Chapter 14: The Last Mission
For a long time, nobody spoke.
The screen showed one name.
General Thomas Vale.
But Vale was dead.
Or he should have been.
My mind went back through everything.
The underground facility.
His confession.
The way he talked about Black Falcon.
The way he knew things only someone close to the mission could know.
I had trusted him.
Just like everyone else.
Harris looked at me.
“Now you understand.””
I turned.
“You knew?””
He nodded.
“I suspected.””
I laughed.
“You suspected everyone except the man above you?””
Harris looked away.
“Vale was my commander too.””
That stopped me.
Because I realized something.
Everyone had been a soldier.
Everyone had followed someone.
Everyone had believed someone else was in control.
Emily stepped closer.
“Daniel, there’s something else.””
I looked at her.
“What?””
She held the file.
“The person you saw in the facility wasn’t General Vale.””
My heart stopped.
“What?””
“He was using Vale’s identity.””
Harris nodded.
“We confirmed years ago that Vale died before Black Falcon.””
I stared.
“Then who was he?””
Emily looked at the screen.
“The same person who created the false authorization.””
The answer came before she said it.
“No.””
Emily nodded.
“Yes.””
I felt sick.
“Someone used my identity.””
“Yes.””
“Someone copied my voice.””
“Yes.””
“Someone knew my plans.””
“Yes.””
I whispered:
“Someone was me.””
Emily looked at me sadly.
“Not you.””
She opened another file.
“Your twin.””
Silence.
The word meant nothing.
Then everything.
I stared.
“My what?””
Harris stepped forward.
“You were adopted.””
The room disappeared for a second.
“No.””
“It was classified.””
“Why?””
“Because your biological family was connected to military intelligence.””
I shook my head.
“This is impossible.””
Emily showed me a photograph.
Two children.
Same face.
Same eyes.
One was me.
The other…
My brother.
“We thought he died.””
I looked at the picture.
“What was his name?””
Emily hesitated.
Then said:
“David Carter.””
The name felt strangely familiar.
A memory flashed.
A boy’s voice.
A promise.
Don’t leave me.
I grabbed my head.
Pain exploded behind my eyes.
Raven immediately came to me.
I fell against the wall.
Images returned.
Not from the explosion.
From childhood.
A brother.
A separation.
A secret.
Then Black Falcon.
David had found me.
He had watched me build the system.
And he had used it.
Not to expose corruption.
To control it.
“He was the one behind everything.””
Emily nodded.
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Harris answered.
“Because he believed the system was broken.””
I looked at him.
“And he thought he could fix it.””
“Yes.””
“By killing soldiers?””
Harris lowered his eyes.
“He didn’t see them as people anymore.””
The hospital lights flickered.
Then a message appeared on the screen.
A live transmission.
A man appeared.
Older than me.
Same eyes.
Same face.
David Carter.
My brother.
“Hello, Daniel.””
Nobody moved.
I stared at him.
“You’re alive.””
He smiled.
“So are you.””
My hands clenched.
“You killed my team.””
“No.””
His expression hardened.
“I saved you from them.””
“You erased my memories.””
“Yes.””
The honesty shocked me.
“Why?””
“Because you were becoming exactly what I feared.””
“What?””
“Someone who believed rules mattered more than results.””
I stared.
“You murdered people because they stood in your way.””
David shook his head.
“No.””
He leaned closer.
“I removed obstacles.””
The words made me sick.
“You’re insane.””
“Maybe.””
He smiled.
“But I was right about one thing.””
The screen changed.
Showing military officials.
Judges.
Commanders.
People exposed in the files.
“Look at what your system found.””
I said nothing.
“They were criminals.””
“Then expose them.””
“I did.””
“You killed people.””
“Sometimes truth requires sacrifice.””
I looked at Emily.
Then Harris.
Then Raven.
My voice became quiet.
“You’re the reason everyone died.””
David looked hurt.
For the first time.
“You still don’t understand.””
He leaned closer.
“The explosion wasn’t my plan.””
I froze.
“What?””
David continued.
“Someone else changed the operation.””
My blood went cold.
“Who?””
His face became serious.
“The person who has been using both of us.””
A pause.
“The person who created this entire war.””
The transmission ended.
Then one final message appeared.
A location.
A name.
THE ORIGINAL COMMAND CENTER.
Emily looked at me.
“Daniel…”
I already knew.
The final answer was waiting there.
The person who started everything.
May you like
And this time…
I would remember.
