Chapter 12 - THE ARCHITECT’S ELEVATOR
The elevator recognized Vivian’s ring and descended without buttons.
Thomas explained the facility as they moved underground.
“Node 2 stores the master identities. Birth records, financial histories, facial models, voice patterns and access codes. Adrian wanted to sell new lives to wealthy criminals. Marcus wanted something larger.”
“What?” Nora asked.
“A country where no one could prove who was real.”
The elevator passed level twenty.
Ethan looked at Thomas. “Did Adrian order Claire’s death?”
“No.”
“Who did?”
“I don’t know.”
“You said you knew who gave the order.”
“I know the order came through Marcus’s authorization system. That does not mean Marcus sent it.”
“Convenient.”
Thomas faced him.
“I became Adrian because the real Adrian promised to locate my missing daughter. After the surgery, I learned he had ordered her death months earlier. I helped Claire because she was the only person who treated me as Thomas.”
“What was your daughter’s name?” Nora asked.
“Emily Mercer.”
Nora searched her memory.
She had seen that name in the tunnel.
Emily Mercer had been marked red.
Controlled.
“She might still be alive,” Nora said.
Thomas looked at her sharply.
“You saw her record?”
“There was no death status.”
Hope crossed his face and vanished just as quickly.
The elevator stopped at level twenty-seven.
Its doors opened into a white corridor.
A digital clock displayed 11:46 p.m.
Fourteen minutes until the transmission expired.
The first room contained rows of sleeping pods. Some were empty. Others held people recovering from surgical procedures.
Nora turned away from the glass.
“How many?”
“Hundreds,” Thomas said. “Not all replacements. Some are witnesses being prepared for new identities. Others were taken because their identities were valuable.”
Samuel searched every face.
“Daniel!”
No one answered.
A door opened at the end of the corridor.
A man stepped out wearing a security uniform.
Samuel stopped breathing.
The man was in his early thirties, with tired eyes and a scar along his chin.
“Daniel?”
The guard raised his weapon.
“Stay where you are.”
Samuel walked forward.
“It’s me.”
“Samuel Reed is dead.”
“No. They told you I abandoned you.”
The guard’s hands began to shake.
Thomas moved between them.
“Daniel, look at the drawing in his hand.”
Samuel unfolded the paper.
Daniel stared at the blue line he had drawn as a child.
The weapon lowered by an inch.
“They said you gave me to them.”
“I spent twelve years looking for you.”
“No. You hid.”
“Because they promised to kill you.”
Daniel’s anger broke into grief.
Before he could respond, an alarm sounded.
The false Nora’s voice came through the facility.
“Archive verification begins in five minutes.”
Daniel looked toward the ceiling.
“You have to leave.”
“We’re not leaving without you,” Samuel said.
“You don’t understand. The Architect is already here.”
“Marcus?” Ethan asked.
Daniel shook his head.
“Marcus is a title now. The original Architect disappeared years ago.”
“Then who controls Lantern?”
Daniel looked directly at Ethan.
“Someone who has access to every system you built.”
A steel door opened behind them.
Adrian Crowe entered with several armed guards.
The real Adrian looked older than Thomas, but the resemblance was nearly perfect. He wore no ring.
He smiled at Ethan.
“I have waited twelve years for this reunion.”
Ethan stepped in front of Nora.
“Where is my wife?”
Adrian’s smile widened.
“You still ask the wrong question.”
He looked at Nora.
“You should be asking why Claire chose her over you.”
The guards raised their weapons.
Daniel moved without warning.
He turned and fired at the ceiling lights.
May you like
Darkness filled the corridor.
“Run!” he shouted.
