Chapter 29 - The Blood Record
My grandfather's face remained on every screen.
No one spoke.
Then Dad whispered, “He should be dead.”
My grandfather smiled.
“I have been difficult to kill.”
Diane took a step backward.
He looked at her.
“You failed.”
She shook her head.
“I tried.”
“You betrayed the program.”
“I stopped it.”
“You delayed it.”
My mother stepped forward.
“Samuel.”
His eyes moved to her.
“Elena.”
“You took our children.”
“I preserved them.”
“You destroyed them.”
“I gave them purpose.”
Dad raised his weapon.
“Where are my children?”
Samuel laughed.
“You still think in terms of possession.”
“Where is Noah?”
“With you.”
I looked down.
Noah was beside me, holding my hand.
Samuel continued.
“The boy is not the key.”
I felt cold.
“Then who is?”
He looked at me.
“You.”
The monitors changed.
A document appeared.
A blood record.
Three names.
Camila Michaelson.
Anna Michaelson.
Noah Michaelson.
But beneath each name was another field.
GENETIC SOURCE.
My breath caught.
Camila — Samuel Michaelson.
Anna — Samuel Michaelson.
Noah — Camila Michaelson.
I stared.
“What?”
Dad read the screen.
His face drained.
“That's impossible.”
Samuel smiled.
“Is it?”
Mom shook her head.
“He isn't biologically related to you.”
Dad stared at her.
“What?”
She looked at me.
“Your grandfather isn't your grandfather.”
The room went silent.
I couldn't understand.
Diane stepped forward.
“The record was altered.”
“Why?”
“To hide the donor chain.”
Dad looked at Samuel.
“Who are you?”
Samuel smiled.
“Ask your wife.”
All eyes moved toward Elena.
She looked at me.
“I was pregnant before I met your father.”
Dad froze.
“What?”
“I lost that child.”
Samuel's expression changed.
“You didn't lose him.”
My mother's face went white.
“No.”
Samuel nodded.
“He survived.”
I looked at Dad.
“Who?”
He couldn't speak.
A door opened behind us.
A young man walked into the hallway.
Late twenties.
Same eyes as Dad.
Same jaw.
Same expression.
He looked at me.
Then at Michael.
“Hello, brother.”
Dad staggered.
I whispered:
“Three children.”
Ethan grabbed my hand.
“Camila.”
The young man smiled.
“I am C-13.”
Richard's face changed.
“No.”
The man looked at him.
“You remember me.”
Richard backed away.
“You died.”
“No.”
“You were twelve.”
“I was moved.”
“Where?”
“Everywhere.”
C-13 looked at me.
“You've spent years asking why your mother left.”
He smiled.
“She didn't.”
“She was taken.”
He looked at Dad.
“And you were replaced.”
Dad stared at him.
“By whom?”
C-13 answered:
“Me.”
The room exploded with noise.
Richard reached for his weapon.
C-13 moved faster.
A shot cracked.
Richard fell.
“Richard!”
Dad fired.
C-13 disappeared behind the wall.
Diane screamed.
Leah dragged my mother down.
Ethan grabbed Noah.
“Move!”
Everything happened at once.
Sirens.
Gunfire.
Glass breaking.
Monitors flashing.
I crawled toward Richard.
Blood spread across his shirt.
He looked at me.
“Don't.”
“You're hurt.”
“Listen.”
“I'll get help.”
“No time.”
He grabbed my wrist.
“The blood record.”
“What about it?”
“It's wrong.”
“How?”
“Not all of it.”
He coughed.
“The donor chain…”
I leaned closer.
“What?”
“Your father…”
He looked at Dad.
“He wasn't the father they thought.”
Dad stared.
Richard whispered:
“C-13 was created from Michael's genetic material.”
I looked at the young man disappearing down the corridor.
“He's your brother.”
Dad closed his eyes.
“No.”
Richard nodded.
“But he isn't Samuel's son.”
“Then whose?”
Richard looked at me.
“Yours.”
My blood turned to ice.
“No.”
“Not biologically.”
He struggled.
“C-13 was made from your gene sequence too.”
I stared.
“They used me?”
“Yes.”
“For what?”
“To create someone who could replace you.”
I felt the world tilt.
Leah whispered:
“That's why he can access the network.”
Dad looked at me.
“Camila…”
Richard's grip loosened.
“Don't let him reach Noah.”
His eyes closed.
I shouted his name.
No response.
Then Samuel's voice came over the speakers.
“Come upstairs.”
I looked at the staircase.
He continued.
“Bring Noah.”
Dad stood.
“No.”
I looked at him.
“We have to.”
“Camila.”
“They want me.”
“No.”
“They want the network.”
Leah stepped beside me.
“And I'm the only person who can interrupt it.”
Ethan looked at Leah.
“You'll go with her.”
“Yes.”
Dad shook his head.
“No.”
I took his hand.
“You can't protect me by stopping me anymore.”
He stared at me.
For a long moment, he said nothing.
Then he nodded.
“I'm coming.”
We climbed the stairs.
The old house above us was lit.
Every light on.
Every room open.
At the end of the hall stood Samuel.
Behind him was Daniel.
Alive.
Behind Daniel stood Robert.
Bleeding.
And beside Robert stood a woman.
I recognized her face from the photograph.
My mother.
Another Elena.
My voice disappeared.
There were two of them.
May you like
Samuel smiled.
“Now,” he said, “we can finally tell you which one is your mother.”
