Chapter 39 - The Betrayal
By dawn, my father was a wanted man.
His face appeared on every news channel.
General Marcus Hale accused of orchestrating a classified facility attack.
Federal warrants.
Military alerts.
A photograph of me appeared beneath his.
Person of interest.
Potential accomplice.
My mother sat at the kitchen table staring at the television.
She looked exhausted.
Dad stood behind her.
“They moved faster than I expected.”
I folded my arms.
“They've been planning this for years.”
“Yes.”
“Maybe longer.”
He looked at me.
“You don't trust me.”
“I don't know how to.”
He nodded.
“I earned that.”
Ethan entered the room with Noah.
“He's asleep.”
I rushed toward my son.
He was pale.
Too still.
I touched his forehead.
Warm.
Alive.
But his fingers twitched involuntarily.
C-15.
C-14.
C-00.
Numbers moving beneath his breath.
Elias watched from the doorway.
“We're out of time.”
I turned.
“Then we leave.”
Dad blocked the door.
“No.”
I stared.
“No?”
“We don't go to Adrian.”
“Why?”
“Because I know what he is.”
“You told me he was dangerous.”
“He created this.”
“Then maybe he can destroy it.”
Dad shook his head.
“He'll use you.”
“Everyone has.”
Silence.
Ethan stepped beside me.
“We need a plan.”
Dad looked at him.
“You don't understand the military response.”
Ethan's voice hardened.
“And you don't understand what happens when someone takes her son.”
Dad stared at him.
“You think I don't?”
“I think you've spent twenty years making choices for her.”
Dad flinched.
I looked at him.
“He's right.”
My father looked at me.
“I never meant—”
“You always decide what I can handle.”
“I was trying to protect you.”
“I don't need protection.”
I pointed toward Noah.
“I need truth.”
Mom stood.
“There is one.”
Everyone looked at her.
She reached beneath the table.
Pulled out a second file.
Dad froze.
“Elena.”
“I kept it from Thomas.”
“You kept it from me.”
“Yes.”
She handed it to me.
Inside were bank records.
Property transfers.
Shell companies.
Medical payments.
Millions of dollars.
All connected to Carter.
One name appeared repeatedly.
Richard Hale.
My grandfather.
And another.
Marcus Hale.
My father.
But there was something else.
A series of payments to a company called Vale Biotechnics.
Adrian's company.
I stared at Dad.
“You funded him.”
He looked at the papers.
“Before Carter became Carter.”
“You funded the research.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because Adrian had a way to reverse conditioning.”
“Could it have saved Elias?”
“Yes.”
I looked at my mother.
She nodded.
“That's why your father joined Carter.”
My anger shifted.
“You were trying to save him.”
“Yes.”
“Then why did you let them take him?”
Dad's eyes filled.
“Because they threatened to kill all three of us.”
I swallowed.
“That doesn't explain why you stayed.”
“It does.”
I looked at him.
“For eighteen years?”
He nodded.
“I stayed close enough to monitor Carter.”
“You never stopped them.”
“I tried.”
“You failed.”
“Yes.”
Mom whispered, “We both did.”
I closed the file.
“I'm going to Adrian.”
Dad looked at me.
“So am I.”
“No.”
His face tightened.
“This is my fight.”
“And mine.”
“You're wanted.”
“So are you.”
He almost smiled.
“That's true.”
Elias stepped forward.
“There is another problem.”
“What?”
He held out his hand.
A key.
“This was in Thomas's office.”
I took it.
“What does it open?”
“An underground hospital.”
“Where?”
Elias shook his head.
“Not where you think.”
He looked at Dad.
“Your headquarters.”
Dad's expression changed.
“Fort Liberty?”
Elias nodded.
“There's a sealed medical level beneath it.”
“No.”
“You've been there.”
Dad stared.
“I would know.”
“You don't.”
I looked between them.
“What is Adrian's connection?”
Elias's voice lowered.
“He never left.”
I didn't understand.
“He's been under your father's command building the final version of Carter.”
Dad shook his head.
“No.”
Elias looked at him.
“Then ask yourself why every order you've received for the past ten years was approved by a dead man.”
My blood ran cold.
Dad pulled out his phone.
He opened a classified message history.
Names.
Approvals.
Dates.
Every authorization came from one account.
A.VALE.
Dad whispered, “That's impossible.”
Mom looked at him.
“You finally see it.”
I stared at her.
“You knew.”
“I suspected.”
I laughed.
She closed her eyes.
“I'm sorry.”
“You knew Adrian was in the system.”
“I knew someone was using his credentials.”
“And you didn't tell Dad.”
“I thought it would get you killed.”
Dad turned on her.
“You kept this from me?”
“I kept it from everyone.”
The room erupted.
Dad accused her of betrayal.
Mom accused him of abandoning Elias.
Ethan tried to separate them.
I shouted.
“Stop!”
Everyone went silent.
I looked at my parents.
“You're doing it again.”
Dad stared.
“Doing what?”
“Fighting over the truth instead of telling it.”
I took Noah's rabbit.
“We go to Fort Liberty.”
Leah shook her head.
“That's exactly where Thomas wants you.”
“I know.”
“Then why?”
“Because Adrian is there.”
Elias nodded.
“And because there's one more thing.”
“What?”
“Carter can't see you there.”
“Why?”
He looked at my scar.
“Because Fort Liberty is where your father first taught you to disobey.”
My heart stopped.
“I've never been to Fort Liberty.”
Elias looked at me.
“Yes, you have.”
Then the front door exploded.
Glass shattered.
Gunfire ripped through the house.
Dad tackled me.
Ethan grabbed Noah.
Leah hit the floor.
Mom screamed.
Then a voice came through the smoke.
“General Hale.”
Thomas.
Calm.
Almost amused.
“You've made this much harder than it needed to be.”
Dad rose slowly.
“You're going to answer for all of this.”
Thomas laughed.
“Perhaps.”
A second voice came through.
Adrian.
Weak.
Terrified.
“Marcus.”
Dad froze.
“Don't bring her here.”
I looked toward the ruined doorway.
Thomas smiled.
May you like
“She's already coming.”
Then the entire street lit up with military vehicles.
