"She's in the facility beneath the hospital.""
"Alive?""
He hesitated.
Then answered.
"Not anymore.""
The words hit me harder than I expected.
I looked at the screen.
"Then why are you showing me her?""
John leaned closer.
"Because your mother left something behind.""
A new image appeared.
An old woman sitting in a chair.
Her hands rested on a wooden table.
She was holding a small blue bird.
Underneath the image was a message.
*TO MY THREE SONS.*
I looked at Nathan.
"Three sons?""
John nodded.
"Marcus, Nathan, and Michael.""
I turned toward the man standing beside Edward.
"Michael?""
The older man on the screen shook his head.
"No. The third son is someone else.""
Edward suddenly began laughing.
He looked toward Daniel.
Then toward Lucy.
Finally, he looked at me.
"Your mother didn't have three sons, Alexander.""
He smiled.
"She had four.""
The screen changed.
A fourth name appeared.
*SUBJECT FOUR: VICTOR HAYES.*
*STATUS: ACTIVE.*
Nathan went pale.
I turned toward him.
"Who is Victor?""
Nathan looked at Edward.
Then at Michael.
Finally, he whispered:
"The man who trained Michael to replace me.""
Edward smiled.
"He's already here.""
A side door opened.
A man stepped into the chamber.
He was wearing a dark gray suit.
His face was familiar.
Not because I had met him before.
But because I had seen him in hundreds of photographs.
He was the man who had stood beside my father in every family portrait.
The man whose face had always been scratched out.
He looked at me.
"Hello, little brother.""
May you like
Then he raised his weapon.
And fired.
