Chapter 35 - The Brother Who Died
Daniel sat down.
He looked like someone had pulled the ground from under him.
“Michael was my brother.”
I waited.
“Older by two years.”
“And he died twelve years ago.”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Car accident.”
“Who identified him?”
Daniel stared at the floor.
“My father.”
I looked at Arthur.
He didn't react.
Daniel noticed.
“You knew?”
“No.”
“You knew more than you told us.”
Arthur said nothing.
Daniel stood.
“We need to go to Baltimore.”
Bennett blocked the doorway.
“No.”
Daniel looked at him.
“My son is there.”
“Our son,” I said.
Daniel looked at me.
For one second, there was something in his face that hurt.
Grief.
Fear.
Maybe shame.
Then it disappeared.
Bennett shook his head.
“Police will handle the warehouse.”
“No.”
“We don't know what's waiting there.”
“My brother is there.”
“A dead man.”
Daniel's voice broke.
“He's not dead.”
Evelyn stepped toward him.
“Michael was working for Blackwell.”
Daniel turned.
“How do you know?”
“I saw his name.”
“Where?”
“In the original files.”
Daniel stared at her.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because your father ordered me not to.”
Daniel laughed once.
It wasn't a happy sound.
“Everyone had instructions.”
I understood exactly what he meant.
All of us had spent years obeying dead men and frightened women.
Bennett finally stepped aside.
“We go with police.”
Thomas shook his head.
“No.”
I looked at him.
“Why?”
“Because Adrian wants you to come.”
“That's the point.”
“No.”
He stepped closer.
“He wants the file.”
“What file?”
“The one that proves Michael isn't dead.”
“What does that prove?”
Thomas looked at Daniel.
“That your family was part of Blackwell before you were born.”
Daniel went still.
“My father?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Your father wasn't a beneficiary.”
Thomas's eyes narrowed.
“He was a custodian.”
Daniel whispered, “Of what?”
“The fourth line.”
We drove to Baltimore under police escort.
I held the baby from the nursery the entire way.
I still didn't know his name.
That seemed wrong.
I asked the officer if they could identify him.
“Not yet.”
I looked down.
He was sleeping.
I touched his tiny cheek.
“You need a name.”
Daniel looked at him.
“Call him Noah.”
I smiled sadly.
“Why Noah?”
“Because somebody should get to start over.”
The warehouse was abandoned from the outside.
Inside, it was clean.
Too clean.
No dust.
No broken windows.
No signs of struggle.
Just one chair in the center.
And Michael.
He stood behind it.
Older than Daniel.
Thinner.
A scar ran down one side of his face.
He looked at me.
Then Daniel.
“Hello, little brother.”
Daniel's face crumpled.
“Michael.”
Michael smiled.
“You really believed I died.”
“You were buried.”
“Yes.”
“I went to the funeral.”
“I know.”
“You let me mourn you.”
Michael looked away.
“I was protecting you.”
Daniel laughed bitterly.
“You're all addicted to that excuse.”
Michael's gaze moved to me.
“You're Claire.”
“Yes.”
“You look like your mother.”
“I've heard that.”
Michael looked at the baby in my arms.
“And that's not your son.”
“No.”
“He's important.”
“Where is my son?”
Michael looked toward the back corridor.
“Safe.”
“Show me.”
“No.”
I stepped forward.
“Then I'm leaving.”
Michael shook his head.
“You won't.”
“Try me.”
He pointed to a monitor.
My son appeared on the screen.
Alive.
Sleeping.
A man sat beside him.
I recognized him.
Adrian.
My breath caught.
Daniel whispered:
“That's him.”
Adrian looked at the camera.
Then at us.
He stood.
He was younger than I expected.
Twenty-seven.
Dark hair.
Pale eyes.
A scar near his jaw.
He didn't look cruel.
He looked tired.
“Claire,” he said.
I approached the monitor.
“You took my son.”
“No.”
“Then why is he with you?”
“Because Eleanor was going to use him.”
“So you took him first.”
“Yes.”
“That's kidnapping.”
“I know.”
“Give him back.”
Adrian looked toward the crib.
“I will.”
“When?”
“After you hear the truth.”
Michael crossed his arms.
Daniel stared at him.
“You've been alive all these years.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you contact me?”
“Because Blackwell was watching you.”
“You could have told me.”
“I tried.”
Daniel frowned.
“When?”
“Three times.”
“I never heard from you.”
“You did.”
Daniel's face changed.
“What?”
Adrian spoke.
“Do you remember the anonymous messages?”
Daniel went still.
“The ones warning you about the hospital?”
“Yes.”
“They were from Michael.”
Daniel looked at his brother.
Michael nodded.
“I was trying to keep you alive.”
Daniel sank into a chair.
I stared at the screen.
“Why my son?”
Adrian's expression changed.
“Because he is the only person in the world who can prove my identity.”
“How?”
“My DNA was used.”
My blood ran cold.
“For what?”
“The first prototype.”
Daniel stood.
“You're the donor.”
Adrian nodded.
“My genetic material was taken when I was seven.”
I looked at Noah.
“And my son's?”
“Combined.”
“Why?”
“To create a biological signature Blackwell couldn't fake.”
I shook my head.
“This is monstrous.”
“Yes.”
Adrian looked at me.
“That's why I need your help.”
“Doing what?”
“Destroying the root registry.”
“What does it contain?”
“Every original DNA authorization.”
“And if we destroy it?”
“Blackwell loses the ability to verify anyone's blood.”
I looked at him.
“And your claim?”
He smiled sadly.
“Mine too.”
That surprised me.
“You'd give up your inheritance?”
“I'd rather be nobody than be owned by a system that made me into a weapon.”
For the first time, I believed him.
Then the warehouse doors slammed shut.
Michael looked toward the entrance.
“What was that?”
Thomas's voice came through an overhead speaker.
“Eleanor.”
Adrian's face changed.
“She found us.”
The lights went out.
A gunshot cracked somewhere in the darkness.
Then another.
Michael grabbed Daniel.
“Down!”
I dropped behind a concrete barrier, holding Noah against my chest.
Somewhere in the darkness, a woman laughed.
Eleanor.
“You thought locking Blackwell would lock me out.”
Her voice echoed through the warehouse.
“It only locked the doors.”
Then the emergency lights came on.
May you like
And Eleanor wasn't alone.
She was standing beside my mother.
