CHAPTER 8 — The Man Behind Everything
"I ordered your birth."
The words echoed through the underground chamber like a death sentence.
No one moved.
No one even breathed.
Daniel stared at the stranger in the black suit.
"What... did you just say?"
The man smiled calmly, as if discussing the weather.
"You weren't an accident."
"You were the final piece of a project that began thirty years ago."
Marcus's fists tightened.
"I should have killed you when I had the chance."
The man chuckled.
"You couldn't."
"You needed me alive."
Emily stepped in front of Daniel and their daughter, raising her weapon.
"Who are you?"
The stranger slowly removed his leather gloves.
"My name is Victor Ashcroft."
"The founder of Project Lazarus."
"The man your government has been protecting for decades."
Every monitor in the room suddenly displayed the same classified seal.
TOP SECRET — PROJECT GENESIS
Daniel frowned.
"Genesis?"
Victor nodded.
"Lazarus was never the real project."
"It was only Phase Two."
Marcus looked horrified.
"No..."
"You actually completed it."
Victor smiled.
"Yes."
He pressed a button on a small remote.
One by one, enormous glass chambers rose from the floor.
Inside each chamber...
A child.
Dozens of them.
Boys.
Girls.
All sleeping.
All connected to life-support machines.
Daniel's voice trembled.
"Who are they?"
Victor answered proudly.
"The future."
"Children engineered to become the world's next presidents, judges, CEOs, military commanders..."
"They don't inherit power."
"They are created for it."
Emily felt sick.
"You kidnapped them..."
Victor shook his head.
"No."
"Some were bought."
"Some were abandoned."
"And some..."
He looked directly at Marcus and Emily.
"...were stolen."
Marcus roared with rage and charged.
Victor didn't even flinch.
Before Marcus reached him...
A loud crack echoed through the room.
Marcus collapsed to one knee.
A tranquilizer dart protruded from his neck.
Within seconds, his vision blurred.
Daniel caught his father before he hit the ground.
Victor sighed.
"You've always been predictable."
Then he looked at Daniel.
"But you..."
"You've exceeded every expectation."
Daniel glared at him.
"I'll never become like you."
Victor smiled.
"Oh, Daniel..."
"You already are."
He tapped a key on the central computer.
A hidden file appeared on every screen.
SUBJECT D-01
Status: SUCCESSFUL
Daniel's childhood photos filled the monitors.
Medical records.
DNA reports.
Psychological evaluations.
Every birthday.
Every school.
Every promotion.
Every decision he had ever made.
He had been watched his entire life.
Then Daniel noticed one final line at the bottom of the screen.
Current Controller: Daniel Hayes
He looked up in confusion.
"What does that mean?"
Victor's smile grew wider.
"It means..."
"You've never been hunting Project Genesis."
"You've been leading it."
At that exact second...
The little girl suddenly screamed.
Every light inside the bunker exploded.
The computers rebooted.
Then an artificial voice announced:
"DNA Override Accepted."
"Project Genesis Control Transferred."
"New Director Confirmed..."
The entire room fell silent.
Every screen displayed a single name.
DIRECTOR: DANIEL HAYES
And every armed soldier in the bunker slowly turned...
Not toward Victor.
But toward Daniel.
Then, in perfect unison, they saluted him.
May you like
"Awaiting your orders, Director."
TO BE CONTINUED...
