CHAPTER 3 — THE LAST RECORDING
CHAPTER 3 — THE LAST RECORDING
"Ethan!"
Victor lunged toward the darkness.
His hands found nothing.
No small body.
No clothing.
No chair.
Nothing.
Only cold air.
"Ethan!"
The boy's scream echoed through the warehouse, then vanished.
Victor spun around.
The man with his face was gone.
Daniel was gone.
Serena was gone.
Even the emergency lights had disappeared.
Victor stood alone.
His breathing became faster.
He forced himself to think.
Don't panic.
Find the exits.
Find Ethan.
Everything else could wait.
Then—
a tiny red light appeared on the floor.
A recording device.
Victor picked it up.
The screen displayed one message:
PLAY ME.
He pressed the button.
Static.
Then Evelyn's voice.
"Victor."
His knees nearly gave out.
He had heard her voice before.
But this recording sounded different.
She was frightened.
Not sad.
Not grieving.
Terrified.
"If you're listening to this, then something went wrong."
Victor stared into the darkness.
"I need you to understand something."
A pause.
"I never intended for you to find this."
Victor swallowed.
"Because if you did..."
Her breathing became audible.
"...it means Ethan is already in danger."
Victor closed his eyes.
"Tell me where he is."
The recording continued.
"I can't tell you."
Victor's jaw tightened.
"Why?"
"Because they may be listening."
A faint sound came from the recording.
A door closing.
Then Evelyn whispered:
"Victor, there are three things you must never believe."
Victor leaned closer.
"First..."
Her voice trembled.
"Your father's death."
Victor's eyes widened.
"Second..."
A pause.
"Your brother's death."
Victor froze.
"And third..."
Her voice almost disappeared.
"Your own memories."
The recording stopped.
Victor stared at the device.
Then it restarted.
"Victor..."
This time Evelyn sounded calmer.
"If you are hearing the complete recording, I have failed."
Victor whispered:
"Evelyn."
"I need you to go to the room beneath the house."
Victor looked toward the warehouse floor.
"The room that doesn't exist."
His heart began pounding.
"There you will find evidence."
"Evidence of what?"
"The night I died."
Victor stopped breathing.
"I know what they told you."
"That my car lost control."
"That the road was wet."
"That no one else was involved."
A pause.
"That was a lie."
Victor's fingers tightened around the recorder.
"I was murdered."
The recording stopped.
Victor stared at the screen.
Then the device beeped.
FILE 2 AVAILABLE.
He pressed play.
Evelyn's voice returned.
"This is the second recording."
"I don't know how much time I have."
"If they discover this room, they will kill me."
Victor looked around.
"Who?"
"I thought it was Serena."
A pause.
"I was wrong."
Victor frowned.
"Then I thought it was Daniel."
Another pause.
"I was wrong again."
Victor whispered:
"Who was it?"
Evelyn continued.
"The person behind everything is someone you have trusted longer than anyone."
Victor's blood ran cold.
"Someone who knew our routines."
"Someone who knew where we slept."
"Someone who knew Ethan's schedule."
"Someone who knew your passwords."
"Someone who knew when you would leave the house."
Victor's mind raced.
His security chief.
His accountant.
His lawyers.
His employees.
His family.
Then Evelyn said:
"Someone who knew exactly how you would react when I died."
Victor stopped.
Because one name immediately came to mind.
His own father.
But he was supposed to be dead.
The recording continued.
"I found evidence that someone has been moving money from your accounts."
"Not millions."
"Small amounts."
"Amounts you wouldn't notice."
"Payments to people who don't exist."
Victor's eyes narrowed.
"Then I found the pattern."
A pause.
"Every payment was made exactly three days before something happened to our family."
Victor felt sick.
"What happened?"
"Your security system failed."
"Your car was tampered with."
"Ethan's school records were accessed."
"Your medical files were copied."
"And then..."
Her voice broke.
"...someone entered our bedroom."
Victor looked at the floor.
The memory returned.
A shadow.
A door opening.
Evelyn waking.
A man's silhouette.
Victor running toward him.
Then darkness.
He had always believed it was a nightmare.
Now he wasn't sure.
The recording continued.
"I saw his face."
Victor whispered:
"Who?"
"I saw him."
"And I knew him."
Victor leaned closer.
"Victor..."
Her voice became almost inaudible.
"It was you."
The recording stopped.
Victor froze.
"No."
The word escaped his lips.
He replayed the recording.
Again.
"It was you."
Again.
"It was you."
Victor dropped the device.
He backed away.
"No."
Someone had manipulated the recording.
It had to be.
Evelyn would never accuse him.
Never.
He had loved her.
He had loved her more than anything.
He had raised Ethan.
He had spent eighteen years mourning her.
Then why—
why had she said it?
A sound came from behind him.
Victor turned.
The man with his face stood in the doorway.
"Now you understand."
Victor raised his gun.
"Who are you?"
The man smiled.
"You already know."
"No."
"You saw the photograph."
"The three boys."
"Yes."
"Which one are you?"
The man stepped forward.
"Number Two."
Victor frowned.
"Number Two?"
"That's what they called us."
"Who is Number One?"
The man smiled.
"You."
Victor's heart stopped.
"And Number Three?"
The man's expression darkened.
"Dead."
Victor shook his head.
"You're lying."
"Maybe."
"Why do you look like me?"
"Because we were made to."
Victor stared.
"Made?"
The man nodded.
"Your father didn't have sons."
Victor's face went pale.
"He had replacements."
A noise came from the corridor.
The man turned.
"We have to go."
Victor didn't move.
"Where?"
"To find Ethan."
"Why should I trust you?"
"You shouldn't."
The man looked at him.
"That's the first intelligent thing you've said tonight."
Victor followed reluctantly.
They entered a narrow hallway.
At the end was a steel elevator.
The man entered a code.
The doors opened.
Victor stepped inside.
"Where are we going?"
"Down."
"How far?"
"Far enough."
The elevator descended.
Thirty seconds.
Then one minute.
Then two.
Victor watched the numbers disappear.
There were no floors.
Only a red line.
Finally—
the elevator stopped.
The doors opened.
Victor stared.
A corridor stretched beneath the earth.
White walls.
Cameras.
Steel doors.
The same place he had seen in his childhood memories.
His breathing changed.
"I've been here."
"Yes."
"When?"
"You were six."
Victor looked at him.
"What happened?"
"You were brought here."
"Why?"
"Because Number Three died."
Victor froze.
"Who killed him?"
The man didn't answer.
Victor grabbed his arm.
"Who?"
The man looked into his eyes.
"You did."
Victor released him.
"No."
"You were six."
"I couldn't kill anyone."
"You didn't mean to."
"What happened?"
The man looked away.
"Your father tested you."
Victor swallowed.
"What test?"
"He wanted to know which child would survive."
Victor stared.
"Survive what?"
The man whispered:
"Fear."
They reached a large metal door.
The man opened it.
Inside was a room filled with old equipment.
Monitors.
Tape recorders.
Medical instruments.
And hundreds of files.
Victor walked toward a shelf.
He saw his name.
VICTOR HALE — SUBJECT 1.
Then another.
DANIEL HALE — SUBJECT 2.
Victor froze.
"Daniel."
The man nodded.
"So you're Daniel."
"Yes."
"Then who was the man in the warehouse?"
Daniel looked at him.
"That wasn't me."
Victor's blood turned cold.
"Then who?"
Daniel pointed toward another file.
SUBJECT 3.
Victor opened it.
The photograph inside showed the same face.
His face.
But the eyes were different.
Cold.
Empty.
Underneath was a handwritten note:
SUBJECT 3 — DECEASED.
Victor stared.
"How did he die?"
Daniel's voice became quiet.
"He was killed."
"By whom?"
"Your father."
"Why?"
"Because he failed."
"Failed what?"
Daniel looked at him.
"To become you."
Victor's stomach tightened.
A telephone rang.
Both men froze.
The phone sat on the desk.
Old.
Black.
Victor answered.
"Hello?"
Silence.
Then a woman's voice.
"Victor?"
He recognized it immediately.
Evelyn.
Again.
"Where are you?"
Victor couldn't speak.
"Evelyn?"
"I'm sorry."
"Where is Ethan?"
"Safe."
"Where?"
"I can't tell you."
"Why?"
"Because someone is listening."
Victor looked at Daniel.
"Who?"
Evelyn whispered:
"Your father."
Victor's face hardened.
"He's alive."
"I know."
"Where?"
A pause.
"He's closer than you think."
Victor looked around the room.
"Evelyn, what did you know?"
"I knew he planned to kill me."
"Why?"
"Because I found the ledger."
"What ledger?"
"The one that proves who controls the trust."
Victor frowned.
"What does that have to do with Ethan?"
"Everything."
"Why?"
"Because Ethan isn't just the beneficiary."
Victor stopped.
"What is he?"
Evelyn's voice became shaky.
"The key."
"To what?"
"The entire empire."
Victor looked at Daniel.
Daniel's expression changed.
Evelyn continued.
"If Ethan reaches eighteen, the trust unlocks."
"Inside it is something your father has spent twenty years trying to recover."
"What?"
"The original ownership records."
Victor's eyes widened.
"Ownership of what?"
"The network."
"What network?"
Evelyn whispered:
"The people who built this family."
The line went dead.
Victor stared at the phone.
Then—
a door opened behind him.
A little boy stood there.
Ethan.
Victor rushed toward him.
"Ethan!"
The boy ran into his arms.
"Daddy!"
Victor hugged him tightly.
"Are you hurt?"
"No."
"Where were you?"
Ethan pointed toward the hallway.
"A lady brought me."
"What lady?"
Ethan whispered:
"Mommy."
Victor froze.
"What?"
Ethan looked up.
"Mommy came to me."
Victor's heart stopped.
"She told me to give you something."
"What?"
Ethan reached into his pocket.
A small object.
A gold key.
Victor stared.
The same key.
But this one was smaller.
Different.
There was a symbol engraved on it.
A rose.
Three circles.
And beneath the symbol—
a number.
17.
Victor looked at Daniel.
"What does this open?"
Daniel's face went pale.
"Nothing."
Victor frowned.
"What?"
Daniel stepped backward.
"That key doesn't open a room."
"Then what?"
Daniel whispered:
"It opens a person."
Victor stared.
"Who?"
Daniel looked at Ethan.
Then at Victor.
"You."
A deafening alarm exploded through the facility.
Red lights flashed.
Doors slammed shut.
Daniel shouted:
"Run!"
Victor grabbed Ethan.
"Where?"
"Anywhere but here!"
The speakers crackled.
A man's voice filled the corridor.
"Subject One has been recovered."
Victor froze.
The voice continued.
"Begin termination protocol."
Daniel grabbed Victor.
"Move!"
They ran.
Behind them, steel doors began opening.
Footsteps echoed.
Men were coming.
Victor held Ethan's hand.
"Who are they?"
Daniel shouted:
"The people your father hired!"
"Why are they after me?"
"Because you remembered!"
"What?"
Daniel looked at him.
"You remembered who killed Evelyn."
Victor stopped.
Daniel turned.
"You did."
Victor's face went white.
"What?"
Daniel continued:
"Not because you wanted her dead."
"You were drugged."
"Your father used you."
"And when you tried to stop him..."
Daniel's voice broke.
"...you killed the man who was actually controlling the operation."
Victor stared.
"Who?"
Daniel looked behind him.
A figure appeared at the end of the corridor.
A man in a dark suit.
Victor's face.
Again.
But older.
Colder.
The man smiled.
"Hello, Victor."
Daniel raised his gun.
"Run!"
Victor grabbed Ethan.
The older man spoke.
"You can't escape yourself."
Victor ran.
The corridor exploded with gunfire.
Daniel fired back.
Victor and Ethan disappeared through a steel door.
It slammed shut.
Silence.
Victor leaned against the wall.
Ethan clung to him.
"Daddy..."
Victor looked down.
"Yes?"
"Is Mommy really dead?"
Victor couldn't answer.
Ethan whispered:
"She told me she isn't."
Victor's heart stopped.
"What did you say?"
Ethan looked toward the darkness.
"Mommy said..."
He swallowed.
"...she was waiting for you to remember."
Victor stared.
Then the small gold key in his hand began to glow beneath the emergency light.
The number 17 was visible.
Victor turned it over.
On the back were four engraved words.
THE LAST RECORDING WAITS.
Victor looked at Daniel.
"Where?"
Daniel slowly shook his head.
"I don't know."
Then a hidden panel opened in the wall.
Inside was a cassette recorder.
Victor picked it up.
There was one final label.
FOR VICTOR — PLAY ONLY AFTER YOU REMEMBER.
Victor pressed play.
Static.
Then Evelyn's voice.
But this time—
she was crying.
"Victor..."
A pause.
"If you're hearing this..."
Her breathing shook.
"...then you finally remembered."
Victor closed his eyes.
"And I'm sorry."
The recording continued.
"The man who killed me wasn't Serena."
"It wasn't Daniel."
"It wasn't your father."
Victor opened his eyes.
Evelyn whispered:
"It was someone you would never suspect."
A pause.
Then the final sentence:
"Victor, the person you must protect is not Ethan."
Victor's blood ran cold.
"It's you."
The recording stopped.
And somewhere beyond the steel wall—
someone began slowly applauding.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
May you like
Then a voice whispered:
"Too late."
