Chapter 9 — The Man Who Should Have Been Dead
Marcus couldn't move.
The screen had gone black, but his father's face remained burned into his mind.
Twenty years.
Twenty years of believing he was dead.
Twenty years of visiting a grave.
Twenty years of carrying memories that now felt like carefully constructed lies.
Elena stood behind him, Isabella clinging to her.
Alexander held Marcus's hand.
Then the boy whispered:
“Daddy…”
Marcus looked down.
“Where is he?”
Alexander shook his head.
“I don't know.”
“Who?”
“The old man.”
Marcus crouched.
“What did he do to you?”
Alexander looked toward Isabella.
“He said we had to wait for Mommy.”
Elena hugged Isabella tighter.
“Did he hurt you?”
The little girl shook her head.
“He told us you were coming.”
Marcus looked at Daniel.
“Get them out.”
Daniel nodded.
“What about you?”
“I'll find him.”
Daniel shook his head.
“You don't know what you're walking into.”
Marcus looked at the black screen.
“Yes.”
His voice became cold.
“I know exactly what I'm walking into.”
They moved the children into a secure room.
Daniel checked the building.
“No exits except the main entrance.”
Marcus looked around.
“There has to be another way.”
“There is.”
Grant pointed toward the floor.
“A service tunnel.”
Marcus turned.
“Where?”
Grant indicated a concealed panel beneath the desk.
Daniel opened it.
A staircase descended into darkness.
Elena looked at the children.
“Stay with Daniel.”
Marcus turned to her.
“You're not coming.”
She stared at him.
“You're going down there alone?”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Elena—”
“I've spent five years being told what I can and cannot remember.”
She stepped closer.
“I am done letting other people decide where I go.”
Marcus stared at her.
Then nodded.
“Stay behind me.”
The tunnel was narrow.
Water dripped from the ceiling.
Old electrical cables ran along the walls.
Elena held Marcus's hand.
“Where does it lead?”
Grant answered:
“The original Project V facility.”
Marcus looked back.
“You've been here before.”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“Five years ago.”
“With Elena?”
Grant nodded.
“She was brought here after giving birth.”
Elena stopped.
“I remember this place.”
Marcus turned.
“What?”
She touched the wall.
“There was a door.”
They continued.
A metal door appeared ahead.
Elena stopped again.
“This one.”
Marcus looked at it.
A number was painted above it.
03.
Elena began breathing faster.
“I was here.”
Marcus squeezed her hand.
“It's okay.”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“I remember what happened.”
“What?”
“They took Isabella.”
Marcus froze.
“They took her from me.”
Elena closed her eyes.
“I was holding both babies.”
She began crying.
“Victoria came in.”
“What did she say?”
“She said the boy was dangerous.”
Marcus's jaw tightened.
“And the girl?”
“She said Isabella was the valuable one.”
Grant looked away.
Marcus noticed.
“You knew.”
Grant didn't answer.
Marcus grabbed him.
“You knew.”
“I was there.”
“You watched them take my daughter.”
“I tried to stop them.”
“You failed.”
“Yes.”
Marcus released him.
Elena whispered:
“Who took her?”
Grant looked at her.
“Your mother-in-law.”
“Victoria?”
“No.”
Grant shook his head.
“Your mother.”
Elena froze.
“My mother?”
“Yes.”
The tunnel opened into a massive underground chamber.
Rows of old medical equipment filled the room.
At the center stood a glass enclosure.
Inside were two empty cribs.
Marcus stared.
Elena walked toward them.
Her hand touched the glass.
“They kept them here.”
Grant nodded.
“For how long?”
“Three days.”
Elena looked at him.
“What happened after?”
“The boy was transferred to Hayes.”
“And Isabella?”
Grant hesitated.
“She was transferred to another facility.”
“Where?”
“I don't know.”
Marcus turned.
“Then why did Victoria say your father took her?”
Grant's face changed.
“Because Victoria wanted you to believe that.”
“Why?”
“To hide the real person who ordered the transfer.”
“Who?”
Grant looked at Elena.
“Your mother.”
Elena stepped backward.
“No.”
Grant nodded.
“She was alive five years ago.”
Marcus stared.
“My mother died twenty years ago.”
“Yes.”
“But I saw her.”
“You saw someone wearing her identity.”
Marcus's expression hardened.
“What are you saying?”
Grant whispered:
“Your mother really died twenty years ago.”
Elena frowned.
“Then who was the woman?”
Grant looked at Marcus.
“Her twin.”
Marcus stared at him.
“My mother had no twin.”
“She did.”
“What was her name?”
Grant hesitated.
“Clara.”
Marcus shook his head.
“Impossible.”
“Your father erased her from the records.”
“Why?”
“Because she was the original architect of Project V.”
Silence.
Elena's face went pale.
“And Victoria?”
Grant answered:
“Victoria worked for Clara.”
Marcus looked around the laboratory.
Everything suddenly made sense.
The experiments.
The children.
The drugs.
The obsession with memory.
The family records.
His father's role.
Victoria's role.
But one question remained.
“Where is Clara now?”
Grant didn't answer.
A voice came through the speakers.
“You're standing inside her laboratory.”
Marcus looked up.
The lights came on.
A woman appeared on the monitors.
Older.
Silver hair.
Sharp eyes.
Elegant black suit.
Elena whispered:
“That's her.”
Marcus stared.
The woman smiled.
“Hello, Marcus.”
“Clara.”
The woman smiled.
“So you've heard my name.”
“You're supposed to be dead.”
“So is your father.”
Marcus clenched his fists.
“Where is he?”
“Nearby.”
“Bring him out.”
“Not yet.”
“Where are my children?”
“You have them.”
Marcus frowned.
“What?”
Clara smiled.
“You have the boy.”
“And the girl?”
Clara's expression changed.
“The girl belongs to me.”
Elena stepped forward.
“She is my daughter.”
Clara laughed.
“You gave birth to her.”
“That doesn't make her yours.”
“No.”
Clara's voice became colder.
“What makes her mine is what she carries.”
Marcus stared.
“Genetics.”
“Memory.”
Elena touched her stomach.
“What do you want from my unborn child?”
Clara smiled.
“The same thing your father wanted.”
Marcus stepped closer to the monitor.
“And what was that?”
“Proof.”
“Proof of what?”
“That memory can survive death.”
Elena frowned.
Clara continued:
“Your family has spent generations trying to understand whether memories are stored only in the brain.”
Marcus shook his head.
“This is insane.”
“Perhaps.”
Clara looked at him.
“But your children are living proof.”
She switched the screen.
A scan of Alexander appeared.
Then Isabella.
Then Elena.
Three patterns appeared.
Clara explained:
“Your son retains inherited emotional responses.”
She showed another scan.
“Your daughter retains visual memory associations.”
Then Elena's scan.
“And your unborn child…”
The screen zoomed in.
Clara smiled.
“…appears to be developing both.”
Marcus felt sick.
“You've been monitoring my wife's pregnancy.”
“For months.”
“Through Victoria.”
“Yes.”
“You poisoned her.”
Clara shook her head.
“No.”
“Then who?”
Clara smiled.
“Your father.”
The chamber door opened.
A man entered.
Marcus turned.
His blood ran cold.
The man from the screen stood in front of him.
Older than the photographs.
But unmistakably his father.
Anthony Moretti.
Alive.
Marcus stared.
Anthony looked at his son.
Neither spoke.
Then Anthony smiled.
“You look just like me.”
Marcus's fist tightened.
“You let me bury you.”
“I had to disappear.”
“You let me believe my mother was dead.”
“She was.”
“Then who was Clara?”
Anthony glanced at the woman on the monitor.
“My wife's sister.”
Marcus shook his head.
“You lied about everything.”
Anthony sighed.
“Not everything.”
“You stole my children.”
“No.”
Anthony's eyes moved toward Elena.
“Your wife did.”
Elena froze.
“What?”
Anthony smiled.
“Ask her.”
Marcus turned toward Elena.
“What does he mean?”
Elena shook her head.
“I don't know.”
Anthony laughed softly.
“You don't remember.”
Elena's breathing became shallow.
Anthony stepped closer.
“You signed the transfer papers.”
“I was threatened.”
“Yes.”
“But you still signed.”
“I had no choice.”
“You always have a choice.”
Elena stared at him.
“Why are you doing this?”
Anthony's expression became almost gentle.
“Because your second child may be the key to restoring what was lost.”
Marcus stepped forward.
“Stay away from her.”
Anthony looked at him.
“Do you know why your brother Daniel was erased?”
Marcus froze.
“Because he remembered.”
“Remembered what?”
“Everything.”
Anthony looked toward the monitor.
“The first experiment.”
Daniel suddenly entered the chamber.
He had followed them.
“Don't listen to him.”
Anthony turned.
“Hello, Daniel.”
Daniel stopped.
His face became pale.
“You remember me.”
Anthony smiled.
“I remember all my children.”
Marcus looked at Daniel.
“You knew him.”
Daniel nodded.
“I was raised here.”
Marcus stared.
“What?”
Daniel's voice trembled.
“I wasn't your brother in the way you think.”
Marcus frowned.
“Explain.”
“I was the first successful subject.”
Anthony's smile widened.
“Daniel was born with an unusual ability.”
“What ability?”
“Perfect recall.”
Marcus stared.
Daniel continued:
“He remembered everything.”
Anthony nodded.
“Every word.”
“Every face.”
“Every experiment.”
“Every death.”
Marcus looked at his father.
“And you tried to erase his memory.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because he remembered too much.”
Daniel's voice became bitter.
“I escaped.”
Anthony looked at him.
“You were released.”
“No.”
Daniel shook his head.
“I escaped.”
Suddenly every door in the facility locked.
Alarms began screaming.
Red lights flashed.
Clara appeared on the monitors again.
“You've all been very difficult.”
Marcus drew his weapon.
Anthony laughed.
“You still think a gun can solve this.”
Marcus pointed it at him.
“Where is my son?”
Anthony looked toward the secure room.
“Safe.”
“My daughter?”
“Safe.”
“My wife?”
Anthony smiled.
“Not for long.”
Elena gasped.
A sharp pain struck her abdomen.
She collapsed.
“Marcus!”
He caught her.
“What's wrong?”
“My stomach.”
Grant rushed toward her.
Daniel looked at the monitor.
“She's having contractions.”
“She isn't due for weeks,” Marcus said.
Grant checked her pulse.
“Something is triggering the response.”
Elena cried out.
Another contraction.
Marcus looked at Anthony.
“What did you do?”
“Nothing.”
Anthony's eyes remained fixed on Elena.
“The baby is reacting.”
“To what?”
“Memory.”
Elena suddenly screamed.
Her eyes went blank.
Then she whispered:
“I know you.”
Marcus looked at her.
“Who?”
She pointed at Anthony.
“You were there.”
Anthony's expression changed.
“When?”
Elena shook.
“Twenty years ago.”
Marcus stared.
“What do you remember?”
Elena looked terrified.
“You weren't supposed to be my husband.”
Marcus froze.
Anthony's eyes narrowed.
“What did you say?”
Elena grabbed Marcus's arm.
“You were supposed to marry someone else.”
Marcus stared at her.
“Who?”
Elena's eyes filled with tears.
“Me.”
Silence.
Marcus didn't understand.
“You were supposed to marry me?”
“No.”
Elena shook her head.
“You were supposed to marry Clara.”
Marcus looked at the monitor.
Clara smiled.
Elena continued:
“And I was brought into the family because…”
She suddenly gasped.
A memory struck.
“…because I was already pregnant.”
Marcus stared.
“With whose child?”
Elena looked at Anthony.
Then whispered:
“Daniel.”
Marcus's world stopped.
Anthony's expression became unreadable.
Daniel stepped backward.
“What?”
Elena looked at him.
“You weren't Marcus's brother.”
Daniel stared.
“You were mine.”
The room fell silent.
Marcus couldn't breathe.
Daniel looked at Anthony.
“Is that true?”
Anthony said nothing.
Elena began crying.
“I remember.”
She pressed both hands against her head.
“I remember everything.”
Then she looked at Marcus.
“You're not the father of my first child.”
Marcus's face went pale.
“But you are the father of Alexander.”
Elena looked at Daniel.
“And Daniel…”
She whispered:
“…is the father of Isabella.”
Marcus stared at the two children through the security monitor.
Everything shattered.
His marriage.
His family.
His memories.
His understanding of the past.
Then Clara smiled.
“Now you finally understand.”
Marcus turned toward her.
“Understand what?”
Clara's voice became cold.
“Why we needed Elena's memories.”
Elena suddenly screamed.
The monitor showed her brain scan changing.
Grant looked horrified.
“No.”
Marcus turned.
“What?”
Grant stared at the screen.
“The compound is activating.”
“What does that mean?”
Grant's face went white.
“It means she's remembering everything at once.”
Elena collapsed.
Marcus caught her.
“Stay with me.”
Her eyes opened.
She looked directly at him.
But there was something different in them.
Something terrifying.
She whispered:
“Marcus…”
“Yes?”
“Run.”
He froze.
“Why?”
Elena looked toward the ceiling.
“They found us.”
A massive explosion shook the facility.
The lights went out.
Gunfire erupted somewhere above.
Daniel grabbed the children.
Marcus lifted Elena into his arms.
“What happened?”
Daniel shouted:
“Someone attacked the facility!”
“Who?”
Daniel looked toward the entrance.
Armed men poured into the corridor.
Then one man stepped through them.
Marcus recognized him.
The same man from the photograph.
The mysterious stranger who had been watching them.
He removed his mask.
Marcus stared.
It was Dr. Hayes.
Alive.
But she wasn't alone.
Behind her stood Victoria.
And Victoria was holding a gun.
She looked at Marcus.
Then at Elena.
Then at the two children.
Her expression was almost sorrowful.
“I'm sorry.”
Marcus raised his weapon.
“Don't.”
Victoria's eyes filled with tears.
“You still don't understand.”
She looked at Elena.
“They're not here for the children.”
Marcus frowned.
“Then who?”
Victoria whispered:
“They're here for Elena.”
A gunshot rang out.
Elena screamed.
May you like
Marcus spun.
And the world disappeared into darkness.
