CHAPTER 8: The World Wanted Her Alive… But One Man Wanted Her Dead
The explosion lit up the night sky.
The Carter Mansion collapsed into a mountain of fire and dust.
Helicopters circled overhead.
Military vehicles flooded every road leading to the estate.
Evelyn and her father barely escaped through an underground tunnel that emptied into an abandoned train station miles away.
For several minutes...
Neither of them spoke.
Finally, Evelyn broke the silence.
"Who am I?"
Her father stopped walking.
He looked at her with tears in his eyes.
"I've asked myself that question every day for twenty-six years."
Before he could explain...
Every phone inside the station suddenly vibrated.
Then every giant screen flickered on.
News anchors around the world interrupted their broadcasts.
A red banner flashed across every channel.
GLOBAL SECURITY ALERT
SUBJECT E-18 HAS BEEN LOCATED.
Within seconds, Evelyn's face appeared on television.
Governments called her the most dangerous person alive.
Scientists called her the greatest medical breakthrough in history.
The media called her...
"The Billion-Dollar Woman."
Evelyn stared at the screen in disbelief.
"They think I'm a weapon."
Her father answered quietly.
"No."
"They're afraid of what you can become."
Suddenly, the flash drive Samuel had given her began blinking with a blue light.
It had never done that before.
A hidden fingerprint scanner slid out from the side.
Evelyn hesitated.
"Should I touch it?"
Her father nodded.
"It was always meant for you."
The moment her finger touched the scanner...
The drive unlocked.
A holographic image appeared.
Not a file.
Not a document.
A woman.
She looked exactly like Evelyn.
Same eyes.
Same voice.
Same face.
The woman smiled gently.
"If you're watching this..."
"...it means I'm already dead."
Evelyn stepped backward.
"Who are you?"
"My name is Elena."
"I am Subject E-17."
The room fell silent.
"No..." Evelyn whispered.
"Samuel said E-17 died."
Elena smiled sadly.
"He told the truth."
"I died..."
"...three years ago."
Evelyn felt her heart race.
"Then how are you speaking to me?"
"This is an AI recording built from my memories."
Elena continued,
"If Project Phoenix ever finds E-18..."
"...the world will end."
Before Evelyn could ask another question...
The hologram suddenly glitched.
Warning symbols flashed across the screen.
REMOTE ACCESS DETECTED
Someone was hacking the flash drive.
The image froze.
Then another face appeared.
The Phoenix Commander.
He smiled directly at Evelyn.
"Thank you."
"You just activated the tracker."
Her father cursed under his breath.
"No..."
The commander's voice echoed through the station.
"We couldn't find you..."
"So we let you find us."
Outside...
The sound of helicopter blades grew louder.
Dozens of black helicopters descended from the clouds.
Searchlights swept across the abandoned station.
Armed soldiers surrounded every exit.
There was nowhere left to run.
Then a single black limousine rolled slowly through the military blockade.
Every soldier saluted.
The rear door opened.
An elderly man stepped out, wearing a perfectly tailored black suit.
Even the Phoenix Commander lowered his head in respect.
The old man looked directly at Evelyn.
Then he smiled.
"My granddaughter..."
"It's time to come home."
Evelyn's father turned deathly pale.
His voice trembled with fear.
"That's impossible..."
"We buried him twenty-five years ago."
The old man chuckled.
"You buried my body."
"But you never buried my empire."
He removed one black leather glove.
On the back of his hand was the same symbol engraved on the LEGACY keys.
A silver phoenix.
Then he spoke the words that shattered everything Evelyn thought she knew.
May you like
"I didn't create Project Phoenix..."
"Project Phoenix was created to protect YOU... from ME."
