CHAPTER 7 – The Last Tape
The soldiers surrounded the cabin within seconds.
"Drop the weapon!"
Michael slowly lowered his pistol.
Emma tightened her grip around the silver ring hidden inside her pocket.
The commander stepped forward with a calm smile.
"I'm Director Nathan Brooks."
"We're here to protect you."
Emma remembered Richard's dying words.
Don't trust the people coming to save you.
She said nothing.
Nathan glanced at Richard lying in a pool of blood.
"What a shame."
"He almost kept his promise."
Michael exploded.
"You murdered Alexander!"
Nathan smiled.
"No."
"He refused to disappear."
The commander snapped his fingers.
Soldiers dragged a black metal case from one of the armored vehicles.
Nathan opened it.
Inside...
Emma saw dozens of old videotapes.
Each one labeled with a different year.
All the way to...
Emma frowned.
"What are these?"
Nathan looked directly into her eyes.
"Messages from your father."
Silence.
Michael froze.
"Impossible..."
Nathan inserted the final tape into a portable player.
The screen flickered.
Then...
General Alexander Hayes appeared.
Older.
Alive.
He looked straight into the camera.
"If you're watching this..."
"...they finally found Emma."
Emma couldn't breathe.
"Dad..."
Alexander continued.
"I've spent thirty years hiding because Genesis was never information."
"It was a person."
Emma's heartbeat stopped.
The General slowly smiled through tears.
"My daughter..."
You are Project Genesis.
The entire cabin fell silent.
Emma whispered,
"What does that mean?"
Nathan answered before the video could continue.
"It means your DNA contains something worth billions."
Michael looked horrified.
"No..."
"They experimented on her?"
Nathan nodded.
"Not after she was born."
"Before."
Emma felt sick.
"My mother..."
Nathan smiled.
"She volunteered."
Michael shouted,
"She never knew what they were doing!"
Nathan laughed.
"By the time she realized..."
"...it was too late."
Before anyone could react...
The portable video suddenly displayed a hidden message.
Alexander's face became deadly serious.
"If Nathan Brooks is standing beside you..."
"...run."
The screen went black.
Nathan's smile disappeared.
May you like
"So..."
"...he really did leave you one last surprise."
