Chapter 18 - THE WOMAN FROM THE CHAMBERAdrian pulled Harper beneath the stretcher as glass scattered across the ambulance.
Nolan fired through the open doors.
The masked figures retreated into the rain.
One remained near the trees.
A cream-colored sleeve appeared beneath the dark coat.
The figure removed the mask.
Evelyn.
Her hair was soaked.
Blood covered one side of her face.
Bennett’s stepmother—the woman presumed trapped inside the flooded chamber—raised both hands.
“Do not shoot.”
Nolan kept his weapon aimed.
“Where is Victor?”
“Alive.”
“Where?”
“Following the man who took Bennett’s place.”
Harper crawled from beneath the stretcher.
“You survived.”
Evelyn looked at her.
“So did Victor. He used the maintenance shaft.”
“You helped replace my father.”
Evelyn’s eyes closed briefly.
“Yes.”
Margaret stepped forward and slapped her.
The sound cut through the rain.
Evelyn accepted it without protest.
“Where is Bennett?” Margaret demanded.
Evelyn looked toward Hale House.
“In the west wing.”
Harper shook her head.
“There is no west wing.”
“Not above ground.”
She explained that the mansion had been built over an older rehabilitation facility owned by Victor’s father.
The sealed lower level had been erased from land surveys.
Laura discovered it while investigating unusual trust payments.
Inside were medical rooms used to train identity substitutes.
Bennett had been moved there after Geneva.
“Why keep him alive?” Harper asked.
“His retinal scans were required for quarterly transfers.”
“And the man who replaced him?”
“His name is Daniel Crest.”
Adrian stared at her.
“Daniel died.”
“No,” Evelyn replied. “You buried the wrong brother.”
Harper looked between them.
Adrian’s face changed.
Victor had told the world that Adrian, Laura’s brother, had died.
Now Evelyn claimed another man had been buried in Adrian’s place.
Daniel Crest had been Laura’s half brother.
A man Harper had never known existed.
Evelyn continued.
“Daniel believed Bennett stole Laura from him.”
Harper recoiled.
“Laura was his sister.”
“Not by blood.”
Adrian stepped toward Evelyn.
“You said Daniel never knew.”
“He learned before the Geneva operation.”
Harper’s phone rang.
The caller ID showed DAD.
She answered.
Daniel’s voice sounded exactly like Bennett.
“Bring the cartridge to Hale House.”
“Let my father go.”
“He is already free.”
A door slammed somewhere behind Daniel.
Then Harper heard Bennett shout.
“Harper, do not come here!”
The call ended with a gunshot.
Evelyn looked toward the mansion.
“He has started the family test.”
“What test?” Harper asked.
“The one Laura built into the house.”
Every light in Hale House turned on at once.
May you like
In nine upstairs windows, candle-shaped lamps began glowing.
The ninth remained dark.
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