CHAPTER 7 – "The Son of the Devil"
"My... son?"
The words echoed across the prison yard.
Ethan stood frozen.
The stranger on the rooftop smiled as though he had waited decades to hear that question.
"No," Ethan said quietly.
"You're lying."
The man removed his sunglasses.
His icy blue eyes were identical to Ethan's.
"So was your mother."
"So was your grandfather."
"You inherited them from me."
Eleanor suddenly screamed.
"Don't listen to him!"
"He's not your father!"
The stranger laughed.
"You still haven't learned to stop lying, Eleanor."
He pressed a button on a small remote.
A giant digital screen mounted above the prison yard flickered to life.
An old surveillance video appeared.
It showed a young Eleanor, handcuffed inside a laboratory.
Standing beside her...
...was the same man.
Only thirty years younger.
He wasn't wearing a military uniform.
He was wearing a white scientist's coat.
The video had audio.
"We finally did it," the younger man said.
"The first genetically enhanced child has survived."
A baby's cry echoed through the speakers.
The camera zoomed in.
The infant wore a bracelet labeled:
SUBJECT ALPHA-1
Date of Birth...
Ethan's birthday.
The entire prison gasped.
Captain Ross stared at the screen in disbelief.
"Enhanced?"
The stranger smiled proudly.
"Ethan was never an ordinary child."
"He was designed."
Judge Halston immediately knelt before the man.
"Director Victor... everything happened exactly as you planned."
Victor nodded.
"Almost."
Then he looked at Ethan.
"The only mistake..."
"...was letting you develop a conscience."
Ethan's fists clenched.
"You ruined thousands of lives."
Victor shrugged.
"I created heroes."
"I created spies."
"I created soldiers capable of surviving missions no normal human could."
"And you..."
He pointed directly at Ethan.
"...were my greatest achievement."
Marcus Kane stepped forward.
"So all those children..."
Victor interrupted him without emotion.
"Were necessary sacrifices."
The inmates erupted in fury.
Several rushed toward Victor.
He didn't even flinch.
Instead, he snapped his fingers.
Hidden speakers throughout the prison crackled to life.
Then dozens of metallic voices spoke in perfect unison.
"Protocol Alpha activated."
Suddenly...
Nearly half of the federal agents protecting the prison stopped moving.
Their eyes became empty.
One after another...
They turned their rifles toward Ethan.
Captain Ross couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"What are they doing?"
Victor smiled.
"They aren't making a choice."
"They're obeying."
Ross looked closer.
Each agent had the same small scar behind the left ear.
The same scar Ethan had once noticed on himself after waking from surgery years ago.
Victor raised one finger.
"Every enhanced child received an emergency command chip."
"If I give an order..."
"They obey."
Ethan instinctively reached behind his own ear.
There it was.
A tiny scar he had never questioned.
Victor looked into Ethan's eyes and calmly gave a single command.
"Subject Alpha-1..."
"...kneel."
For the first time in his life...
Ethan's body began moving against his own will.
His knees slowly bent.
His muscles trembled as he fought desperately to stay standing.
Blood streamed from his nose.
Every nerve in his body screamed.
Marcus tried to hold him upright.
Captain Ross grabbed his shoulders.
Even Isabella wrapped both arms around him.
But Ethan continued sinking toward the ground.
Victor smiled triumphantly.
"No one has ever resisted the command."
Just as Ethan's knee was inches from touching the concrete...
A little girl's voice echoed from the prison entrance.
"Don't listen to him, Daddy!"
Everyone turned.
A frightened seven-year-old girl ran through the smoke, clutching a worn stuffed rabbit.
She threw herself into Ethan's arms.
Tears filled Ethan's eyes.
He had never seen her before.
Yet somehow...
He recognized her instantly.
The little girl looked up at Victor with fearless eyes and shouted,
May you like
"You can't control him anymore..."
"...because I'm the real Subject Alpha."
