Chapter 24 - The Brother Who Never Died
Dad stepped forward.
“No.”
The speaker crackled.
A man's laugh echoed through the room.
“You always were slow, Michael.”
My father stared at the ceiling.
“Daniel.”
I looked at him.
“Who is Daniel?”
He didn't answer.
“Dad.”
“My brother.”
The name meant nothing to me.
“I thought you said he died.”
“I did.”
Another laugh.
“That was the point.”
The lights brightened.
A door at the far end opened.
A man walked into view.
Late fifties.
Gray hair.
Perfect suit.
Calm expression.
He looked at Dad.
Then at me.
“Camila.”
I stepped backward.
“You're Daniel.”
He smiled.
“Your uncle.”
Dad raised his weapon.
Daniel stopped.
“Put it down.”
“No.”
“You always were stubborn.”
“And you always were a coward.”
Daniel's smile disappeared.
“You burned my work.”
“You kidnapped my daughter.”
“You abandoned your family for your career.”
“I left because I believed your lies.”
Daniel looked at me.
“Tell her.”
Dad didn't move.
Daniel continued.
“Tell her why you became a general.”
My father's jaw tightened.
“I joined the military because you were already corrupting everything around us.”
“No.”
Daniel looked at me.
“He joined because Carter was recruiting him.”
I stared at Dad.
“Is that true?”
Dad shook his head.
“I knew Carter existed.”
“You worked for them?”
“No.”
Daniel laughed.
“Not directly.”
Dad stepped forward.
“I was investigating them.”
“You were benefiting from them.”
Dad's expression changed.
“Daniel.”
“You think your promotions were accidental?”
I felt sick.
“What does that mean?”
Dad looked at me.
“There were people inside the military who wanted Carter exposed.”
“And you?”
“I helped.”
Daniel shook his head.
“You helped yourself.”
I looked toward my mother.
“She knew?”
Elena nodded.
“He was trying to destroy Carter.”
“Then why did you disappear?”
Daniel answered for her.
“Because I framed her.”
Dad lunged forward.
Richard stopped him.
Daniel didn't react.
“She found out what I was doing.”
“What were you doing?”
“Building the final system.”
Richard stared.
“C-14.”
Daniel nodded.
“Leah.”
Leah stepped out of the shadows.
Daniel looked at her with something almost like pride.
“I needed someone who could influence human behavior without physical coercion.”
Leah's expression was empty.
“And you created me.”
“I perfected you.”
My mother whispered, “You used my daughter.”
Daniel looked at her.
“You gave me the genetic material.”
Elena shook her head.
“I thought you were saving her.”
“I was.”
“You made her believe she had no choice.”
Daniel shrugged.
“Choice is overrated.”
I held Noah tighter.
“What do you want?”
Daniel looked at him.
“The blood.”
“No.”
“That wasn't a request.”
Dad moved in front of us.
“You'll have to go through me.”
Daniel smiled.
“I already did.”
He pressed something on his phone.
Dad stumbled.
His face went pale.
Then he collapsed.
“Dad!”
I dropped beside him.
Richard knelt and checked his pulse.
“He's breathing.”
Daniel said, “The implant hasn't been activated yet.”
I stared.
“Implant?”
Dad gripped my wrist.
His eyes were wide.
“Camila…”
“What?”
He struggled for breath.
“Your scar.”
I touched my shoulder.
“There is something inside you.”
My stomach dropped.
Daniel smiled.
“You finally understand.”
I stood.
“You put something inside me.”
“No.”
He shook his head.
“Your mother did.”
I turned.
Mom was crying.
“I'm sorry.”
My voice broke.
“You did this?”
She nodded.
“To keep you alive.”
“You lied.”
“Yes.”
“You all lied.”
“Yes.”
Daniel watched us.
“You want to know the truth?”
“No.”
“You need to.”
He pointed toward Noah.
“Your son isn't valuable because of his blood.”
I stared.
“He's valuable because of who his mother became.”
“What does that mean?”
“You are the anchor.”
Richard whispered, “We've been wrong.”
Daniel nodded.
“C-14 was never Leah.”
Leah looked at him.
“You said—”
“I lied.”
He turned to me.
“C-14 was the designation for the first anchor.”
My mother's face went blank.
“Camila.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
Daniel smiled.
“You were always C-14.”
Leah stared at me.
Then at Daniel.
“That wasn't our agreement.”
Daniel ignored her.
I felt my knees weaken.
“You made me.”
“No.”
He stepped closer.
“Your mother made you.”
Elena cried.
“I saved you.”
Daniel said, “You created the condition.”
My mind filled with fragments.
The white room.
The little girl.
The needle.
Diane whispering.
The scar.
Then Noah's birth.
The first time I'd held him.
The first time I'd felt fear.
The first time I'd loved so hard it hurt.
Daniel smiled.
“Attachment was supposed to be your weakness.”
He looked at Leah.
“You were supposed to control it.”
Then back at me.
“But you learned to survive it.”
I looked at Leah.
She wasn't smiling anymore.
“What happens now?”
Daniel's expression became almost gentle.
“Now we see whether you can control the one thing no scientist has ever been able to control.”
“What?”
“Another human being.”
The lights went out.
May you like
When they came back on, Leah was gone.
And Dad's body was missing.
