Chapter 8: The Father Beneath the House
The name followed me down the staircase.
Alexander.
I had never been called that.
Not by my teachers.
Not by my parents.
Not by anyone.
Yet the man waiting below seemed certain it belonged to me.
Daniel followed closely behind, with Nathan bringing up the rear.
The woman in the red coat remained at the top of the stairs.
"One more thing, Marcus," she called.
I stopped.
"Don't believe everything he tells you.""
Then she closed the hidden door.
The lock engaged.
We were alone.
The staircase ended in a long corridor lined with glass panels. Behind them were computer servers, medical equipment, and rows of filing cabinets.
Blue lights illuminated the floor.
It looked less like a basement and more like a private research facility.
Daniel stared.
"How long has this been here?""
Nathan answered.
"Since before we were born.""
At the end of the corridor stood a heavy steel door.
A digital screen displayed three words.
*FAMILY AUTHORIZATION REQUIRED.*
Nathan placed his hand against the scanner.
Nothing happened.
I tried.
The screen turned green.
*WELCOME, ALEXANDER HAYES.*
The door opened.
Inside was a small room containing a hospital bed, several monitors, and a man sitting beside the window.
He had white hair.
A thin face.
And a deep scar above his right eyebrow.
My father.
John Hayes.
He looked older than I remembered, but his eyes were exactly the same.
The same eyes that had watched me ride my first motorcycle.
The same eyes that had followed me down the driveway when I left for the military.
The same eyes I had seen inside a coffin six years earlier.
"Marcus," he whispered.
I couldn't move.
He stood slowly.
"My boy.""
I stepped forward.
"You're alive.""
He nodded.
"Yes.""
I looked at Nathan.
"How long has he been here?""
"Six years," Nathan answered.
I turned back.
"Why?""
My father lowered his eyes.
"Because I made a terrible mistake.""
I laughed bitterly.
"Which one? There seem to be several.""
He accepted the words without protest.
"Sit down, Alexander.""
"Don't call me that.""
He sighed.
"Your real name is Alexander Edward Hayes. Your mother wanted to name you after your grandfather. Edward wanted to name you after himself.""
I stared.
"Edward Voss?""
My father nodded.
"He is your biological father.""
I felt sick.
"Tell me the truth.""
John gestured toward a chair.
I remained standing.
He continued anyway.
"Elizabeth and Edward were married before she met me. Their relationship ended badly. Edward was already involved in the first Bluebird experiments. He wanted children who could inherit the system's genetic authorization.""
"Authorization?""
"Bluebird was designed to recognize biological connections. Edward believed that certain genetic markers could serve as a permanent security key.""
I shook my head.
"You're telling me he used his own children as passwords?""
My father nodded.
"He wanted a family that could never be locked out of his empire.""
Daniel leaned against the wall.
"That's insane.""
"It was," John replied.
"Then why did you help him?""
My father looked at me.
"Because I believed I could save Elizabeth.""
Silence filled the room.
He explained that Edward had discovered Elizabeth was pregnant with his child. He wanted custody of the baby and control over the genetic research.
John had helped Elizabeth escape.
They created new identities.
They moved to another state.
And for a while, they believed they were safe.
Then Elizabeth became pregnant again.
With me.
"Edward found us," my father said.
I stared.
"He knew?""
"Yes. But he didn't want to take you immediately. He wanted to see whether your biological connection could unlock the archive.""
I felt my hands curl into fists.
"What happened to Nathan?""
"Your brother was born shortly after you. Michael came later.""
Nathan stepped forward.
"Why didn't you tell us?""
John looked at him.
"Because I wanted you to have a childhood.""
Nathan laughed without humor.
"You gave us a lifetime of lies.""
My father closed his eyes.
"I know.""
I looked toward the monitors.
One screen displayed a list of names.
Some were marked green.
Others were marked red.
At the bottom was a name I recognized.
*EVELYN HAYES.*
I turned.
"Why is my wife's name there?""
My father looked alarmed.
"Where did you see that?""
"On the screen.""
He struggled to stand.
"Get away from it.""
I stepped closer.
"What is Evelyn's connection to Bluebird?""
John looked at me.
"She was born inside the program.""
I froze.
"That's impossible.""
"Her parents were among the first people Edward recruited. She was registered as a child of one of his test subjects.""
Nathan frowned.
"Why would Marcus marry someone connected to Voss?""
John shook his head.
"Because Edward arranged it.""
I felt the blood drain from my face.
"What?""
"Your relationship wasn't accidental. Edward wanted the two strongest genetic branches of his family connected.""
I stepped backward.
My marriage.
Our first date.
The night I proposed.
The wedding.
Had all of it been arranged?
My father reached for my hand.
"Marcus, listen. I tried to stop him.""
I pulled away.
"You let me live a lie.""
"I protected you.""
"Everybody keeps saying that!""
My voice shook.
"Nobody protected me. You took my family away and called it protection.""
My father lowered his head.
Then a monitor beeped.
A new message appeared.
*EXTERNAL ACCESS DETECTED.*
Nathan moved toward the door.
"Someone's in the system.""
The screen changed.
A video feed appeared.
It showed a woman sitting in a white room.
My wife.
She was alive.
Her wrists were tied.
A man stood behind her.
Michael.
My identical uncle.
He leaned toward the camera.
"Hello, Alexander.""
I stepped closer.
"Let her go.""
Michael smiled.
"You're looking very much like your father.""
"Touch her and I'll kill you.""
He laughed.
"That's exactly what Edward said when he first saw you.""
I stared.
Michael reached into his jacket and removed a small photograph.
It showed three babies lying in hospital bassinets.
Under each photograph was a name.
*ALEXANDER. NATHAN. MICHAEL.*
Then he held up another photograph.
A baby girl.
*EVELYN.*
My wife.
I felt my stomach tighten.
Michael leaned toward the camera.
"There's something your father forgot to tell you.""
He smiled.
"Your wife isn't just connected to Bluebird.""
He paused.
"She's the person who designed its final security system.""
The video went black.
A second later, every monitor in the room turned red.
My father staggered backward.
"No," he whispered.
I grabbed his arm.
"What?""
He stared at the screens.
"They've activated the final protocol.""
A loud mechanical sound echoed through the underground facility.
Then a steel door slammed shut behind us.
A computerized voice announced:
"Bluebird containment initiated.""
The room began filling with white smoke.
Daniel coughed.
Nathan pulled me toward the exit.
But my father refused to move.
"John!"" I shouted.
He looked at me.
Then he said something that made me stop.
"Alexander, your wife didn't create Bluebird to control people.""
He reached into his shirt and pulled out a small photograph.
"She created it to bring them home.""
The photograph showed my wife standing beside a little boy.
And behind them stood a woman wearing a hospital gown.
The woman had my face.
My father's eyes filled with tears.
"That's your sister.""
I stared.
"I don't have a sister.""
He shook his head.
"Not anymore.""
Then the lights went out.
And someone began knocking from inside the sealed medical room.
Three times.
May you like
Slowly.
Deliberately.
