Chapter 23 - Lillian
Claire's knees nearly gave out.
For twenty-five years she had thought she was an only child.
For twenty-five years she had believed the people around her had been hiding a mystery.
Now the mystery was speaking to her through a wall.
“Lillian?”
“Yes.”
Claire stepped toward the intercom.
“Where are you?”
“Below you.”
Noah looked at the floor.
“Second level.”
Claire's eyes moved across the corridor.
“Are you alone?”
A pause.
“No.”
“Who is with you?”
Another pause.
“I don't know.”
Claire's heart raced.
“Tell me what you can see.”
“A room.”
“What kind?”
“White walls.”
“Any doors?”
“One.”
“Windows?”
“No.”
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
“How old are you?”
Silence.
Then Lillian said, “Twenty-five.”
Claire closed her eyes.
Same age.
Same bloodline.
Same mother.
But one sister had grown up with a name.
The other had grown up inside a secret.
Claire whispered, “Do you know Mom?”
“Yes.”
“Have you seen her?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“Today.”
Claire looked at Noah.
He was visibly shaken.
“Is she with you?”
“No.”
“Where is she?”
Lillian's voice lowered.
“She went to stop them.”
“Who?”
“The men who came for me.”
Vale stepped closer.
“Lillian, listen carefully. Are there armed personnel in your sector?”
“Yes.”
“How many?”
“I don't know.”
“Can you hear machinery?”
“Yes.”
Noah's face changed.
“What kind?”
Lillian described a low humming sound.
Noah whispered, “The core.”
Claire turned.
“What core?”
He didn't answer.
She grabbed his sleeve.
“No more secrets.”
Noah sighed.
“The original network had a physical processing core.”
“Like a server?”
“More than that.”
“What?”
“A biological interface.”
Claire stared.
“No.”
“I know.”
“What kind of biological interface?”
Noah looked toward the speaker.
“Lillian.”
Silence.
Then Lillian spoke.
“I can hear you.”
Claire stepped closer.
“Can you see the network?”
“I can feel it.”
Claire shivered.
“Feel it?”
“When I was little, they put wires on my head.”
Her voice became quiet.
“They said I was special.”
Claire's eyes burned.
“What did they do to you?”
“I don't remember everything.”
“Tell me what you do remember.”
“They made me watch numbers.”
“Numbers?”
“People disappearing.”
Claire stopped.
Lillian continued.
“They taught me how to recognize names.”
“Whose names?”
“Everyone.”
Noah looked at Vale.
“This is worse than I thought.”
Lillian's voice suddenly changed.
“Someone is coming.”
Claire raised her weapon.
“Lillian, get away from the door.”
“I can't.”
“Why?”
“Because they need me to open it.”
A metallic sound echoed.
Claire could hear locks disengaging.
“Lillian.”
“I need you to do something.”
“What?”
“Don't open the chamber.”
Claire frowned.
“You just said they need you to open it.”
“I know.”
“Then why?”
“Because they don't know what it really is.”
The door at the end of the corridor opened.
Adrian Cole stepped inside.
Claire raised her weapon.
“Back away.”
Adrian lifted his hands.
“I came alone.”
Noah stepped between them.
“You always say that.”
Adrian looked at him.
“Your sister is alive.”
Noah's expression tightened.
“You knew.”
“Yes.”
“For how long?”
“Twenty-two years.”
Claire turned toward Adrian.
“You saw her?”
“I helped move her.”
“Where?”
“Everywhere.”
Claire stared.
“You've been protecting her.”
“Yes.”
“From the organization?”
“From everyone.”
Claire's weapon remained aimed.
“Then why manipulate me?”
Adrian's eyes hardened.
“Because they were watching.”
“Who?”
“The people controlling the three gates.”
Claire frowned.
“Who controls them?”
Adrian smiled without humor.
“You think there's one organization.”
“No.”
“You think there are factions.”
“Yes.”
“There are families.”
Claire felt the room become colder.
“Families?”
Adrian nodded.
“The network predates your mother. The command structure isn't based on countries anymore.”
“Then what?”
“Bloodlines.”
Noah whispered, “The houses.”
Adrian looked at him.
“You remember.”
Claire turned.
“What houses?”
Adrian answered.
“Three founding families built the original system. Bennett was one. Vale was another. Cole was the third.”
Claire stared.
“So this has always been personal.”
“More than personal.”
Adrian looked toward the floor.
“It was inheritance.”
The lights flickered.
Lillian's voice returned.
“Claire.”
Claire rushed to the intercom.
“I'm here.”
“Adrian is telling the truth.”
Claire turned.
“Where's Mom?”
“I told you.”
“Please.”
“She went to Gate Two.”
Noah's face drained.
“Gate Two is active.”
Claire looked at him.
“What happens when it activates?”
Noah whispered, “It chooses someone.”
“Who?”
Lillian answered through the speaker.
“You.”
The corridor began to shake.
Vale checked his watch.
“We have six minutes.”
Claire looked at him.
“Until what?”
“The system resets.”
“And then?”
“Every classified identity connected to the network becomes public.”
Daniel stared.
“What?”
Vale nodded.
“Military officers. informants. undercover agents. witnesses. protected families.”
Claire realized the scale.
Millions of lives could be affected.
“Can we stop it?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Reach the chamber.”
Adrian stepped back.
“And that's exactly what they want.”
Claire looked at him.
“Then what do they fear?”
Adrian's eyes met hers.
“Your choice.”
A deafening alarm sounded.
Red lights flooded the corridor.
Lillian screamed through the intercom.
“They found me!”
Claire turned toward the sealed door.
“Open it.”
Noah grabbed her arm.
“Claire.”
“I am not leaving her down there.”
The lock began turning.
A voice came from the other side.
“Claire!”
Elizabeth.
Her mother.
Claire's heart shattered.
“Mom?”
“Do not open that door.”
Claire stepped closer.
“Why?”
“Because Lillian isn't alone.”
The door shook violently.
Something hit it from inside.
Again.
Then again.
Elizabeth's voice rose.
“Claire, listen to me!”
“What?”
“There is something else in that room.”
Silence.
Then Lillian spoke.
Her voice was no longer calm.
“Claire.”
“What?”
“I'm not the one you need to save.”
The door exploded inward.
Claire saw Lillian for the first time.
Twenty-five years old.
Dark hair.
Pale face.
And a tiny birthmark near her left ear.
Behind her stood a machine made of steel, cables, and glass.
Inside it was a human silhouette.
May you like
Claire couldn't breathe.
Because the person inside the machine looked exactly like her.
