Chapter 12: The File That Should Not Exist
Rex pressed his nose against the wall.
A small click sounded.
The hidden panel opened.
Everyone stared.
Behind it was not a weapon.
Not a surveillance system.
A storage compartment.
Inside were files.
Hundreds of them.
Old folders.
Photographs.
Records.
Nia moved closer.
Victor immediately stepped forward.
“No.””
She looked at him.
That single word told her everything.
She opened the compartment.
The first file had a name written across it.
*CARTER, MARCUS*
Her hands stopped.
Marcus saw it.
“Open it.””
Nia pulled it out.
Inside were documents.
Military reports.
Airport security reports.
Medical records.
But one page made everyone freeze.
A photograph.
A younger Marcus.
Standing beside Rex.
And another man.
The same man from the previous photo.
Marcus stared.
“That’s me.””
Daniel shook his head.
“No.””
Marcus looked at him.
“What?””
Daniel pointed.
“Look closer.””
Nia examined the photograph.
There was something strange.
The man looked like Marcus.
Same face.
Same eyes.
But different scar.
Different posture.
Different expression.
Arthur whispered:
“Two of them.””
Marcus stepped back.
“No.””
Victor spoke quietly.
“Now you understand.””
Nia turned toward him.
“Explain.””
Victor looked at the files.
“Marcus Carter was part of a classified program.””
Marcus stared.
“What program?””
Victor didn’t answer.
Daniel did.
“The program created identities.””
Nia frowned.
“Identities?””
Daniel nodded.
“People who could disappear.””
Arthur looked horrified.
“You mean…”
“Yes.””
Daniel looked at Marcus.
“There was another Marcus Carter.””
The room became cold.
Marcus looked at Rex.
The dog lowered his head.
Like he understood the pain.
Nia flipped through the file.
More photographs.
More reports.
Then she found something.
A page dated years earlier.
Her father’s signature.
Her eyes widened.
“My father approved this.””
Marcus looked at her.
“What?””
Nia shook her head.
“No.””
She kept reading.
“He was investigating it.””
Daniel corrected.
“He was pretending to approve it.””
She looked up.
“What?””
Daniel nodded.
“Your father went undercover.””
Victor interrupted.
“Your father was reckless.””
Nia turned.
“You don’t get to talk about him.””
Victor looked at her.
“He knew too much.””
“And you killed him.””
Victor said nothing.
The silence confirmed it.
Marcus grabbed Victor by the collar.
“You took everything from me.””
Victor did not fight back.
Instead, he whispered:
“You don’t remember everything.””
Marcus froze.
“What?””
Victor looked at him.
“Because your memories were changed.””
Nia stepped closer.
“What are you saying?””
Victor pointed at the files.
“Open the last page.””
Marcus looked at Nia.
She found the final document.
A medical report.
Her eyes moved across the page.
Then stopped.
She felt sick.
“What?””
Marcus asked.
Nia looked at him.
“It says…”
She struggled to speak.
“It says the person who disappeared was not Marcus Carter.””
Everyone stared.
Arthur’s face changed.
“Then who?””
Nia slowly turned the page.
A single line was highlighted.
*SUBJECT IDENTIFICATION: UNKNOWN*
Marcus stepped back.
“No.””
Rex suddenly began whining.
The dog moved toward Marcus.
Not away.
Toward him.
Like he was trying to comfort him.
Then another sound came from the file.
A hidden recording device.
It activated automatically.
A voice played.
A voice everyone recognized.
Marcus.
But older.
Tired.
Broken.
“If you found this file…”
The room went silent.
The recording continued.
“…then I failed.””
Marcus stared at the speaker.
Because the voice sounded exactly like him.
The voice continued:
“Do not trust the man who says he knows you.””
A pause.
Then the final sentence.
“Because I am not the first Marcus Carter.””
May you like
The recording stopped.
And every person in the room slowly turned toward Marcus.
