Chapter 6
Emily could not move.
Robert Cross stood twenty feet away.
Older.
Thinner.
A scar ran across his temple.
But it was him.
“Dad?”
Her voice sounded like a child’s.
Robert’s face broke.
“Yes.”
Emily took one step.
Then stopped.
“No.”
He froze.
“No?”
“You’re dead.”
“I know what you were told.”
“I watched you die.”
Robert looked at Evelyn.
His wife lowered her eyes.
Emily saw it.
“You knew.”
Evelyn started crying.
“Emily—”
“You knew he was alive.”
“I was trying to protect you.”
Emily backed away from both parents.
“No.”
Her breathing became frantic.
Maria moved closer.
“Emily.”
She raised one hand.
“Please.”
Maria stopped.
Emily stared at Robert.
“Who died in your office?”
Robert answered quietly.
“My brother.”
Emily’s face emptied.
Maria had never heard of a brother.
Evelyn whispered, “Your uncle Nathan.”
“I don’t have an uncle Nathan.”
“Yes, you do.”
“You told me Dad was an only child.”
“That was a lie.”
Emily laughed once.
A broken sound.
“Of course.”
Daniel remained near the wall.
Even he looked stunned.
Robert stepped forward.
Emily immediately backed away.
“Don’t.”
He stopped.
“I deserve that.”
“Why did he look like you?”
“Identical twins.”
Emily stared.
Robert continued.
“Nathan and I had been separated for years.”
“Why?”
“He was involved with people I wanted nothing to do with.”
“Blackridge?”
Robert nodded.
Emily looked toward Dr. Cole.
He still held the gun.
But Robert had his own weapon aimed at him.
The two older men watched each other.
Maria whispered, “Maybe we should deal with the gun first.”
Robert nodded slightly.
“Warren. Put it down.”
Dr. Cole smiled.
“You still think you’re in control.”
“I have enough evidence to destroy all of you.”
“Evidence isn’t useful if you’re dead.”
Robert’s eyes hardened.
“Neither are you.”
Dr. Cole looked at Emily.
“You want answers?”
She stared at him.
“Start with your father.”
“Warren.”
“No, Robert. She deserves this.”
Dr. Cole’s smile widened.
“Ask him why Nathan was in his office that night.”
Emily looked at Robert.
Robert did not answer.
“Dad?”
“It’s complicated.”
“Everything is complicated when people are lying.”
Dr. Cole laughed.
“Exactly.”
Robert’s jaw tightened.
“Nathan came to warn me.”
“About what?”
“Blackridge planned to take control of Cross Medical.”
“How?”
“Debt, blackmail, compromised executives.”
He glanced at Daniel.
Daniel looked away.
Emily followed his gaze.
“You.”
Daniel said, “I didn’t know the full plan.”
Robert exploded.
“You gave them credentials!”
“I needed money!”
“You gave criminals access to a medical network serving thousands of people!”
“I know!”
Robert raised his gun slightly.
Daniel went silent.
Emily stepped between them.
“Enough.”
Robert’s face softened.
“Emily, move.”
“No.”
“That man nearly destroyed you.”
“And you let me believe I killed you for six months.”
Robert flinched.
Emily turned to her mother.
“And you helped him.”
Evelyn cried openly.
“I wanted to tell you.”
“But you didn’t.”
“We had no choice.”
“There is always a choice.”
Robert said, “Not when your life is the price.”
Emily faced him again.
“Explain Nathan.”
Robert exhaled.
“That night, Nathan contacted me after fifteen years.”
“Why?”
“He wanted immunity.”
“From what?”
“Blackridge.”
Dr. Cole interrupted.
“He wanted money.”
Robert ignored him.
“Nathan had been working with them.”
“Doing what?”
“Financial operations. Shell companies. Private facilities.”
“This facility?”
“Yes.”
“He knew they were using Cross Medical?”
“Yes.”
“And he came to you.”
“He brought evidence.”
“The USB drive?”
Robert nodded.
Maria remembered Emily saying Robert had given her one.
“But why did Nathan die?” Emily asked.
Robert’s face darkened.
“He drank from my glass.”
Emily’s eyes widened.
“The whiskey.”
“Yes.”
“It was poisoned?”
“Yes.”
“By who?”
Robert looked at Dr. Cole.
Dr. Cole’s expression did not change.
Emily whispered, “Warren?”
Robert nodded.
Dr. Cole laughed.
“You have no proof.”
“I have enough.”
“You have theories.”
“I have the lab results.”
Dr. Cole’s smile vanished.
Robert continued.
“The poison was designed to trigger cardiac arrest quickly.”
Emily began shaking.
“Nathan said I gave it to him.”
Robert looked confused.
“What?”
“When I found him, he grabbed me and said, ‘You gave it to me.’”
Robert’s expression changed.
“He wasn’t talking to you.”
“Then who?”
“Evelyn.”
Emily looked at her mother.
Evelyn’s face went white.
“No.”
Robert stared at his wife.
Emily whispered, “Mom?”
Evelyn shook her head.
“I didn’t poison him.”
“Why would Nathan say that?”
“I gave Robert the bottle.”
“What bottle?”
“The whiskey.”
Robert turned toward Evelyn.
“You never told me that.”
“I didn’t know it mattered.”
“Where did you get it?”
Evelyn began breathing faster.
“A gift.”
“From whom?”
She closed her eyes.
“Warren.”
Everyone looked at Dr. Cole.
He smiled.
“There it is.”
Evelyn stared at him with horror.
“You gave me poisoned whiskey.”
“I gave Robert poisoned whiskey.”
Robert’s face tightened.
“Nathan drank it instead.”
Dr. Cole shrugged.
“A fortunate mistake for you.”
Emily pressed a hand to her mouth.
“So Uncle Nathan died because someone thought he was Dad.”
“Yes,” Robert said.
“And then what?”
Robert looked ashamed.
“I made a decision.”
“A decision?”
“I realized Blackridge believed I was dead.”
Emily understood.
“You let them believe Nathan was you.”
“Yes.”
“You staged your own death.”
“Yes.”
“And Mom helped.”
“Yes.”
Emily looked at Evelyn.
Her mother sobbed.
“We thought it was the only way to find out who was involved.”
“And me?”
“We wanted you away from it.”
“You let me blame myself.”
Evelyn stepped forward.
“I didn’t know about your memory loss.”
Emily looked stunned.
“What?”
“You told Daniel you had gaps. He told Claire. Nobody told me.”
Daniel said quietly, “I thought it was grief.”
Emily turned on him.
“You thought everything was grief because it was convenient.”
Daniel lowered his eyes.
Dr. Cole suddenly moved.
Maria saw it first.
His gun shifted toward Robert.
“Down!”
She screamed.
A shot exploded.
Emily dropped.
Robert fired back.
Dr. Cole staggered into the wall.
His gun fell.
Daniel rushed forward and kicked it away.
Evelyn screamed.
For one terrible second, Maria thought Emily had been hit.
Then Emily raised her head.
“I’m okay.”
The bullet had struck the wall behind her.
Robert ran to her.
She recoiled.
“I said I’m okay.”
He stopped.
Dr. Cole slid to the floor.
Blood spread across his white coat near his shoulder.
He was alive.
Daniel picked up his gun.
Robert turned.
“Put that down.”
Daniel’s hands shook.
“I’m helping.”
“You’ve helped enough.”
Daniel’s expression darkened.
Maria watched him.
The gun.
His anger.
Robert’s contempt.
A terrible thought entered her mind.
“Daniel.”
He looked at her.
“Put it down.”
For a moment, Maria was not sure he would.
Then footsteps thundered from the far stairwell.
Multiple people.
Robert turned.
“Blackridge.”
“How do you know?” Emily asked.
“Because Warren didn’t come alone.”
Robert grabbed Dr. Cole’s weapon from Daniel and handed Daniel his own smaller pistol.
“Now you can help.”
Daniel stared at it.
Robert looked at Maria.
“Can you shoot?”
“No.”
“Good. Keep it that way if possible.”
He pointed toward a side corridor.
“There’s an emergency exit.”
Evelyn grabbed Emily.
“Go.”
Emily resisted.
“I’m not leaving you.”
Robert shouted, “Emily!”
She turned.
His face changed.
For the first time, he looked like a frightened father.
“Please.”
That stopped her.
Maria took Emily’s hand.
Evelyn followed.
Daniel stayed with Robert.
They ran.
Behind them, gunfire erupted.
Emily screamed her father’s name.
Maria pulled her forward.
“Keep moving!”
The emergency door required a code.
Evelyn punched it in.
Red.
“Wrong code.”
She tried again.
Red.
Footsteps approached from behind.
“Again!” Maria cried.
“I am!”
Emily looked at the keypad.
“Move.”
She entered her childhood birthday.
Green.
The door clicked.
They rushed through.
A concrete stairwell led upward.
Three floors.
Maria’s lungs burned.
They reached an exterior loading dock.
Rain hit their faces.
“Car!” Evelyn shouted.
Daniel’s vehicle was on the other side of the building.
Too far.
Maria spotted an ambulance.
Unlocked.
Keys absent.
“Great.”
Emily looked back toward the door.
“Dad and Daniel.”
“We can’t wait.”
“I’m not leaving them.”
The door burst open.
Maria grabbed a metal bar from beside the dock.
But it was Daniel.
He was supporting Robert.
Robert’s shirt was bloody.
Emily ran.
“Dad!”
“Shoulder,” he grunted. “I’m fine.”
Daniel looked behind them.
“They’re coming.”
Evelyn pointed toward the ambulance.
“No keys.”
Daniel smashed the small lockbox mounted beside the garage door.
Inside were emergency vehicle keys.
Maria stared.
“How did you know?”
“I invest in hospitals.”
“Of course you do.”
They piled into the ambulance.
Daniel drove.
The service gate ahead began closing.
“Faster!” Maria shouted.
Daniel accelerated.
The ambulance clipped the gate as they passed.
Metal screamed along the side.
Then they were on the street.
Emily pressed towels against Robert’s shoulder.
He watched her.
She avoided his eyes.
After several minutes, he whispered, “I’m sorry.”
Emily kept pressure on the wound.
“For which part?”
“All of it.”
“That’s a lot.”
“I know.”
“You watched my funeral?”
Robert closed his eyes.
“Yes.”
Emily stopped breathing.
Evelyn whispered, “Robert.”
Emily stared at him.
“You were there?”
“Across the road.”
“You saw me in that coffin?”
“I thought you were dead.”
His voice broke.
“When Maria broke the lid, I nearly ran toward you.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“Because the men watching the funeral would have seen me.”
Emily pulled away.
“So you chose your secret over me.”
“No.”
“That is exactly what you did.”
“I thought it would keep you alive.”
“I was buried alive!”
Robert had no answer.
Silence filled the ambulance.
Then Maria’s phone rang.
Unknown number.
Everyone stared.
Maria answered on speaker.
“Hello?”
A woman whispered.
“Maria?”
“Claire?”
Daniel almost swerved.
“Claire! Where are you?”
Claire was crying.
“I don’t have long.”
“Where are you?” Maria asked.
“I escaped.”
“From who?”
“My father.”
Daniel looked toward the rearview mirror.
“He’s at Riverside.”
“I know.”
“You knew?”
“He took me there first.”
“Where are you now?”
Claire ignored the question.
“Listen to me. Robert is not telling you everything.”
Emily stared at her father.
Robert’s face went pale.
Claire continued.
“The memory drug wasn’t developed by Blackridge.”
Maria felt the ambulance become silent.
Claire whispered, “It was developed by Cross Medical.”
Emily slowly looked at Robert.
“No.”
Claire began crying harder.
“Your father created the program.”
The call ended.
Emily did not move.
Neither did Robert.
Daniel looked at him in the mirror.
“Is that true?”
Robert stared at his daughter.
May you like
Then he said the one word nobody wanted to hear.
“Yes.”
