CHAPTER 6 – THE VAULT OF THE DEAD
CHAPTER 6 – THE VAULT OF THE DEAD
Father Gabriel led us beneath the church into ancient catacombs that predated the city itself.
At the very end of the tunnel stood an enormous steel vault.
"No one has opened it in twenty-five years," the priest said.
"It requires two keys."
Dominic removed a brass key from a chain around his neck.
I slowly placed my mother's key beside his.
The lock clicked.
Heavy gears groaned.
The vault door swung open.
Inside...
There was no gold.
No cash.
No weapons.
Only shelves filled with boxes.
Thousands of patient files.
Hard drives.
Video tapes.
Original laboratory journals.
Enough evidence to destroy Apex forever.
Dominic opened one sealed envelope.
His hands trembled.
Inside was a letter addressed to both of us.
Emily and Dominic,
If this vault has opened, then we are gone.
Forgive us for the lives you were forced to live.
We failed to stop Project Genesis alone, but we believed one day the truth would survive us.
The evidence around you exposes every child stolen, every family destroyed, every politician bought, and every murder committed to protect Apex.
But there is one truth we could never write in any official report.
Emily...
You were never created to become a weapon.
You were created because your biological parents desperately wanted a child, and Apex exploited their grief.
Maria chose you.
She loved you before she ever held you.
Never let anyone convince you that blood matters more than love.
Dominic...
Raise your twins where no one knows the Moretti name.
If Emily chooses to stand beside you, trust her with your life.
She is the bravest person either of us ever knew.
— Elena Moretti & Maria Bennett
Neither of us spoke.
The silence lasted nearly a full minute.
Then...
A slow clap echoed through the vault.
Someone stepped out from behind the shelves.
Perfect suit.
Silver-tipped cane.
Cold smile.
Victor Kane.
"I've been searching for this room for twenty-five years," he said softly.
"And you were kind enough to unlock it for me."
More armed men emerged from the shadows, surrounding the vault.
Victor looked directly at me.
"Emily."
"You've spent your whole life wondering who you are."
He smiled.
"Would you like to meet the man whose DNA made Project Genesis possible?"
He slowly turned toward the darkness behind him.
Footsteps echoed.
An older man stepped into the light.
Dominic staggered backward.
His face went completely white.
"...Father?"
May you like
The old man smiled.
"I've missed you, son."
