Chapter 26 - The Boat Without a NameAt sunset, Mara, Adrian, Celeste and Daniel arrived at the eastern marina.
Patricia remained behind with Vivian, though Mara suspected Patricia would not obey for long.
A white boat waited at the final dock.
It carried no registration number and no name.
Charles stood at the wheel.
Beside him sat a woman wearing Elise’s face.
Her wrists were bound.
Mara could not determine whether she was Elise or Helena.
“Keys,” Charles ordered.
“Proof she’s alive.”
The prisoner looked at Mara.
“When you were eight, you hid beneath Eleanor’s piano because you broke the blue vase.”
Elise would know that.
But Helena had accessed Elise’s memories.
Mara held up Crown One.
“Release her first.”
Charles laughed.
“You still believe this is a hostage exchange.”
“What is it?”
“A family reunion.”
The cabin door opened.
Victor Holloway emerged, supporting Margaret by the arm.
Margaret was not restrained.
She appeared to be working with him willingly.
Mara stared at her.
“You told me Victor worked for Eleanor’s enemies.”
“He worked for whoever paid enough,” Margaret said.
Victor smiled.
“Your grandmother paid very well.”
Adrian moved closer to Celeste.
Charles pointed a weapon at them.
“All aboard.”
The boat left the marina as darkness settled over the bay.
Halfway to the offshore lights, Daniel noticed a tracking indicator hidden beneath the console. Someone at the resort was monitoring the vessel.
Charles saw him looking.
“That signal isn’t going to the police.”
“Where is it going?”
“To the old hotel.”
The three lights ahead grew brighter.
A structure began emerging from the darkness—a low concrete island crowned by a ruined hotel.
No photographs of it existed on any public record.
As they approached, the sea doors opened automatically.
Inside the flooded docking chamber stood seven empty platforms.
Each bore the symbol of a founding key.
Charles ordered Mara onto the first.
The prisoner was placed on the fifth.
Margaret took the seventh.
When Celeste stepped onto the security platform, the system rejected her.
GENETIC ROLE INVALID.
Celeste stared at Helena.
“You said I was your daughter.”
The woman wearing Elise’s face smiled through split adhesive.
“I said Helena was your mother.”
She pulled away the remaining prosthetic.
The face beneath belonged to neither Elise nor Helena.
Margaret whispered one name:
“Rose.”
May you like
The stranger looked at Mara.
“Your grandmother had more than one sister.”
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