Chapter 7: The Child in the Photograph
"Ask him what he did the night you were born.""
Mom's words seemed to drain every bit of air from the room.
I stared at Ryan.
He didn't deny it.
That frightened me more than anything Ethan had ever done.
"What did you do?""
Ryan looked at the floor.
"I made a decision.""
"What decision?""
Ethan leaned against the doorway, almost casually.
"Tell her, Ryan.""
Ryan's jaw tightened.
"You're enjoying this.""
"I've waited thirteen years.""
Mom stepped between us.
"Emily, don't listen to Ethan.""
I looked at her.
"Then tell me.""
She opened her mouth.
Nothing came out.
I turned back to Ryan.
"You said you'd protect me.""
"I did.""
"From what?""
"From the truth.""
"That's not an answer.""
Ryan slowly removed his coat.
There was blood on the sleeve.
Not his.
He sat down.
"Your mother wasn't pregnant when she entered witness protection.""
I frowned.
"What?""
Mom closed her eyes.
"I became pregnant later.""
Ryan continued.
"With a child that could never officially exist.""
I looked at Mom.
"Me.""
She nodded.
"Who was my father?""
Ryan didn't answer.
Ethan did.
"Me.""
Mom spun around.
"Don't.""
Ethan smiled.
"You deserve to know, Sarah.""
He looked at me.
"Your mother and I were together before Daniel died.""
I shook my head.
"No.""
"Yes.""
"You said you barely knew him.""
Mom whispered, "I lied.""
I backed toward the wall.
Ethan's smile faded.
"Your mother believed I was working undercover.""
"Was he?""
Ryan answered.
"No.""
Ethan looked at him.
"You were always jealous.""
Ryan stood.
"You were never in love with her.""
"Neither were you.""
The room went silent.
I looked at Ryan.
"Then who was?""
Ryan stared at Mom.
She couldn't meet his eyes.
I felt something inside me crack.
"You.""
He nodded.
"Yes.""
My voice came out smaller.
"You were my father.""
Ryan swallowed.
"Biologically, yes.""
Ethan laughed.
"Now we're getting somewhere.""
Mom rushed toward me.
"Emily, listen to me. I didn't know.""
"How could you not know?""
"I knew Ryan was the father.""
"Then why did you let me think Daniel was?""
"Because Daniel was the only identity the network couldn't trace back to you.""
Ryan stepped closer.
"The original birth records were forged.""
I looked at the folder.
"By Ethan?""
"No.""
Ryan looked at Mom.
"By me.""
The room went silent.
I stared at him.
"You changed my birth certificate?""
"Yes.""
"Why?""
"Because when I learned what Ethan had planned, I knew you were in danger.""
"What had he planned?""
Ethan answered.
"She knows.""
I turned toward him.
"Stop saying that.""
He smiled.
"Your mother doesn't want you to know what makes you valuable.""
I looked at Mom.
"What makes me valuable?""
She was crying now.
"Your blood.""
I almost laughed.
"My blood?""
Ryan shook his head.
"Not literally.""
He walked to the table and opened the old phone.
"Daniel discovered that the Black Ledger wasn't just a database.""
He tapped the screen.
A hidden file appeared.
"The system was designed around a biometric encryption protocol.""
"What does that mean?""
"Daniel created it so no one person could unlock the entire archive.""
I looked at the phone.
"Then how does anyone unlock it?""
Ryan looked at me.
"Three people.""
I waited.
"Daniel.""
"He's dead.""
"Sarah.""
"She's alive.""
"And?""
Ryan didn't answer.
I whispered,
"Me.""
He nodded.
"Daniel didn't leave you a password.""
"He made me the password.""
"Exactly.""
Ethan stepped forward.
"Now you understand why I kept you alive.""
My stomach turned.
Mom moved toward him.
"You didn't keep her alive.""
"You think I'd let anyone hurt my investment?""
Ryan lunged.
Ethan raised his gun.
"Stay back.""
Ryan stopped.
Ethan looked at me.
"You've spent your entire life thinking your mother was protecting you.""
He smiled.
"She was protecting the world from you.""
Mom screamed.
"That's enough!""
Ethan grabbed her arm.
"Tell her.""
She looked at me.
"I didn't know what Daniel had done to you.""
"What did he do?""
"He implanted the final biometric key before you were born.""
I stared.
"What?""
"Not physically," Ryan said quickly.
"He encoded it into your identity profile.""
"Why?""
"Because he knew they'd come for him.""
Ethan's expression hardened.
"And they did.""
Mom suddenly looked toward the hallway.
"Where's Cole?""
Ryan's face changed.
"Ethan took him.""
Ethan shrugged.
"He's alive.""
"For now," Mom said.
Ethan looked at his watch.
"We're leaving.""
"Where?""
He pointed at me.
"She comes with me.""
"No.""
Mom stepped forward.
Ethan pressed his gun against her chest.
"Then I shoot her.""
I looked at Mom.
Her lips formed two words.
*Don't come.*
Ethan dragged her toward the door.
Ryan moved.
A shot exploded.
The bullet struck the ceiling.
Everyone froze.
Ethan smiled.
"One minute.""
Then he disappeared with Mom.
I looked at Ryan.
"What do we do?""
He stared at the door.
"We follow them.""
"Where?""
He picked up the phone.
"The place where Daniel died.""
The screen suddenly displayed coordinates.
Then a message appeared.
*COME ALONE, RYAN.*
Ryan stared at it.
I read the next line.
*BRING THE GIRL WHO WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO EXIST.*
Ryan closed the phone.
"It's a trap.""
I stood.
"Then let's spring it.""
He looked at me.
"You don't understand.""
"Neither do you.""
I grabbed the phone.
"For thirteen years, everyone has been deciding what I should know.""
I met his eyes.
"Now I decide.""
For the first time, Ryan looked proud.
Then another message appeared.
This one contained a photograph.
Mom was sitting in a chair.
Her wrists were tied.
Behind her stood Ethan.
And on the wall behind them was a clock.
Ryan zoomed in.
His face went pale.
"What?""
He whispered,
"That isn't where Daniel died.""
I stared at the photograph.
"Then where is it?""
May you like
Ryan answered,
"The house where you were born.""
