Chapter 6: Two Brothers, One Dead Man
For several seconds, I couldn't move.
The photograph in Nathan's hand showed two identical men.
Same faces.
Same height.
Same dark hair.
Even the scar on the left cheek appeared on both.
I looked from the photograph to the man standing in front of me.
"Explain.""
Nathan didn't answer.
"Now.""
He glanced toward the church doors.
"Your wife was right about one thing. The Nathan you remember died in the warehouse.""
I felt my stomach drop.
"Then who the hell are you?""
He placed the photograph on the pew.
"My name is Nathan Hayes.""
"That's not an answer.""
"It's the only name I've ever had.""
Daniel stepped forward.
"Boss, we need to be careful.""
I ignored him.
"Who was the other man?""
Nathan looked at the photograph.
"My twin.""
The word hit me like a physical blow.
I shook my head.
"I don't have a twin.""
"You were never told.""
"By whom?""
"Your parents.""
I stared at him.
Nathan sat down.
"Our mother gave birth to three boys. You, me, and Michael.""
I felt my knees weaken.
"Three?""
He nodded.
"Michael was taken into the Bluebird program when we were six months old.""
I remembered my childhood.
There had been old family photographs, but I had never seen one with three babies.
My father had always said Nathan and I were difficult enough.
I had believed him.
"Why would they take him?""
"Because Michael was sick. He had a rare neurological condition, and our father believed Blackstone could help him.""
Nathan paused.
"They promised to treat him.""
"And?""
"They used him.""
Evelyn approached slowly.
"Used him for what?""
Nathan looked at her.
"Identity replication.""
Daniel frowned.
"That's impossible.""
"Not entirely. Bluebird began as a medical identification project. They wanted to create a way to rebuild someone's entire identity after a catastrophic injury.""
He tapped the photograph.
"But Blackstone discovered something else. If they had enough biological information, they could create records that made one person indistinguishable from another.""
I looked at the photograph.
"You're saying Michael was made to look like Nathan?""
"Not exactly. Michael was trained to become him.""
I stared at Nathan.
"Why?""
"Because our family was connected to the original project. Blackstone needed someone who could pass as a Hayes.""
I felt anger rising.
"You're telling me my brother was replaced?""
Nathan nodded.
"Years ago.""
"How long?""
"Since the warehouse.""
I stepped toward him.
"Then who did I bury?""
Nathan looked down.
"Michael.""
The church fell silent.
I remembered the funeral.
The closed coffin.
The police officer who had told us identification wasn't possible because of the fire.
The hospital report.
The ashes.
My mother crying against my shoulder.
All of it had been arranged.
"Why didn't you come home?""
Nathan looked at me.
"Because I was afraid you'd recognize him.""
I frowned.
"What?""
"Michael knew everything about our childhood. He knew your favorite food, your old school, the scar you got falling off Dad's motorcycle. He knew things only a brother could know.""
Nathan's voice cracked.
"He was trained to replace me.""
I looked at the photograph again.
"And you?""
"I escaped.""
"Where were you?""
"Underground. Moving between safe houses. Trying to find the original archive.""
I turned away.
The anger was too much.
Fifteen years of grief.
Fifteen years of guilt.
I had blamed myself for not being there when my brother died.
Now I was learning that the person I had mourned was someone else entirely.
Daniel placed a hand on my shoulder.
"Boss.""
I shook him off.
"Not now.""
Then my phone vibrated.
A message had arrived from an unknown number.
It contained a photograph.
My wife.
She was sitting in a small room, her wrists tied to a chair.
Her face was bruised.
Behind her stood a man wearing a dark suit.
The message underneath read:
*BRING THE BLUE KEY TO THE OLD FAMILY HOUSE. COME ALONE.*
A second message appeared.
*OR YOUR WIFE DIES BEFORE MIDNIGHT.*
I showed Nathan.
He stared at the photograph.
"That's Michael.""
"The twin?""
Nathan nodded.
"He's working for Voss.""
I looked at the clock.
It was 8:17 p.m.
"Then we have less than four hours.""
Nathan shook his head.
"You don't understand. Michael isn't just working for Voss.""
"What else?""
"He's running the operation.""
I looked at him.
"Why would he kidnap my wife?""
"Because she stole the original archive.""
"Where is it?""
Nathan pointed to the black case.
"Inside.""
I frowned.
"Then why do they need the key?""
"Because the case is only the container. The archive itself is encrypted. Your blood unlocked the first layer, but the blue key activates the second.""
I looked at the silver key Lucy had given me.
"And the final layer?""
Nathan looked toward the ceiling.
"Your father.""
I turned to Daniel.
"Get everyone ready.""
He nodded.
"How many men?""
"All of them.""
Nathan shook his head.
"Marcus, this isn't a fight you can win with motorcycles and guns.""
I stepped toward him.
"I'm not trying to win a war.""
I looked at my wife's photograph.
"I'm getting my wife back.""
Nathan lowered his eyes.
Then he said something I wasn't expecting.
"There's another reason Michael wants you at the house.""
"What?""
"He wants you to meet your mother.""
I laughed bitterly.
"I just saw her outside the church.""
Nathan shook his head.
"That wasn't our mother.""
I froze.
"What?""
He pulled another photograph from his jacket.
It showed the woman in the red coat standing beside a younger woman.
Both had the same face.
Both had the same silver hair.
One was my mother.
The other was someone else.
Nathan pointed to the woman on the right.
"That's the woman you saw today.""
Then he pointed to the woman on the left.
"And that's the real Elizabeth Hayes.""
I stared at the photograph.
"Where is she?""
Nathan's expression darkened.
"She has been dead for fifteen years.""
I felt the world shift beneath my feet.
"Then who raised us?""
Nathan took a long breath.
"The woman who raised us was an impostor.""
I looked at Evelyn.
She was crying silently.
Then I looked at the little girl, Lucy, who had been standing beside Daniel.
She stepped forward and handed me another envelope.
"Your wife said to give you this if you found out about the twins.""
I opened it.
Inside was a handwritten note.
The handwriting was unmistakably my wife's.
*Marcus,*
*There is something I never had the courage to tell you.*
*The man you called Father was not your biological father.*
I read the sentence twice.
Then three times.
At the bottom of the page was a name.
*EDWARD VOSS.*
I looked at Nathan.
He slowly nodded.
"Now you understand why Michael wants you alive.""
My voice came out barely above a whisper.
"Because I'm his brother?""
Nathan shook his head.
"No.""
He looked directly into my eyes.
"Because you're Edward Voss's only surviving biological son.""
Outside, thunder rolled across the sky.
Then Daniel's phone rang again.
He answered.
A woman's voice came through the speaker.
It was my mother's voice.
The same voice that had called me from outside the church.
"Marcus, sweetheart," she said.
I took the phone.
"What do you want?""
She laughed softly.
"To welcome you home.""
Then she added:
"And to tell you that your wife isn't the only person we've been keeping alive.""
A pause.
"Your real father is waiting for you.""
The call ended.
I looked at the black case.
Its blue light began pulsing again.
A final message appeared on the screen.
*FAMILY ARCHIVE: 87% RESTORED.*
*NEXT SUBJECT: MARCUS HAYES.*
*ORIGINAL IDENTITY: CLASSIFIED.*
I stared at those words.
May you like
For the first time in my life, I wondered whether Marcus Hayes was even my real name.
And somewhere in the darkness, a man who looked exactly like my dead brother was waiting for me to find out.
