Chapter 9: Room 314
Detective Sarah Bell stood in the doorway with both hands locked around her weapon.
The muzzle pointed directly at Michael.
Marcus moved instinctively between them.
“Put the gun down.””
Bell's eyes hardened.
“Move.””
“No.””
“Marcus, move away from him.””
Michael remained behind the hospital bed, breathing hard.
“She's been working for them.””
Bell's gaze snapped toward him.
“Don't listen to him.””
Marcus looked from one face to the other.
For twenty-three years, everyone had lied to him.
His mother.
The hospital.
The records.
Maybe even Camille.
He wasn't prepared to trust another person just because she wore a badge.
“Bell,” he said quietly, “why are you pointing a gun at my brother?””
“Because he killed three people.””
Michael laughed bitterly.
“That's what they told you?””
“I saw the evidence.””
“You saw what they wanted you to see.””
Bell kept the weapon trained on him.
“Step away from the bed.””
Michael didn't move.
Marcus looked at Bell.
“Who did he kill?””
“People connected to Riverside.””
“That's not an answer.””
“He killed Elias Voss.””
Michael's eyes narrowed.
“He was going to kill Jaylen.””
Bell continued.
“He killed two former Riverside employees.””
“They were involved.””
“And Denise Holloway?””
Michael's jaw tightened.
“I didn't kill Denise.””
Bell took one step forward.
“You were seen leaving her motel room.””
“I went there after she called me.””
“You were the last person seen with her.””
“She was already dying.””
Marcus stared at Michael.
“Is that true?””
Michael looked at him.
“Yes.””
Bell shook her head.
“Convenient.””
Marcus felt anger rising.
“Enough.””
He stepped toward Bell.
“You're telling me Michael killed people. He's telling me Riverside was using children. We have a hidden room under my house.
We have altered birth records. We have surveillance cameras in my living room.””
He pointed at the gun.
“And right now, you're standing here with a weapon pointed at the man who may know where my son is.””
Bell didn't blink.
“Exactly.””
Marcus frowned.
“What?””
Bell's voice lowered.
“That is why you need to listen carefully.””
She slowly lowered the gun.
Not completely.
Just enough.
“Jaylen is not at your house.””
Marcus stiffened.
“I know.””
“You don't understand.””
Bell took out her phone.
“This is from twelve minutes ago.””
She held up the screen.
A security camera image showed a hospital corridor.
Marcus recognized it immediately.
St. Vincent.
A small boy was being led through the hall by a woman in a dark coat.
Jaylen.
Marcus's heart stopped.
“That's my son.””
Bell nodded.
“The camera was triggered by movement at 12:17.””
Marcus stared at the image.
“Where is he now?””
“We don't know.””
Michael suddenly moved.
Bell raised the weapon again.
“Don't.””
Michael stopped.
“Look closer,” he said.
Marcus examined the photograph.
Something was wrong.
Jaylen wasn't looking frightened.
He wasn't struggling.
He was looking toward the camera.
And in his hand was something red.
A strip of red tape.
The same color Camille used.
Marcus whispered:
“She told him where to go.””
Michael nodded.
“Camille prepared him.””
Marcus looked at him.
“How?””
“I don't know.””
“You said she was protecting me.””
“She was.””
“She was also hiding things from me.””
Michael looked away.
“She knew you would never believe her.””
“That doesn't excuse it.””
“No.””
Michael's expression broke.
“But she knew what they could do to you.””
Bell's phone rang.
She answered.
“Bell.””
She listened.
Then her face changed.
“What do you mean, 314?””
Marcus's pulse jumped.
Bell looked at him.
“They found the room.””
“Where?””
“At St. Vincent.””
Michael's eyes widened.
“No.””
Marcus grabbed his arm.
“What?””
Michael pulled away.
“They found it.””
“Found what?””
“Room 314.””
They rushed through the hospital.
Bell led them down a service corridor.
The upper floors were nearly empty.
A nurse hurried past them without looking up.
Marcus felt like he was moving through somebody else's nightmare.
They reached the third floor.
A red emergency light flashed at the end of the hallway.
A steel door stood open.
Above it was a faded number.
*314.*
Marcus stopped.
The red key in his pocket felt suddenly heavy.
“This is it.””
Michael stared at the room.
“I've never seen it open.””
Marcus looked at him.
“Then how do you know what it is?””
Michael hesitated.
“Because I spent part of my childhood here.””
Marcus stared.
“You were kept in a hospital?””
“No.””
Michael looked inside.
“I was brought here.””
Bell stepped through the doorway.
“Stay behind me.””
Marcus followed anyway.
The room was larger than expected.
No hospital bed.
No medical equipment.
Just a long table.
Three chairs.
A wall of filing cabinets.
And at the center of the room, an old television.
The screen was already on.
Static.
Then a woman appeared.
Camille.
Marcus stopped.
Not a recording from the basement.
This one was different.
She was crying.
“Marcus, if you're here, then they found you.””
He stepped closer.
Her voice shook.
“You need to understand something before it's too late.””
She looked directly at the camera.
“Michael did not betray you.””
Marcus glanced at Michael.
Camille continued.
“I did.””
Marcus's heart sank.
“I lied to you about Jaylen's father.””
Michael closed his eyes.
Camille continued.
“Jaylen is Michael's biological son.””
Marcus felt the words land all over again.
“But Marcus,” she said, “that doesn't mean what you think it means.””
He stared at the screen.
“You were never supposed to know about the test.””
She wiped her eyes.
“Because the test wasn't performed to establish paternity.””
Marcus frowned.
“Then why?””
Camille leaned toward the camera.
“To establish identity.””
The screen changed.
An old genetic chart appeared.
Three profiles.
Marcus.
Michael.
A third profile labeled *314*.
Camille's voice continued.
“Riverside discovered that triplets were born at St. Vincent with an unusually similar genetic sequence.””
Michael stared at the screen.
“They believed the children could be used for identity substitution.””
Marcus swallowed.
“Substitution?””
“Three biological siblings could pass certain verification systems as the same family line.””
Marcus felt sick.
“They used us.””
“Yes.””
“They wanted to make people disappear.””
“Yes.””
Camille's voice cracked.
“But there was a problem.””
The screen changed again.
A photograph of a little boy appeared.
The boy had Marcus's face.
Michael's eyes.
And a scar on his eyebrow.
Marcus stared.
“That isn't me.””
“No,” Camille whispered.
“That is the third child.””
Michael looked at Marcus.
“That can't be.””
Camille continued.
“They called him 314.””
Marcus felt a chill.
“Why?””
“Because the original record was Room 314.””
Michael stepped toward the television.
“Who is he?””
Camille closed her eyes.
“I never knew his real name.””
Marcus whispered, “Where is he?””
She opened her eyes.
“Alive.””
The room went silent.
Marcus's heart hammered.
“Where?””
Camille looked frightened again.
“That's why they are after Jaylen.””
The screen flickered.
“They don't want Jaylen because of his father.””
Marcus stared.
“They want him because he is the only person whose DNA matches all three brothers closely enough to expose the substitution.””
Michael's face went pale.
“He's a bridge.””
Camille nodded.
“Exactly.””
Marcus looked toward Bell.
“My son is evidence.””
“Yes.””
“And they want to destroy the evidence.””
Bell didn't answer.
Camille continued.
“Marcus, listen to me.””
Her face filled the screen.
“There is someone inside Riverside who has protected Jaylen since the day he was born.””
Marcus froze.
“Who?””
Camille looked off camera.
Then whispered:
“Your father.””
Marcus felt the world shift.
“My father is dead.””
“I know.””
“He died before Jaylen was born.””
“He isn't your biological father.””
Marcus stared.
Camille continued.
“That man died eighteen years ago.””
Marcus's mouth went dry.
“The man you called Dad was one of them.””
Michael stepped forward.
“What?””
Camille's voice broke.
“He helped your mother save the three of you.””
Marcus shook his head.
“No.””
“He couldn't save all three.””
The screen went black.
Marcus looked at Bell.
“Was that real?””
“Yes.””
“How do you know?””
“Because we found the original recording in this room.””
Marcus turned.
A filing cabinet stood open.
Inside were dozens of folders.
Carter rushed into the room.
“Bell!””
She spun.
“What?””
“We found the boy.””
Marcus's heart stopped.
“Where?””
Carter looked at him.
“Basement level.””
Michael went pale.
“No.””
Bell moved.
“Take us there.””
They rushed down two flights of stairs.
The basement corridor was narrow and cold.
A metal door stood at the end.
Carter opened it.
Inside was a small room.
A chair.
A camera.
A sink.
And on the floor, a strip of red tape.
Marcus's breath caught.
“Jaylen?””
No answer.
Then a sound came from behind the far wall.
Three taps.
Pause.
Three taps.
Marcus knew that pattern.
It was something he used to do with Jaylen at bedtime.
Their private signal.
“I heard you,” Marcus whispered.
He ran toward the wall.
There was a hidden panel.
He pulled.
It swung open.
Behind it was a narrow passage.
At the end stood Jaylen.
Alive.
Terrified.
A man stood beside him.
Marcus froze.
The man turned slowly.
For one second, Marcus saw his own face.
Then another.
Then another.
There was no mistaking it.
The third brother stood before him.
Older now.
Scarred.
Thin.
His eyes wet.
He looked at Marcus.
Then at Michael.
Then at Jaylen.
“I'm sorry,” he whispered.
Marcus stepped forward.
“Who are you?””
The man looked down.
“I don't know.””
Marcus stared.
“What?””
“I've had too many names.””
Michael moved closer.
“You're 314.””
The man flinched.
“Don't call me that.””
Marcus held out a hand toward Jaylen.
“Let my son go.””
The man hesitated.
Then Jaylen ran.
Marcus caught him and pulled him against his chest.
“I've got you.””
Jaylen sobbed.
“I knew you'd come.””
Marcus held him tightly.
Then he looked at the third brother.
“Why did you take him?””
The man shook his head.
“I didn't.””
“Then who did?””
The man looked toward Bell.
Marcus followed his gaze.
Bell was standing in the doorway.
Her gun was raised again.
But this time it wasn't pointed at the third brother.
It was pointed at Michael.
“Because Michael brought them here,” the third brother said.
Marcus turned.
“What?””
Michael looked at Bell.
“Don't.””
Bell's face was cold.
“You promised me you'd give me the drive.””
Marcus froze.
“What drive?””
Michael reached slowly into his jacket.
He pulled out the black flash drive from Camille's box.
Marcus stared.
“You had it.””
Michael looked at him.
“I've had it for years.””
“You lied to me.””
“I was trying to keep you alive.””
Bell stepped forward.
“Give it to me.””
“No.””
“Michael.””
“No.””
Marcus looked between them.
“What is on that drive?””
Michael's face changed.
“The names.””
“Whose names?””
“Everyone who was part of the program.””
Marcus stared.
“And why does Bell want it?””
Michael shook his head.
“Because she isn't working for Riverside.””
Bell lowered her weapon slightly.
“I never was.””
Marcus frowned.
“Then who are you working for?””
Bell looked directly at him.
“The federal task force that has been trying to bring Riverside down.””
Marcus exhaled.
For one moment, relief.
Then Bell added:
“But someone inside that task force is compromised.””
Everyone went silent.
A sound came from the passage behind them.
A slow clap.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Marcus turned.
A man stepped out of the darkness.
Older.
Elegant.
Calm.
Marcus recognized him from the photographs.
Richard Vale.
The founder of Riverside Security.
The man believed to have died twelve years ago.
He smiled.
“You've finally found all three.””
Marcus pulled Jaylen behind him.
Vale looked at the boy.
Then at the three brothers.
“I wondered which one would survive long enough to bring everyone together.””
Bell raised her gun.
Vale smiled.
“Go ahead.””
Bell hesitated.
Vale's smile widened.
“Shoot me, Detective.””
He pointed toward Jaylen.
“And you'll never know what your son carries.””
Marcus felt Jaylen grip his shirt.
Vale took one slow step forward.
“Because the boy isn't the end of this.””
His eyes settled on Marcus.
“He's the key.””
The basement lights suddenly went out.
A door slammed.
A gunshot exploded in the darkness.
Marcus heard Jaylen scream.
Then a man's voice whispered inches from his ear:
“Run.””
Marcus grabbed his son.
But when the emergency lights returned, Michael was gone.
And so was the third brother.
Only Vale remained.
Smiling.
May you like
And on the floor between them lay the black flash drive.
Broken in half.
