Chapter 10: ## Chapter 10: The Fifteenth Rider
The photograph was impossible: The Fifteenth Rider
The photograph was impossible.
Caleb stood in.
Caleb stood in the middle of the clubhouse, staring at an image taken eleven years the middle of the clubhouse, staring at an image taken eleven years before his birth.
Fifteen Iron Saints stood beside Marcus's motorcycle. Four before his birth.
Fifteen Iron Saints stood beside Marcus's motorcycle. Fourteen wore leather jackets. The fifteenth figure stood at the far right,teen wore leather jackets. The fifteenth figure stood at the far right, dressed in ordinary clothes.
It was Caleb.
Same face.
Same eyes.
dressed in ordinary clothes.
It was Caleb.
Same face.
Same eyes.
Same small scar above his left eyebrow.
Damon snatched the photograph fromSame small scar above his left eyebrow.
Damon snatched the photograph from the screen.
"Who put this together?""
Nobody answered.
H the screen.
"Who put this together?""
Nobody answered.
Hank leaned closer.
"That's not possible.""
Victor examined the date.
"October 14ank leaned closer.
"That's not possible.""
Victor examined the date.
"October 14, 1999.""
Caleb touched his eyebrow.
The, 1999.""
Caleb touched his eyebrow.
The scar had come from falling off his bicycle when he was six.
scar had come from falling off his bicycle when he was six.
At least, that was what his mother had told him.
"Maybe it's somebodyAt least, that was what his mother had told him.
"Maybe it's somebody who looks like me," he whispered.
Elizabeth shook her head.
"No.""
Cal who looks like me," he whispered.
Elizabeth shook her head.
"No.""
Caleb turned toward her.
"Then explain it!""
She staredeb turned toward her.
"Then explain it!""
She stared at the photograph.
"Your grandfather believed he could control at the photograph.
"Your grandfather believed he could control the future by controlling the Reed family. He collected photographs, medical records, and blood the future by controlling the Reed family. He collected photographs, medical records, and blood samples from everyone connected to the family.""
"That doesn't explain how I was in a photograph before samples from everyone connected to the family.""
"That doesn't explain how I was in a photograph before I was born.""
Elizabeth hesitated.
"Because that photograph wasn't taken in I was born.""
Elizabeth hesitated.
"Because that photograph wasn't taken in 1999.""
Hank looked at her.
"What?""
"The date was added later.""
1999.""
Hank looked at her.
"What?""
"The date was added later.""
Victor examined the image more closely.
He noticed a smallVictor examined the image more closely.
He noticed a small white number printed along the bottom.
"That's white number printed along the bottom.
"That's a film-processing code.""
He pulled out his phone and enlarged a film-processing code.""
He pulled out his phone and enlarged it.
"The original photograph was developed in 202 it.
"The original photograph was developed in 2026.""
Damon exhaled.
"So somebody created a fake photograph.""
"Not6.""
Damon exhaled.
"So somebody created a fake photograph.""
"Not necessarily," Elizabeth replied.
She reached for the keyboard and opened the necessarily," Elizabeth replied.
She reached for the keyboard and opened the image properties.
A hidden timestamp appeared.
**OCTOBER 29 image properties.
A hidden timestamp appeared.
*OCTOBER 29, 2026.*
Caleb stared.
"That's today.""
Elizabeth nodded.
"Someone took, 2026.**
Caleb stared.
"That's today.""
Elizabeth nodded.
"Someone took that photograph today.""
Hank looked toward the windows.
"How?""
Victor enlarged that photograph today.""
Hank looked toward the windows.
"How?""
Victor enlarged the image again.
The fifteen men were standing outside the clubhouse.
Their faces were unmistakable.
H the image again.
The fifteen men were standing outside the clubhouse.
Their faces were unmistakable.
Hank.
Victor.
Frank.
Damon.
And every other Iron Saint who had attended Marcus's memorial.
Evenank.
Victor.
Frank.
Damon.
And every other Iron Saint who had attended Marcus's memorial.
Even Caleb.
Except the photograph had been taken from an angle that made it Caleb.
Except the photograph had been taken from an angle that made it look as though they were standing together in look as though they were standing together in 1999.
Someone had photographed them that afternoon and1999.
Someone had photographed them that afternoon and manipulated the image.
Someone wanted Caleb to believe manipulated the image.
Someone wanted Caleb to believe he had existed before his birth.
Damon looked at the message beneath he had existed before his birth.
Damon looked at the message beneath it.
The boy was there before he was born.
"Who it.
The boy was there before he was born.
"Whoever made this knows where we are," he said.
Hank picked up his helmet.
ever made this knows where we are," he said.
Hank picked up his helmet.
"Then we're wasting time.""
They left the clubhouse in a"Then we're wasting time.""
They left the clubhouse in a formation of fifteen motorcycles and Damon's pickup truck.
The ride to Saint Mary's Hospital was formation of fifteen motorcycles and Damon's pickup truck.
The ride to Saint Mary's Hospital was tense.
Caleb sat beside Damon, holding his father's photograph.
He couldn't tense.
Caleb sat beside Damon, holding his father's photograph.
He couldn't stop thinking about the final message.
Ask his mother who actually gave birth to him.
His mother had stop thinking about the final message.
Ask his mother who actually gave birth to him.
His mother had been Margaret's daughter.
Arthur had been her father.
But if Arthur was also the been Margaret's daughter.
Arthur had been her father.
But if Arthur was also the man who raised Caleb, then everything he understood about his family was collapsing.
When they man who raised Caleb, then everything he understood about his family was collapsing.
When they arrived at the hospital, Victor went straight to the reception desk.
"We're arrived at the hospital, Victor went straight to the reception desk.
"We're looking for Daniel Reed. Room 317.""
The nurse checked her looking for Daniel Reed. Room 317.""
The nurse checked her computer.
Her expression changed.
"Are you family?""
Elizabeth stepped forward.
"I'm computer.
Her expression changed.
"Are you family?""
Elizabeth stepped forward.
"I'm his mother.""
The nurse looked at her for several seconds.
Then she quietly said his mother.""
The nurse looked at her for several seconds.
Then she quietly said:
"Room 317 has been empty since yesterday.""
Caleb felt his stomach drop.
:
"Room 317 has been empty since yesterday.""
Caleb felt his stomach drop.
"That's impossible.""
"His medical records show he was"That's impossible.""
"His medical records show he was transferred.""
"Where?""
The nurse hesitated.
"Private transport. The destination transferred.""
"Where?""
The nurse hesitated.
"Private transport. The destination isn't listed.""
Damon slammed his hand against the counter.
"Who authorized it isn't listed.""
Damon slammed his hand against the counter.
"Who authorized it?""
The nurse turned the monitor toward him.
A?""
The nurse turned the monitor toward him.
A signature appeared.
*HANK SULLIVAN.*
Everyone turned.
Hank signature appeared.
*HANK SULLIVAN.*
Everyone turned.
Hank stared at the screen.
"I didn't authorize anything.""
Victor looked furious stared at the screen.
"I didn't authorize anything.""
Victor looked furious.
"Your signature again?""
"Someone is using my identity.""
Damon grabbed Hank.
"Your signature again?""
"Someone is using my identity.""
Damon grabbed Hank's jacket.
"How's jacket.
"How many times are we going to hear that?""
Hank pushed him away.
"Believe me or don't. But I didn't take Daniel.""
Elizabeth began crying.
"He was dying. He couldn't have many times are we going to hear that?""
Hank pushed him away.
"Believe me or don't. But I didn't take Daniel.""
Elizabeth began crying.
"He was dying. He couldn't have gone far.""
Caleb noticed a small envelope on the reception counter gone far.""
Caleb noticed a small envelope on the reception counter.
It had his name written on it.
He picked it up.
Inside was a hospital wristband.
The name.
It had his name written on it.
He picked it up.
Inside was a hospital wristband.
The name printed on it was:
*CALEB REED — PATIENT 317.*
He turned it over.
A handwritten message covered the printed on it was:
*CALEB REED — PATIENT 317.*
He turned it over.
A handwritten message covered the back.
The person you remember as your father was never supposed to be your father.
Caleb looked at Elizabeth.
"What does this mean?""
She back.
The person you remember as your father was never supposed to be your father.
Caleb looked at Elizabeth.
"What does this mean?""
She took the wristband.
Her hands shook.
Then she whispered:
"Your grandfather had took the wristband.
Her hands shook.
Then she whispered:
"Your grandfather had you registered before you were born.""
Damon frowned.
"How?""
Elizabeth looked at the hospital records.
"Because Caleb wasn't the you registered before you were born.""
Damon frowned.
"How?""
Elizabeth looked at the hospital records.
"Because Caleb wasn't the first baby born under that name.""
She led them toward a small consultation room.
Once the door was closed, she finally told first baby born under that name.""
She led them toward a small consultation room.
Once the door was closed, she finally told them what she had spent twenty-seven years hiding.
"Margaret gave birth to a baby girl in 1999. Her name was Sarah. But the child died shortly after birth them what she had spent twenty-seven years hiding.
"Margaret gave birth to a baby girl in 1999. Her name was Sarah. But the child died shortly after birth.""
Caleb looked at her.
"Then how am I here?""
"Because Arthur had another.""
Caleb looked at her.
"Then how am I here?""
"Because Arthur had another child with a different woman. A boy born in 2009.""
Hank stared.
child with a different woman. A boy born in 2009.""
Hank stared.
"You're saying Caleb isn't Margaret's child?""
Elizabeth nodded.
"He's Arthur"You're saying Caleb isn't Margaret's child?""
Elizabeth nodded.
"He's Arthur's biological son. But Margaret adopted him.""
Damon shook his's biological son. But Margaret adopted him.""
Damon shook his head.
"Then why did you say Sarah was his mother?""
head.
"Then why did you say Sarah was his mother?""
"Because Sarah was the name Margaret gave the baby girl. Arthur later reused"Because Sarah was the name Margaret gave the baby girl. Arthur later reused that identity when he created Caleb's records.""
Caleb felt sick.
"So my birth certificate is fake?""
Elizabeth nodded.
"Yes.""
"Who is that identity when he created Caleb's records.""
Caleb felt sick.
"So my birth certificate is fake?""
Elizabeth nodded.
"Yes.""
"Who is my biological mother?""
Elizabeth looked toward the door.
"I don't know.""
Caleb stepped backward.
"You're telling me nobody knows who gave birth to me?""
" my biological mother?""
Elizabeth looked toward the door.
"I don't know.""
Caleb stepped backward.
"You're telling me nobody knows who gave birth to me?""
"Your father knew.""
"Which father?""
Elizabeth couldn't answer.
Then a nurse knocked.
"ExcuseYour father knew.""
"Which father?""
Elizabeth couldn't answer.
Then a nurse knocked.
"Excuse me. There's someone downstairs asking for Mr. Caleb Reed.""
Damon immediately moved toward the door.
"Who?""
The nurse looked uncomfortable me. There's someone downstairs asking for Mr. Caleb Reed.""
Damon immediately moved toward the door.
"Who?""
The nurse looked uncomfortable.
"He says he's your grandfather.""
Hank.
"He says he's your grandfather.""
Hank's face drained of color.
"Thomas?""
The nurse nodded.
Caleb's face drained of color.
"Thomas?""
The nurse nodded.
Caleb stared at her.
"But Thomas Reed is dead.""
The nurse lowered her voice.
stared at her.
"But Thomas Reed is dead.""
The nurse lowered her voice.
"Apparently, he didn't get that message.""
May you like
"Apparently, he didn't get that message.""
And somewhere beneath the hospital, an elevator began descending.
