Chapter 8: The Room Beneath the House
We returned to the house just after midnight.
Not through the front door.
Daniel used an underground service tunnel behind an abandoned storage building that connected to the woods.
I couldn't believe the tunnel existed.
I couldn't believe anything anymore.
Mom walked beside me in silence.
Every few steps, she glanced back.
Finally, I asked, “Why didn't you tell me about the basement?””
“I thought it was gone.””
“That's not an answer.””
“I didn't know Ethan kept it.””
Daniel walked ahead of us.
“He did.””
Mom looked at him.
“How?””
“We found the plans.””
“You had the plans?””
“Rebecca gave them to me.””
Mom stopped.
“You never told me.””
“Because you weren't ready.””
She shook her head.
“Everybody keeps saying that.””
I turned toward her.
“I'm ready now.””
She looked at me.
“Are you?””
“No.””
I swallowed.
“But I'm tired of being the only person who doesn't know what's happening to me.””
She reached for my hand.
“I know.””
We entered the house through the garage.
It was dark.
Police had already cleared the scene.
Yellow tape stretched across the kitchen.
I stopped at the doorway.
The broken glass had been swept away.
But I could still remember where I had fallen.
My backpack was gone.
Mom noticed me staring.
“Emily.””
“I’m okay.””
I wasn't.
But I didn't want to say it.
Daniel walked toward the basement stairs.
“There.””
I stared.
“Those weren't there.””
Mom shook her head.
“They were.””
A wooden panel beside the pantry had been pulled aside.
Behind it was a narrow staircase descending into darkness.
I looked at Mom.
“You said we didn't have a basement.””
“We didn't.””
“Then what is this?””
She whispered, “I don't know.””
Daniel drew his weapon.
“Stay behind me.””
We descended.
The air became colder with every step.
At the bottom was a steel door.
Daniel tried the handle.
Locked.
Mom stepped closer.
“Ethan had a key.””
I touched the crescent-shaped birthmark on my shoulder.
“What if the officer was telling the truth?””
Daniel looked at me.
“She may have been.””
He examined the lock.
Then he noticed something.
A small crescent indentation.
Exactly the same shape as my birthmark.
My breath caught.
“No.””
Daniel looked at Mom.
“Did you know about this?””
She shook her head.
“No.””
I touched the indentation.
Nothing happened.
Then I pressed harder.
The lock clicked.
The steel door opened.
Nobody moved.
Daniel went in first.
The room beyond was enormous.
Concrete walls.
Old computers.
File cabinets.
Shelves filled with boxes.
And photographs.
Hundreds of them.
My mother.
My father.
Rebecca.
Me.
At different ages.
Three years old.
Six.
Nine.
Twelve.
Fifteen.
Last week.
Yesterday.
My hands began to shake.
“They've been watching me.””
Daniel nodded.
“Yes.””
Mom covered her mouth.
“I thought the surveillance had stopped.””
Daniel walked to a desk.
A computer screen was still on.
One folder filled the monitor.
*PROJECT SEVENTEEN.*
I stepped closer.
“What is that?””
Daniel clicked it.
The folder required a password.
He tried several.
Nothing.
Mom whispered, “Rebecca's birthday.””
He entered it.
Access denied.
“My birthday,” I said.
Daniel tried it.
Denied.
Dad's birthday.
Denied.
My birth date.
The screen unlocked.
I stared.
Inside were dozens of files.
The first one was titled:
*SUBJECT: EMILY COLLINS*
I opened it.
My birth records appeared.
But they weren't normal medical records.
They contained numbers.
Coordinates.
Dates.
Names.
Then a photograph.
Me as a newborn.
A red circle had been drawn around my shoulder.
Underneath it:
*MARKER CONFIRMED.*
I whispered, “What marker?””
Daniel scrolled.
The next document appeared.
*SEVENTEENTH KEY — BIOLOGICAL MEMORY STORAGE.*
Mom stepped backward.
“No.””
I looked at her.
“What does that mean?””
She shook her head.
“I don't know.””
Daniel read the next line.
“Information encoded into DNA.””
I stared at him.
“What?””
“It means they didn't put something inside you.””
“Then what?””
“They used your DNA as a storage mechanism.””
I laughed nervously.
“That isn't possible.””
“Not naturally.””
Daniel looked at the documents.
“But someone tried.””
Mom sat down.
Her face was gray.
“Rebecca discovered it.””
I turned.
“How?””
“Your father was working security for the organization when they began experimenting with genetic encoding.””
Daniel nodded.
“They wanted a backup nobody could steal.””
I touched my shoulder.
“So they used me?””
“Not exactly.””
Mom stood.
“You were born unexpectedly.””
I frowned.
“What does that mean?””
“You weren't supposed to be part of it.””
Daniel looked at the screen.
“That's why your father turned against them.””
Mom's voice broke.
“He realized they weren't using you as a safe.””
She looked at me.
“They were using you as a key.””
A sound came from the hallway.
Footsteps.
Daniel immediately shut the computer.
“Someone's here.””
Mom grabbed my arm.
“Where do we go?””
Daniel looked around.
There was nowhere.
Then I noticed a second door.
It was almost hidden behind a shelf.
“Daniel.””
He followed my gaze.
We moved the shelf.
Behind it was another passage.
We entered.
Daniel closed the door.
The footsteps reached the basement.
A man's voice echoed through the room.
“Emily?””
I froze.
I knew that voice.
Dad.
Mom covered her mouth.
Daniel whispered, “Impossible.””
The basement door opened.
Footsteps moved slowly across the concrete.
Dad called again.
“Emily, sweetheart.””
I could barely breathe.
Daniel raised his gun.
Then Dad spoke again.
“I know you're here.””
He stopped.
“Your mother has lied to you your entire life.””
Mom squeezed my hand.
Dad continued.
“And if you want to know why…”
A pause.
“You need to come out.””
I looked at Daniel.
He shook his head.
Then Dad said something that made me question everything.
“Emily, your mother wasn't the one who put you in witness protection.””
I stared at Mom.
May you like
Dad's voice came through the wall.
“I was.””
