Chapter 14 - The ChoiceDaniel couldn't speak.
“You and I created the second ledger together,” Chloe said.
“Why?”
“Because we discovered what your father was doing.”
“And we tried to stop him.”
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
“They caught us.”
Chloe looked down.
“Your father gave us a choice.”
“What choice?”
“Forget everything and live.”
Daniel stared.
“Or remember and die.”
“We chose to forget.”
“Yes.”
Daniel touched her face.
“Then why did I start remembering now?”
“Because they activated the implant.”
“The hospital.”
“Yes.”
“The syringe.”
“They were trying to accelerate your memory restoration.”
Daniel looked toward the wedding footage.
“And the second ledger?”
Chloe smiled sadly.
“You created it so the organization could never recover all its secrets.”
“How?”
“You split it.”
“Into what?”
“Three pieces.”
Daniel's eyes widened.
“First ledger.”
“Physical evidence.”
“Second ledger.”
“Your memories.”
“Third?”
Chloe touched his wedding ring.
“Us.”
Daniel looked at the ring.
“Why?”
“Because love was the one variable they couldn't predict.”
A slow clap echoed through the basement.
Evelyn appeared.
Vanessa stood beside her.
Daniel raised his gun.
“Let Chloe go.”
Evelyn smiled.
“She already completed her purpose.”
Daniel looked at Vanessa.
“Why are you helping her?”
Vanessa shook her head.
“I'm not.”
She suddenly shot Evelyn.
Evelyn fell.
Daniel stared.
Vanessa lowered the gun.
“Your father saved me once.”
“Why?”
“Because he knew what I was.”
“What?”
“His daughter.”
Daniel froze.
“You're my sister?”
Vanessa nodded.
“My mother was Charles's first wife.”
Daniel couldn't speak.
Vanessa continued.
“He hid me from you.”
“Why?”
“To protect you.”
“Then why did you betray me?”
“Because I believed protecting you meant controlling you.”
She looked at Chloe.
“I was wrong.”
Evelyn suddenly laughed.
Blood covered her lips.
“You still don't understand.”
Daniel turned.
Evelyn reached into her coat.
She pulled out a remote.
“Your father didn't build the organization.”
Daniel stared.
“Then who did?”
Evelyn smiled.
“Your mother.”
Silence.
Daniel's face went pale.
“No.”
Evelyn pressed the button.
The entire basement screen lit up.
A recording appeared.
Daniel's mother.
Alive.
Young.
Speaking directly to the camera.
“I am sorry, Daniel.”
Daniel stared.
“I created the system.”
His mother continued.
“I believed I could control evil by controlling information.”
Daniel's eyes filled.
“I was wrong.”
The recording changed.
A list appeared.
At the top:
PROJECT MERCER.
Underneath:
SUBJECT: DANIEL MERCER.
Then:
OBJECTIVE: CREATE THE PERFECT INFORMANT.
Daniel whispered:
“My mother created me.”
Chloe took his hand.
“No.”
Daniel looked at her.
“You created yourself.”
The basement doors slammed shut.
A countdown appeared.
05:00
04:59
Daniel looked at Vanessa.
“What is that?”
She whispered:
“The purge.”
“All evidence will be destroyed.”
“And us?”
Vanessa looked at the timer.
“We die with it.”
Daniel looked at Chloe.
Then at the burning files.
Then at the countdown.
He smiled.
“No.”
May you like
He opened the black journal.
“There is another way.”
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