Chapter 9: The Man Upstairs
The voice came from the corridor above us.
My father's voice.
Not through a phone.
Not from an old recording.
Not from a memory.
It was there.
Alive.
"Claire!"" he shouted.
"Step away from the girl.""
Lily grabbed my arm.
"That's him.""
My mother moved in front of her.
"No.""
Daniel raised his gun toward the staircase.
"Stay behind me.""
I could hear footsteps overhead.
Slow.
Unhurried.
As though whoever was coming down already knew how this would end.
My father spoke again.
"You have five seconds.""
Daniel glanced at me.
"There's another way out.""
My mother shook her head.
"No.""
Daniel looked at her.
"What?""
"If he has brought them here, the lower tunnels are compromised.""
"Then we go up.""
My mother grabbed his sleeve.
"Daniel, listen to me.""
He looked at her.
"Northbridge has been waiting for this night.""
"I know.""
"No, you don't.""
Her eyes moved toward Lily.
"They aren't here for Claire.""
She looked at me.
"They're here for her.""
Lily's fingers tightened around mine.
Footsteps reached the top of the basement stairs.
One man appeared.
Then another.
Both carried guns.
And between them stood my father.
I stopped breathing.
He looked older than the photographs.
His hair was completely gray now.
His face was thinner.
But it was him.
The same eyes.
The same jaw.
The same scar beside his left eyebrow.
The scar I had kissed as a child because I thought it made him look like a pirate.
My knees weakened.
"Dad.""
He looked directly at me.
For a moment, the hard expression disappeared.
Then he said quietly,
"Claire.""
My mother stepped forward.
"Don't look at her.""
My father's gaze shifted to her.
"You always did think you could control everything.""
She raised her chin.
"You don't get to talk to me about control.""
One of the men behind him lifted his gun.
My father held out a hand.
"Not yet.""
Daniel moved between them.
"You brought Northbridge here.""
My father looked at him.
"You've done well.""
Daniel's jaw tightened.
"You used me.""
"I recruited you.""
"You lied to me.""
"I gave you a purpose.""
Daniel laughed bitterly.
"You gave me a wife.""
My father looked at me.
"I gave you the only thing that mattered.""
My stomach turned.
"Don't.""
His eyes softened.
"You don't understand what I did for you.""
"You let me think you were dead.""
"I had to.""
"You let Mom disappear.""
"I protected her.""
"You let Lily vanish.""
His face changed.
"I didn't know they had her.""
My mother laughed bitterly.
"You knew.""
"I suspected.""
"Like always.""
My father ignored her.
He looked at Lily.
"Come here.""
Lily recoiled.
"No.""
"You don't know what they've done to you.""
She stepped closer to my mother.
"You gave me away.""
My father went still.
"I didn't.""
"You let them take me.""
"I was trying to get you back.""
"Then why did you never come?""
He closed his eyes.
"When I came, they had already moved you.""
Lily's voice shook.
"I waited.""
My father opened his eyes.
"I know.""
"No, you don't.""
Tears ran down her face.
"I waited for someone to tell me why my mother disappeared.""
He looked at her.
"You thought I was your mother.""
She nodded.
"Until I found out I wasn't.""
My mother stepped forward.
"I am your mother.""
Lily looked at her.
For a long moment, neither moved.
Then Lily whispered,
"I know.""
My mother's face broke.
She walked toward her.
Lily hesitated.
Then they embraced.
I looked away.
It was too painful to watch.
Two people finding each other after a lifetime stolen from them.
Then I noticed something.
One of the armed men behind my father wasn't looking at Lily.
He was looking at the blue file.
I understood.
The file was the reason they were here.
Not just Lily.
Not just me.
The evidence.
I stepped toward the workbench.
Daniel saw what I was doing.
"Claire, don't.""
I picked up the file.
The armed man lifted his gun.
"Put it down.""
I looked at him.
"Why?""
"Because it doesn't belong to you.""
I almost laughed.
"My mother's records don't belong to me?""
His expression hardened.
"Those records belong to people who have been protecting this country for decades.""
Daniel shook his head.
"Don't listen to him.""
The man looked at Daniel.
"You were useful once.""
Daniel replied,
"I stopped being useful when I married her.""
My father spoke quietly.
"Daniel.""
Daniel turned.
"I gave you one job.""
"You gave me a lie.""
"You were supposed to protect Claire.""
"I did.""
"No.""
My father looked at me.
"You were supposed to protect her from the truth.""
The sentence hit me.
I looked at Daniel.
He didn't deny it.
My voice dropped.
"Is that what you were doing?""
Daniel swallowed.
"At first.""
My mother stared at him.
"And then?""
Daniel looked at me.
"Then I realized the truth was the only thing that could save you.""
My father's expression became cold.
"You chose wrong.""
He raised his hand.
The two men behind him stepped forward.
Daniel fired first.
The basement exploded into sound.
I dropped behind the workbench.
Glass shattered.
Someone screamed.
My mother pulled Lily down.
I grabbed the blue file.
Another shot struck the wall.
Then Daniel shouted,
"Run!""
We moved toward the side corridor.
My father shouted behind us.
"Don't let them reach the tunnel!""
Lily ran beside me.
My mother's hand was locked around hers.
Daniel followed.
We reached the hidden door.
He slammed it open.
"Go!""
I pushed Lily through.
My mother followed.
Then me.
Daniel came last.
A bullet struck the metal frame beside his shoulder.
He staggered.
"Daniel!""
"I'm fine.""
He shoved the door closed.
We ran.
The tunnel seemed twice as long as before.
My mother knew every turn.
"Left," she whispered.
We turned.
"Now right.""
Daniel limped behind us.
I looked back.
Blood darkened his shirt.
"You've been shot.""
"It's a graze.""
"You're bleeding.""
"We don't have time.""
We reached a concrete stairwell.
My mother pushed open a hatch.
We emerged into an abandoned train depot.
Rain poured outside.
A black car waited beside the tracks.
My father stood beneath an umbrella.
He hadn't followed us.
Instead, he was watching.
I stopped.
"Why isn't he chasing us?""
My mother grabbed my arm.
"Because this is where he wants us.""
The car door opened.
A woman stepped out.
Aunt May.
She looked at me.
Then Lily.
Then my mother.
"You finally brought them together.""
My mother's face hardened.
"Why are you here?""
May smiled.
"Because it's time.""
Daniel raised his gun.
"Stay back.""
May ignored him.
She looked at me.
"Claire, your father didn't come here to kill you.""
"Then why?""
"He wants the file.""
I held it tighter.
She smiled.
"Not for himself.""
"For whom?""
"Your grandfather.""
My mother went pale.
"He's dead.""
May's smile disappeared.
"No.""
She looked toward the darkness beyond the tracks.
"He's alive.""
A train horn sounded in the distance.
Then a man's voice came through the rain.
"Bring me my daughters.""
I stared toward the sound.
A shadow emerged beside the tracks.
An elderly man stepped beneath the station lights.
My mother's breath caught.
Lily whispered,
"Who is that?""
My mother answered with a trembling voice.
"Our father.""
The old man looked at me.
Then at Lily.
And smiled.
"You have no idea how valuable you both are.""
I stepped backward.
My mother moved in front of us.
"Don't touch them.""
He laughed softly.
"Still protecting your children.""
Then he looked directly at me.
"Tell me, Claire.""
May you like
His smile widened.
"Which one of you do you think is really your mother's daughter?""
