Chapter 6 - The Other Heir
Alexander Vale looked nothing like the frightened child in Victor’s photograph.
He was thirty-two now.
Tall.
Controlled.
Expensive gray suit.
No visible weapon.
Behind him stood two men.
Adrian moved in front of Ethan’s bed.
“Come closer.”
Alexander smiled.
“Still dramatic.”
Isabel whispered, “You poisoned me.”
His eyes moved to her.
“You survived.”
“That isn’t an answer.”
“You already know the answer.”
Adrian’s voice became cold.
“You touched my son.”
Alexander looked toward Ethan.
“I tested him.”
“You poisoned him.”
“I activated him.”
I stepped forward.
“He almost died.”
Alexander studied me.
“You must be Claire.”
Adrian moved between us.
“Don’t speak to her.”
Alexander smiled.
“You always did think possession was protection.”
Adrian’s hands tightened.
I knew that look.
I had seen men regret causing it.
But Ethan was behind us.
Adrian stayed still.
“What do you want?”
“The archive.”
“It’s open.”
“I know.”
“Then you lost.”
“Not exactly.”
Alexander reached into his jacket.
Adrian’s men raised their weapons.
He slowly removed a phone.
On the screen were live images.
Our apartment.
Ethan’s school.
Adrian’s estate.
Isabel’s old safe house.
“You think Helix is one building?” Alexander asked.
“No.”
“One man?”
“No.”
“Then you know killing me solves very little.”
Adrian stared.
“Maybe I’m doing it for recreation.”
Alexander laughed.
Ethan whispered, “Mom?”
I went to him.
“It’s okay.”
“It doesn’t look okay.”
“No.”
I would not lie anymore.
“It isn’t.”
Alexander watched us.
“He’s remarkably calm.”
“He’s seven,” I snapped.
“Yes.”
“You keep saying that like it’s inconvenient.”
Something flickered in Alexander’s face.
For the first time, anger.
“Do you know how old I was when they started testing me?”
I stopped.
“Twelve.”
Isabel’s expression changed.
Alexander looked at her.
“You were not the only child Helix used.”
“You chose them.”
“I was ten when you were poisoned.”
“You put the compound in my drink.”
“Because my father told me it was medicine.”
The room went still.
Isabel stared.
Victor’s file had said Alexander did it.
Not why.
Alexander continued.
“I spent half my life believing I killed you.”
Isabel’s voice shook.
“You could have told me.”
“I thought you were dead.”
Adrian watched him carefully.
“Marcus used you.”
“Yes.”
“And you continued Helix anyway.”
Alexander’s face hardened.
“Because once you understand what Helix controls, you understand why no one simply walks away.”
“Try me.”
“Hospital systems. Pharmaceutical supply lines. Private intelligence. Medical records on presidents, judges, CEOs, criminals.”
Adrian shrugged.
“Sounds inconvenient.”
Alexander almost smiled.
“It’s a weapon.”
“Then destroy it.”
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
“Because if Helix collapses without a successor system, every government and criminal organization with access will tear it apart and rebuild pieces of it.”
“That’s your excuse?”
“That’s reality.”
Adrian glanced at the open archive.
“What do you need Ethan for?”
Alexander did not answer.
Adrian stepped closer.
“What?”
“The final authorization.”
“Which does?”
“Transfers control.”
“To you?”
“Yes.”
I stood.
“No.”
Alexander looked at me.
“I didn’t ask.”
Adrian moved so quickly Alexander’s guards reached for weapons.
Every Blackwood guard raised theirs.
The room became a breath away from gunfire.
Adrian stopped inches from Alexander.
“You will ask.”
Alexander’s smile faded.
Adrian continued.
“You will ask my son before you use his name, his blood, his hair, his photograph, or the air around him.”
Alexander stared back.
“You think fatherhood changed you in six hours?”
“No.”
Adrian’s voice lowered.
“It clarified me.”
Ethan looked at him.
So did I.
Alexander glanced at the archive.
“Victor built a kill switch.”
Isabel frowned.
“For Helix?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“In HEIR ZERO.”
He entered a code.
A hidden menu appeared.
TRANSFER CONTROL.
DESTROY NETWORK.
Adrian stared.
“That easy?”
“No.”
Alexander selected DESTROY NETWORK.
Three biological authorization fields appeared.
PRIMARY HEIR.
SECONDARY HEIR.
FOUNDING LINE.
Isabel understood.
“Ethan.”
“Yes.”
“You.”
“Yes.”
“And founding line?”
Alexander looked at Adrian.
“Eleanor’s direct descendant.”
Adrian.
He stared.
“So the three of us can destroy Helix.”
“Yes.”
“Then why haven’t you?”
“Because until today Ethan didn’t exist in the system.”
I looked at Alexander.
“You knew about him for weeks.”
“I hoped there was another way.”
“You let them poison him while you looked for one?”
His expression tightened.
“No.”
“Then who did?”
“My father.”
The words landed hard.
Marcus Vale.
Alexander looked toward Adrian.
“He learned Ethan existed before I could stop him.”
“Where is Marcus?”
“Upstairs.”
“Why?”
“Because he thinks Ethan belongs to Helix.”
My body went cold.
“He belongs to no one.”
“I agree.”
Adrian studied Alexander.
“Why should I believe you?”
“You shouldn’t.”
“Good answer.”
“But you should believe this.”
Alexander opened another file.
Live audio.
Marcus Vale’s voice.
“Once the boy stabilizes, take him. If Adrian interferes, kill him.”
I looked at Ethan.
Adrian showed no reaction.
Then Marcus continued.
“Claire is expendable.”
Adrian’s jaw tightened.
“Isabel too.”
Isabel stared.
“And Alexander?” a second voice asked.
Marcus paused.
Then:
“If necessary.”
Alexander shut off the recording.
Silence.
Adrian looked at him.
“Your father is willing to kill you.”
“He always was.”
There was no self-pity in the answer.
That made it sadder.
Adrian turned to the terminal.
“What happens if we activate destroy?”
“Every Helix archive duplicates to federal prosecutors, international courts, independent journalists, and thirty-seven dead-man repositories.”
“And the network?”
“Encrypted beyond recovery.”
“Medical systems?”
“Normal hospital systems stay intact.”
“Then do it.”
Alexander hesitated.
“My father will know immediately.”
“He already tried to kill my son.”
“He’ll come here.”
Adrian smiled without warmth.
“Good.”
We prepared.
Mercer monitored Ethan.
Isabel placed her hand on the biometric reader.
Alexander did the same.
Adrian stood beside Ethan.
The screen requested PRIMARY HEIR.
I hated it.
Ethan looked at me.
“Will this stop them?”
“Yes,” I said.
Adrian added, “We think.”
Ethan frowned.
“You’re bad at comforting.”
“I’m learning.”
He placed his finger against the reader.
The terminal flashed.
PRIMARY HEIR VERIFIED.
SECONDARY HEIR VERIFIED.
FOUNDING LINE REQUIRED.
Adrian placed his hand down.
Nothing.
ACCESS DENIED.
We froze.
He tried again.
ACCESS DENIED.
Alexander frowned.
“That’s impossible.”
Isabel looked at Adrian.
“You’re Eleanor’s son.”
“Yes.”
Mercer stared at the screen.
“Unless…”
Adrian turned.
“Unless what?”
Mercer looked terrified.
“Unless Victor wasn’t your biological father.”
No one moved.
Adrian’s voice went quiet.
“Repeat that.”
Mercer swallowed.
“The founding line is Eleanor’s bloodline. If the system rejects you, then either the system is damaged or—”
“Or?”
“You are not genetically connected to Eleanor.”
Adrian stared at him.
“That’s absurd.”
Isabel whispered, “No.”
He looked at her.
“What?”
She had gone pale.
“I remember something.”
“Say it.”
“When I was little, Mother told me you were chosen.”
Adrian frowned.
“Chosen for what?”
“She said you were the son Father wanted, not the son she gave him.”
Adrian stepped back.
His entire identity had shifted beneath him.
I touched his arm.
He did not move away.
Alexander scanned the archive.
“There’s another file.”
PATERNITY.
He opened it.
Victor appeared again.
Adrian muttered, “I am developing a serious dislike for recordings.”
Victor spoke.
“Adrian, if this file has opened, then Eleanor’s blood rejected you.”
Adrian’s face emptied.
“I should have told you while I lived.”
He looked at the camera.
“You are my son.”
Adrian’s shoulders relaxed by a fraction.
“But Eleanor was not your mother.”
The room went completely silent.
Victor continued.
“Your biological mother was Catherine.”
Alexander stared at the screen.
“My mother?”
Victor nodded as if answering across time.
“Catherine Vale was Adrian’s mother.”
Alexander stepped backward.
Adrian looked at him.
The truth rearranged everything.
They were not cousins.
“What does that make us?” Alexander whispered.
Adrian understood first.
“Brothers.”
I covered my mouth.
Isabel stared between them.
Victor’s recording continued.
“Marcus never knew Catherine had given birth before their marriage.”
Alexander’s face turned white.
“My father doesn’t know.”
“No,” Isabel whispered.
Victor continued.
“I raised Adrian as my son because Catherine begged me to protect him from Marcus.”
Adrian laughed once.
Broken.
“So the man trying to kill me married my mother.”
Victor’s final line appeared.
“Adrian carries the founding line through Catherine.”
Alexander frowned.
“Then why did the terminal reject him?”
Mercer looked at the genealogy.
“Because the system requires Eleanor’s direct line.”
We all turned toward Isabel.
She stared.
“Me?”
The screen updated.
FOUNDING LINE DETECTED.
ISABEL BLACKWOOD.
Adrian looked at her.
“You’re the third key.”
Isabel placed her hand on the reader.
The screen flashed.
ALL AUTHORIZATIONS VERIFIED.
CONFIRM DESTRUCTION OF HELIX NETWORK?
Ethan looked at Adrian.
Adrian looked at Isabel.
Isabel looked at Alexander.
Then Ethan pressed YES.
For three seconds nothing happened.
Then files began transmitting.
1%.
4%.
12%.
Alexander stared.
“It’s working.”
An alarm sounded outside.
Adrian’s security chief looked through the corridor.
“Movement.”
“How many?”
“A lot.”
Alexander looked at the progress.
23%.
“They can stop the transfer if they destroy this terminal.”
Adrian drew a weapon from one of his men.
I hated the sight of it.
But I hated Marcus Vale more.
“Then they don’t reach the terminal.”
The lights flickered.
41%.
Footsteps filled the corridor.
55%.
Ethan squeezed my hand.
“Mom?”
“I’m here.”
67%.
A voice came from the doorway.
“Step away from my network.”
Marcus Vale appeared.
Behind him stood armed men.
Alexander faced his father.
Marcus looked at him with disgust.
“You betrayed me.”
Alexander’s answer was quiet.
“No.”
He glanced at Ethan.
“I finally stopped helping you.”
Marcus raised his gun.
Not at Adrian.
Not at Alexander.
At Ethan.
May you like
The transfer reached 82%.
And Marcus pulled the trigger.
