Chapter 14: The Last Hayes Standing
The bullet struck the computer console behind me.
Sparks exploded across the room.
Daniel pulled Lucy to the floor while Nathan returned fire.
Victoria shouted something I couldn't hear.
My wife dragged John away from the exposed monitors.
I rolled behind a steel cabinet.
The newcomer stood in the doorway.
Victor Hayes.
The fourth son.
He looked older than Nathan and younger than John.
His dark hair was neatly combed, and a thin scar crossed his upper lip.
He held his pistol with the confidence of someone who had spent years using it.
"Enough!"" he shouted.
The gunfire stopped.
He stepped forward.
"Put your weapons down.""
Nathan kept his gun raised.
"You're supposed to be dead.""
Victor smiled.
"So are you.""
Nathan's face tightened.
"Where were you all these years?""
"Working.""
"For Edward?""
Victor glanced at the older man.
"Among others.""
Edward looked almost relieved.
"Victor. Finally.""
Victor ignored him.
He approached the central console and examined the screen.
"Twenty-seven thousand identities restored.""
He shook his head.
"That's a problem.""
I stepped out from behind the cabinet.
"Who are you?""
He looked at me.
"I'm the brother who never got to come home.""
"Why did you shoot at us?""
"Because you were about to destroy everything.""
I laughed.
"Everything? You mean the machine that has been stealing people's lives?""
Victor's expression remained calm.
"You don't understand what Bluebird is worth.""
"I understand what it did to my family.""
He shook his head.
"Your family was never innocent.""
Nathan moved closer.
"Don't listen to him, Marcus.""
Victor pointed his gun at Nathan.
"You always were the favorite.""
Nathan laughed.
"You spent fifteen years pretending to be me.""
Victor's expression changed.
"Because I had to.""
I looked between them.
"Explain.""
Victor lowered his weapon slightly.
"Michael wasn't the only one trained to replace someone. I was trained to replace Nathan.""
Nathan stared at him.
"Why?""
"Because Edward needed a family that could pass every authentication test.""
Victor looked toward the central screen.
"Three brothers. Four identities. One system.""
He gestured toward Edward.
"That was the plan.""
I shook my head.
"You were all part of it?""
Victor laughed.
"Not willingly.""
Then he looked at Daniel.
"Especially him.""
Daniel stepped forward.
"Stay away from me.""
Victor smiled.
"You're the reason this entire family exists.""
He pointed toward the screen.
"Your genetic profile can restore the original archive, but it can also rewrite the system's ownership.""
I looked at him.
"Why do you want that?""
Victor finally lowered his voice.
"Because I want my life back.""
He explained that Bluebird had erased him from every official record after he refused to participate in the original project.
He had spent years living under false identities.
He had watched his brothers grow old in photographs while he remained hidden.
He had never been allowed to marry, own property, or even register a bank account under his real name.
"I was born a Hayes," he said.
"But nobody was allowed to know.""
I looked at him.
"And you think stealing control of Bluebird will fix that?""
"Yes.""
"By doing the same thing Edward did?""
Victor's expression hardened.
"At least I won't pretend I'm a good man.""
He moved toward Daniel.
I raised my weapon.
"Stop.""
Victor looked at me.
"You're not going to shoot your own brother.""
I stared at him.
"You're right.""
He smiled.
Then I continued.
"But I will stop you.""
Before he could react, Lucy crawled toward the control panel.
She reached beneath the console and pulled out a small cable.
The main screen flickered.
Victoria looked up.
"Lucy! What are you doing?""
Lucy pressed a sequence of keys.
The archive changed.
A new message appeared.
*ORIGINAL OWNER IDENTIFIED.*
*ELIZABETH HAYES.*
*FINAL RECORD AVAILABLE.*
Victoria stared.
"How did you know that sequence?""
Lucy looked at her.
"Mom taught me.""
I turned toward my daughter.
"When?""
"Before she disappeared.""
Lucy pointed at the screen.
"She said Grandma left something for us.""
The final record opened.
An audio message began playing.
An elderly woman's voice filled the room.
"My children.""
I stopped breathing.
It was my mother's voice.
Not the woman in the red coat.
Not the impostor.
The real Elizabeth.
"If you're hearing this, Edward has failed to destroy the archive.""
The recording continued.
"I know you have suffered. I know you have been separated. And I know that some of you will hate me for what I did.""
I looked at Nathan.
He was staring at the screen.
"Bluebird was originally designed to protect people whose identities were stolen. But Edward changed it. He turned a protection system into a weapon.""
The screen displayed a new file.
*ORIGINAL OWNERSHIP DEED.*
My mother's voice continued.
"I placed the final authorization inside the system. Only my children can activate it. But the system must recognize all four sons.""
Four sons.
I looked toward Victor.
He lowered his gun.
The recording continued.
"Marcus, Nathan, Michael, and Victor. None of you were born to inherit power. You were born to protect one another.""
I looked at Michael.
For the first time, he appeared uncertain.
Then my mother's voice said something unexpected.
"And to the daughter I never got to meet, Lucy, I left a special message.""
Lucy stepped closer to the screen.
A photograph appeared.
My mother was holding a baby girl.
Lucy covered her mouth.
The recording continued.
"Your name was chosen before you were born. I wanted you to know that you were loved, even when the world tried to make you disappear.""
Lucy began crying.
I pulled her into my arms.
Then the recording ended.
The screen displayed a final instruction.
*ALL FOUR BROTHERS MUST AUTHORIZE THE RELEASE.*
Nathan looked at me.
Michael looked at Victor.
Victor looked toward Edward.
Edward suddenly moved.
He grabbed the pistol from the nearest security guard and pointed it at Daniel.
"Nobody touches the console!""
I raised my weapon.
"Put it down!""
Edward laughed.
"You still don't understand. If I cannot control Bluebird, nobody will.""
He aimed at the central server.
My wife screamed.
"Marcus!""
I fired.
The bullet struck Edward's shoulder.
His weapon fell.
Nathan rushed forward and kicked it away.
Daniel ran toward the console.
But the screen was already changing.
*SYSTEM DESTRUCTION INITIATED.*
Victoria looked horrified.
"Someone activated the emergency shutdown!""
I turned.
"Who?""
Nobody answered.
Then Michael stepped forward.
He was holding a small remote control.
"Me.""
He smiled.
"You wanted the truth?""
He pressed the button.
The entire facility began shaking.
A deep mechanical roar filled the chamber.
The lights turned red.
*SELF-DESTRUCT SEQUENCE: 03:00.*
I looked toward my family.
"Everyone out!""
But Victoria shook her head.
"It's too late.""
She pointed toward the central chamber.
The heavy steel doors were closing.
And behind them, someone was still standing.
My father.
John Hayes.
He had walked into the original control room.
He looked through the glass at me.
Then he raised one hand.
He was smiling.
I ran toward the door.
"DAD!""
He placed his palm against the glass.
And mouthed three words.
May you like
*Forgive me, son.*
Then the door locked.
