Chapter 9: The Last Experiment
Damian ran toward the entrance.
Detective Harris shouted behind him.
“Brooks! Wait for my team!””
But Damian didn't stop.
Daniel was already beside him.
The two brothers reached the main doors just as Denise was pulled backward by one of the guards.
“Mom!””
Denise fought against the man's grip.
“Damian, listen to me!””
A guard stepped into their path.
Daniel struck first.
He drove his shoulder into the man's chest, knocking him against the security desk.
Damian grabbed the second guard's arm and forced him away from the doorway.
“Where are my daughters?””
The guard pointed toward the elevator.
“Third floor.””
Damian released him.
“Daniel!””
His brother was already running.
They reached the elevator.
The doors began closing.
Daniel forced his arm between them.
The doors reopened.
Inside stood a young Black nurse holding a clipboard.
She stared at the two identical men.
Then she dropped the clipboard.
“Oh, no.””
Damian stepped forward.
“Where are the girls?””
The nurse looked toward the security camera.
“Please. You don't understand.””
“Where?””
She pointed toward the third floor.
“Room 312.””
The elevator doors closed.
As they rose, Daniel turned toward Damian.
“Whatever happens, don't let Marcus get between you and Ava.””
Damian looked at him.
“What are you planning?””
Daniel shook his head.
“I'm planning to get my daughter back.””
Room 312 was empty.
Two small beds stood against the wall.
Ava's pink cardigan lay folded on one.
Ruby's lavender dress was draped over the other.
Damian picked up the cardigan.
It still smelled faintly of the strawberry shampoo Ava used.
“Where are they?””
Daniel opened the connecting door.
Beyond it was a corridor lined with observation windows.
A woman in a white coat walked past carrying a folder.
Damian caught her attention.
“Have you seen two little girls?””
She stopped.
Her eyes moved between the brothers.
Then she looked toward a door at the end of the hallway.
“Room 319.””
Damian hurried forward.
He reached the door.
Locked.
He struck it.
“Ava!””
A small voice answered.
“Daddy?””
Damian closed his eyes in relief.
“Baby, I'm here.””
“Daddy, there's another man who looks like you.””
Daniel moved beside him.
“Ruby, it's your dad.””
The door opened.
Ava rushed into Damian's arms.
Ruby ran toward Daniel.
Both men held their daughters tightly.
For a few seconds, the world disappeared.
Then Ava whispered something.
“Daddy, Grandpa said you weren't really my daddy.””
Damian pulled back.
“Look at me, sweetheart.””
She looked up.
“I'm your daddy. Nothing anyone says can change that.””
“But he said—”
“He's wrong.””
Damian kissed her forehead.
“I'm your father because I love you. Because I've been here every day. Because I will always come when you need me.””
Ava nodded.
Then she whispered:
“Mommy is upstairs.””
Damian froze.
“What?””
“Grandpa said she was coming to see us.””
Daniel looked at Ruby.
“Did you see her?””
Ruby nodded.
“She was crying.””
Damian stood.
“Where?””
Ruby pointed toward the staircase.
“Up there.””
The brothers climbed to the fourth floor.
At the end of the corridor stood a heavy glass door.
Behind it was a small office.
Olivia sat in a chair beside a desk.
Her hair was shorter.
Her face thinner.
But she was alive.
Damian placed his hand against the glass.
“Olivia.””
She looked up.
For one second, she didn't seem to recognize him.
Then she stood.
“Damian?””
He rushed to the door.
A keypad controlled the lock.
Daniel searched the desk outside.
“Try the key Denise gave you.””
Damian pulled out the brass key.
It fit into a small emergency lock beneath the keypad.
He turned it.
The door opened.
Olivia stepped into the hallway.
Damian caught her before her knees could give way.
He wrapped his arms around her.
For two years, he had imagined this moment.
He had imagined questions.
Anger.
Explanations.
Instead, all he could say was her name.
“Olivia.””
She buried her face against his chest.
“I'm sorry.””
He held her tighter.
“Don't.””
“I tried to come home.””
“I know.””
“I tried so many times.””
He pulled back.
“Why didn't you tell me?””
Olivia looked at Daniel.
Then at the girls.
“Because Marcus threatened all of you. He told me that if I contacted Damian, he would make sure neither daughter survived.””
Daniel stepped forward.
“Why did he keep me alive?””
Olivia looked at him.
“Because he needed you.””
“For what?””
She hesitated.
Then pointed toward the office.
“Come inside.””
The office contained several computers and a large screen displaying medical records.
Olivia closed the door.
“Marcus has been running a private program here for years. He believed he could use identical genetic material from twins to study inherited traits and eventually create a perfect biological successor.””
Daniel looked disgusted.
“He wanted us to be his replacements.””
“Yes.””
Damian examined the documents.
“What does this have to do with the girls?””
Olivia pulled up a file.
“The girls were conceived through his fertility program. He wanted to track how two identical men could father children with the same woman.””
Daniel stared at the screen.
“So he arranged everything?””
Olivia nodded.
“He manipulated medical records, controlled the fertility treatment, and used false identities. He even altered the original birth certificates.””
Damian scrolled through the documents.
Then he found something that made him stop.
A file marked:
*SUBJECT 001 — MARCUS BROOKS.*
Beneath it was another.
*SUBJECT 002 — DAMIAN BROOKS.*
And another.
*SUBJECT 003 — DANIEL BROOKS.*
But the fourth file was different.
*SUBJECT 004 — AVA BROOKS.*
The fifth:
*SUBJECT 005 — RUBY BROOKS.*
Each contained photographs, medical histories, and years of observations.
Damian felt sick.
“They've been watching our children since birth.””
Olivia nodded.
“I discovered the files two years ago. I copied everything and tried to expose him.””
“Then why did you disappear?””
“Marcus found out. He brought me here and forced me to work with him.””
Daniel clenched his fists.
“And Denise?””
Olivia looked down.
“Your mother tried to help me. But Marcus threatened to have both girls taken away permanently.””
Damian turned.
“Why did she say she helped him?””
“Because she did. At first, she gave him information about us. But when she discovered what he planned to do to the girls, she tried to stop him.””
Daniel looked away.
The brothers were silent.
Then Olivia touched Damian's hand.
“There's one more thing.””
He turned.
“What?””
She opened a folder labeled *FINAL TRANSFER.*
Inside was an authorization form.
It contained Marcus's signature.
And a scheduled transfer date.
Tomorrow morning.
The destination was a private facility outside the United States.
Damian stared.
“He's taking the girls?””
Olivia nodded.
“He believes they're the final part of his research.””
Daniel stepped toward the desk.
“Then we destroy everything.””
Olivia shook her head.
“We can't.””
“Why not?””
“Because Marcus has already transferred the original files. If we destroy this system, he'll claim the records never existed.””
Damian looked at her.
“What do you suggest?””
Olivia pointed toward a small red button beneath the desk.
“This building has an emergency broadcast system. It was designed to send every original research record to an independent medical oversight board and several federal investigators.””
Daniel stared.
“Then why haven't you activated it?””
“Because the system requires two biological signatures from the original subjects.””
Damian looked at Daniel.
“Us?””
Olivia nodded.
“Both of you.””
Damian moved toward the console.
A scanner appeared.
He placed his hand against it.
A green light flashed.
*IDENTITY VERIFIED: DAMIAN BROOKS.*
Daniel followed.
Another green light.
*IDENTITY VERIFIED: DANIEL BROOKS.*
The system began loading.
Then a warning appeared.
<text color="danger" weight="semibold">FINAL AUTHORIZATION REQUIRED: ORIGINAL FAMILY WITNESS.</text>
Damian frowned.
“What does that mean?””
Olivia stared at the screen.
Before she could answer, the office door opened.
Denise stood there.
Her face was bruised, and one sleeve was torn.
“I know what it means,” she said.
Daniel stepped toward her.
“Then tell us.””
Denise looked at her two sons.
Then at Olivia.
“Your father made me sign the original authorization.””
She approached the console.
“I was the first person who agreed to the program.””
Damian stared.
“Mom…”
Denise placed her hand against the scanner.
The screen flashed red.
*WITNESS IDENTITY VERIFIED.*
A new message appeared.
*FINAL AUTHORIZATION ACCEPTED.*
Then the system began transmitting.
A progress bar appeared.
12%.
24%.
39%.
Suddenly, the office lights went out.
A loud alarm sounded.
The screen flashed.
*TRANSMISSION INTERRUPTED.*
A man's voice came through the speakers.
“I'm afraid that's enough.””
Marcus stepped into the doorway.
He held a remote control in one hand.
Behind him stood four security guards.
And in his other hand was a small photograph of Ava and Ruby.
“You've all made this much more difficult than it needed to be,” he said.
Damian stepped in front of the girls.
“It's over.””
Marcus smiled.
“No, son.””
He raised the remote.
“It's only over when I decide it is.””
Then he looked at Denise.
“You were always my weakest link.””
He pressed a button.
A heavy steel door slammed shut between the brothers and the girls.
Olivia screamed.
Daniel rushed toward the door.
Damian struck the glass with both fists.
And Marcus calmly walked away with Ava and Ruby.
The screen flickered one last time.
May you like
*TRANSMISSION COMPLETE: 87%.*
Then every monitor went black.
