CHAPTER 4: The Puppet Master's Trap
Edward stopped dead in his tracks.
The flashlight beams bouncing off the damp brick walls of the tunnel illuminated the dark silhouette of a young man standing fifty feet away.
He looked to be about nineteen or twenty. He had Edward's sharp cheekbones, his tall, athletic build, and the exact same icy blue eyes. But his hair was cropped short, military-style, and he wore a dark, form-fitting tactical suit with the insignia of Ares Holdings on his shoulder.
Beside him stood four heavily armed mercenaries, their assault rifles pointed directly at Edward and Julian.
"Leo," Edward said, his voice flat, showing no emotion despite the storm raging inside his chest.
The young clone smiled. It was a chilling sight—like looking into a mirror that only reflected malice. "So, you know my name. Clara must have left you her little breadcrumbs. Too bad she won't be around to see the family reunion."
"Where is she?" Edward demanded, stepping in front of the twins to shield them from the lasers dancing across the concrete floor.
"She's with Uncle Victor," Leo said, his voice a perfect, haunting echo of Edward's own. "She's been very useful. She gave us the key to the vault. We just needed you to bring the biological 'errors' to us. You see, their DNA is required to unlock the final phase of the Haynes global mainframe. The system requires two-factor biological authorization from both the natural and synthetic bloodlines."
"You're a puppet, Leo," Julian called out, his hand slowly drifting toward his sidearm. "Victor Vance is using you. Once he has control of the mainframe, you'll be just as disposable to him as we are."
Leo’s eyes flashed with a brief flicker of doubt, but it was quickly replaced by a cold, arrogant smirk. "I am the future of the Haynes legacy. I was designed to be perfect. He is weak," Leo pointed his gun at Edward. "He chose love over power. He chose to hide like a rat in the dark."
"I chose to be a man," Edward said, his voice quiet but carrying a weight that made the mercenaries shift their stance. "Not a laboratory experiment."
"Kill the adults," Leo ordered coldly. "Bring the girls."
Before the mercenaries could pull their triggers, a sudden, deafening roar echoed through the tunnel.
A massive, rusted steel grate above them collapsed, sending a shower of concrete and iron down on top of Leo's men. Out of the darkness of the bypass tunnel, a sleek, black armored vehicle plowed through the debris, its heavy tires crushing the tactical gear of the mercenaries.
The passenger door flew open, and a woman with bloodied clothes but fierce green eyes leaned out, a smoking grenade launcher in her hands.
"Get in!" Clara screamed.
"Clara!" Edward yelled, a wave of relief washing over him so powerful it nearly brought him to his knees.
Julian grabbed Emily and Sophie, throwing them into the back of the armored transport. Edward fired three warning shots at Leo, who had scrambled back into the shadows, before diving in after them and slamming the heavy steel door shut.
The armored vehicle spun around, its tires gripping the wet gravel of the track bed, and roared deeper into the dark network of abandoned subway lines.
Inside the vehicle, Clara collapsed into the seat, her breathing shallow. She had a severe bruise on her temple and her left arm was bandaged, but the moment she saw the twins, she let out a sob and pulled them into her arms.
"My babies," she wept, kissing their faces. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."
"Mommy!" Emily and Sophie cried, clinging to her like lifelines.
Edward watched them, his heart aching. He stepped forward, his hand hovering over Clara's shoulder. She looked up at him, her green eyes filled with tears, pain, and a deep, enduring love that five years of separation hadn't managed to dim.
"Edward," she whispered. "I had to let them think I was broken. I had to wait for the right moment to escape."
"You did perfect, Clara," Edward said softly, his hand finally settling on her shoulder. "But how did you find us?"
"Julian's father, Dr. Vance," Clara said, her voice turning cold. "Before Victor killed him, he realized the monster he had helped create. He gave me the master override codes for the Ares tactical network. He wanted to make amends."
"My father... he's really dead?" Julian asked quietly from the driver's seat.
"Yes, Julian. I'm sorry," Clara said. "But he left us the only weapon that can stop Victor. The mainframe vault beneath the Hudson Theatre. It doesn't just control the Haynes assets. It contains the raw data of every illegal experiment, bribe, and murder Victor Vance has committed over the last twenty years. If we upload that data to the global network, their empire falls tonight."
"But Leo said they need Emily and Sophie's DNA to unlock it," Edward said.
"They do," Clara said, her eyes turning dead serious. "But they don't need all of it. Just a drop of blood from the natural bloodline, and a drop from the creator. You and the girls."
"We're almost at the Hudson Theatre coordinates," Julian called out. "But we have a problem. The surface entry is blocked by Ares security forces. There are at least thirty armed men out there."
Edward looked at his family. He looked at Clara, then at his two beautiful, brave daughters, and finally at Julian, the only man he had ever trusted with his life.
The cold, calculating billionaire who had entered the Haynes Tower lobby that morning was gone. In his place stood a father who had finally found something worth dying for.
"Julian," Edward said, his voice filled with an absolute, terrifying authority. "Prepare the vehicle for a breaching run. We're going through the front doors."
"And what about Victor and Leo?" Clara asked, her hand tightening around Edward's.
May you like
Edward reached into his jacket, pulling out a backup magazine for his weapon. His blue eyes glinted like shattered ice in the dim cabin light.
"I'm going to show my clone what happens when you try to steal a father's future."
