Chapter 12 - the man who chose to remember)
Chaos lasted less than thirty seconds.
Daniel remembered every second.
Torres shouting.
Peter diving toward Adrian.
An officer cutting Daniel’s restraints.
Voss running toward a side corridor.
Gunfire.
Smoke.
A metal door slamming.
By the time police secured the chamber, Voss had vanished into the underground service network.
Again.
Torres was furious.
Daniel was alive.
Peter was alive.
Adrian was barely alive.
That had to be enough for the moment.
Adrian was transported directly to surgery.
The bullet had passed through his upper chest, narrowly missing his heart.
He had lost dangerous amounts of blood.
Doctors gave him a chance.
No promises.
Daniel waited outside surgery with Peter and Claire.
Claire had arrived the moment the facility was declared secure.
When she saw Daniel, she hit him once in the chest.
Then she held him so tightly he could barely breathe.
“You never do that again.”
“I won’t.”
“You are lying.”
“Probably.”
She cried against his shoulder.
Peter looked away.
Daniel reached for him.
For a second Peter hesitated.
Then Daniel pulled his brother into the embrace.
Claire wrapped one arm around Peter too.
It was awkward.
Painful.
Incomplete.
But it was real.
After eighteen years, the Whitmore brothers were standing together without a wall, a camera or a doctor between them.
Adrian came out of surgery before dawn.
Stable.
Still critical.
Daniel sat beside him later that morning.
Adrian opened his eyes.
“You look terrible.”
Daniel laughed despite himself.
“So do you.”
“Fair.”
Daniel became serious.
“How much of our friendship was real?”
Adrian looked at the ceiling.
“That question kept me awake for years.”
“Answer it.”
“I was placed near you.”
Daniel looked down.
“I know.”
“I reported to Voss.”
“For how long?”
“Twelve years.”
Daniel closed his eyes.
Adrian continued.
“At first I didn’t know why. I thought I worked for a private security group protecting the Whitmore family.”
“When did you learn?”
“After Charles died.”
“And you stayed.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Adrian’s voice weakened.
“Because Voss threatened you.”
Daniel laughed bitterly.
“You expect that to help?”
“No.”
“Claire was drugged.”
“I know.”
“You were there.”
“Yes.”
“You let it happen.”
Adrian’s eyes filled with tears.
“Yes.”
Daniel stood.
“I want to forgive you.”
“I know.”
“I don’t.”
“I know.”
Adrian turned his head.
“You shouldn’t yet.”
Daniel stopped.
Adrian continued.
“But when Caleb was born, something changed.”
“What?”
“I realized Voss wasn’t observing anymore.”
Daniel frowned.
“He was preparing.”
“For what?”
“I didn’t know. That’s when I contacted Peter.”
Daniel looked through the glass toward the hallway where Peter waited.
“You knew him before university.”
“Not consciously.”
“The pancakes.”
Adrian smiled faintly.
“I always remembered the kitchen. My mother singing badly. Rain outside. Pancakes burning.”
“And Peter taught you to hold onto it.”
“Yes.”
“You didn’t remember him?”
“Not until three years ago.”
“What triggered it?”
“A photograph.”
“Of?”
“Peter.”
Adrian swallowed.
“When I saw his face, I remembered the red door.”
Daniel sat again.
Adrian continued.
“I found him. Told him what Voss was doing. He nearly killed me.”
“That sounds like Peter.”
Adrian smiled.
“Eventually he believed enough.”
Daniel asked, “Why did you run from the hotel?”
“Because Voss had someone inside the police response.”
Daniel’s face hardened.
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
“You triggered the blackout.”
“Yes.”
“To escape.”
“And to keep Voss from taking Claire.”
Daniel froze.
“What?”
Adrian looked at him.
“The hotel room had been compromised before I arrived.”
“How?”
“One of the officers assigned to the floor carried a Mercer transmitter.”
Daniel felt cold.
“You recognized it.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell Torres?”
“I didn’t know who to trust.”
Daniel understood.
Everyone had reached the same conclusion eventually.
Trust had become dangerous.
Adrian took a painful breath.
“Daniel.”
“What?”
“Voss let the police reach Mercer.”
Daniel frowned.
“No.”
“He could have sealed the facility.”
“Why would he let them in?”
“To make you think the operation failed.”
Daniel’s pulse increased.
“What did he actually want?”
“He wanted to unlock your half.”
Daniel remembered the images.
Names.
Codes.
His father’s warning.
Never give him both halves.
“He succeeded.”
Adrian nodded.
“He knew you would remember once the process started.”
Daniel stared.
“So the raid was part of his plan.”
“Yes.”
“Then Peter.”
Adrian’s eyes sharpened.
“Voss still needs Peter’s half.”
Daniel stood.
Peter was in the hallway.
Daniel ran out.
Peter was gone.
On the chair where he had been sitting lay a folded note.
Daniel opened it.
Danny.
Do not follow me.
I finally remember where my half begins.
If I stay near you, Voss gets everything.
Take Claire and the boys somewhere safe.
For once, let me protect you properly.
Peter.
Daniel crushed the note in his hand.
Claire read it.
“He left?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
Daniel remembered the phrase Ruth had given them.
When the brothers stand where the water lies.
May you like
He looked at Claire.
“I think I know.”
