Chapter 8: The Sister They Chose
“Now we find out which sister belongs to me.””
The voice came through the airport speakers.
My own voice almost answered.
Instead, I stared at the screen.
Two identical women stood inside the first-class cabin.
One was my mother.
Or what I had believed was my mother.
The other wore a dark coat and held a photograph of Zena against her chest.
For twenty-four years, I had never seen another face that looked so much like hers.
Now there were two.
Zena's fingers dug into my arm.
“Nora.””
“I know.””
“Which one is Mom?””
“I don't know.””
Martin Reese took one step toward us.
“You don't need to know yet.””
Zena spun toward him.
“You brought us here.””
“I brought you to the only place where the truth could be forced into the open.””
“You knew this would happen.””
“Yes.””
Her eyes filled with anger.
“You knew they were going to use us.””
“I knew they would try.””
“That's not better.””
Martin lowered his head.
“No. It isn't.””
Daniel was already speaking into his radio.
“Flight 882, this is Northstar command. Respond immediately.””
Static.
Again.
Nothing.
He tried another frequency.
Still nothing.
Then one of the security officers shouted.
“Sir!””
Everyone looked toward the terminal windows.
A black van had pulled up near the aircraft.
Another stopped behind it.
Then a third.
Daniel swore.
“Lock every vehicle access point.””
The security team scattered.
The screens flickered.
The two women in the cabin remained perfectly still.
Then one of them leaned toward the camera.
The one holding Zena’s photograph.
She smiled.
“Hello, girls.””
Zena's face hardened.
“Tell me who you are.””
The woman laughed softly.
“You already know.””
“No,” Zena said.
“I don't.””
The woman glanced at the second Evelyn.
“She does.””
The other woman looked at her.
Their faces were identical, but their expressions were not.
One looked cold.
The other looked terrified.
Then the frightened one spoke.
“Zena, don't listen to her.””
The cold woman grabbed her arm.
“Quiet.””
My mother looked directly into the camera.
“Nora.””
I stepped closer to the screen.
“Mom?””
She shook her head.
“No. Not that name.””
The woman beside her smiled.
“Good.””
My mother looked at me.
“I need you to remember the hospital.””
I swallowed.
“The day Zena was born?””
“Yes.””
“I remember.””
“No.””
Her eyes filled with tears.
“You remember what you were told.””
The distinction hit me.
I suddenly saw it.
A hospital hallway.
A blue plastic bracelet around my tiny wrist.
A nurse carrying someone through a swinging door.
A woman crying.
But the memory was broken.
Pieces.
Images without order.
I closed my eyes.
“I was there.””
“No,” Mom whispered.
“You weren't.””
A strange sound escaped my throat.
“What do you mean?””
“You were already gone.””
Zena stared at me.
“I don't understand.””
The frightened Evelyn spoke quickly.
“Because you weren't born in the hospital.””
The cold woman slapped her across the face.
Security officers on the screen moved, but the camera suddenly cut away.
Zena grabbed my shoulders.
“What did she mean?””
I shook my head.
“I don't know.””
Martin spoke behind us.
“She means you were brought there.””
I turned.
“From where?””
He looked at me.
“From a house outside the city.””
“When?””
“Twenty-four years ago.””
“Why?””
“Because someone had already tried to kill your mother.””
Daniel stopped.
“Martin.””
“No.””
Martin looked at him.
“She deserves to know.””
Daniel shook his head.
“You don't know what you're doing.””
Martin's expression hardened.
“I know exactly what I'm doing.””
He looked at Zena.
“Your mother was investigating Project Lantern when she discovered two things.””
“What?””
“That people were being assigned replacement identities.””
Zena frowned.
“And?””
Martin looked at me.
“Children were being used to make those identities permanent.””
My skin went numb.
“What does that mean?””
“It means a child could be registered under a dead person's identity.””
Zena whispered, “A child?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“To create clean records.””
I thought about the document hidden beneath the compass.
*SUBJECT: ZENA HART*
*ORIGINAL IDENTITY: UNKNOWN*
I looked at my sister.
She had tears in her eyes.
“That's me.””
Martin nodded.
“We think so.””
“Think?””
“There are still records missing.””
Daniel suddenly stepped in.
“Enough.””
He took the black envelope from Martin.
“You've given them enough to make them panic.””
Martin grabbed his wrist.
“No.””
Daniel pulled free.
“You promised Evelyn.””
“I promised Evelyn I'd protect the girls.””
“Then protect them from this.””
“No.””
Martin stared at him.
“The only way to protect them now is to tell them the truth.””
A sharp metallic bang came from the aircraft.
Everyone turned.
The screen returned.
The cabin door was open.
The two women were gone.
In their place stood a man wearing a pilot's uniform.
He was holding a small black device.
He pressed a button.
The aircraft lights went dark.
Then he looked directly into the camera.
“Evelyn Hart has one minute to identify which daughter is hers.””
Zena stepped backward.
“What?””
The pilot continued.
“If she refuses, both identities will be released.””
Daniel went pale.
“That's a bluff.””
Martin shook his head.
“No.””
The pilot smiled.
“And your father is already listening.””
A second screen opened.
My father's face appeared.
Thomas Hart.
He looked older than he had that morning.
Exhausted.
His shirt collar was open.
There was a bruise along his cheek.
I ran toward the screen.
“Dad!””
He looked up.
“Nora.””
“What did you do?””
His eyes closed.
“I tried to stop them.””
“You chose me.””
He looked at Zena.
Then at me.
“I chose both of you.””
“You said only one of us was Evelyn's child.””
“I lied.””
Zena stepped forward.
“Why?””
Dad's voice shook.
“Because there were people listening.””
The pilot laughed.
“They're done listening.””
Dad looked terrified.
“Nora, don't answer any questions.””
The pilot tilted his head.
“Why?””
Dad said nothing.
The pilot continued.
“Because if she chooses incorrectly, one daughter disappears.””
My stomach tightened.
Zena grabbed my hand.
“Don't choose.””
The pilot smiled.
“That's not an option.””
Dad looked at me.
“Your mother always knew this day might come.””
“Then why didn't she tell us?””
“Because she wanted you to have a childhood.””
I felt tears burn my eyes.
“And what about Zena?””
Dad looked at her.
“Zena was never supposed to be part of this.””
She stared.
“Then why was my name in the box?””
Dad's face broke.
“Because they thought she was.””
Silence.
“What does that mean?””
“I don't know which records are real anymore.””
The pilot lifted the black device.
“You have thirty seconds.””
Daniel stepped toward the screen.
“You're making a mistake.””
The pilot smiled.
“I know exactly what I'm doing.””
“Who authorized this?””
The pilot looked directly at him.
“You know who.””
Daniel's face went still.
“Martin Vale.””
The pilot nodded.
“Correct.””
Grant suddenly spoke.
“He isn't dead.””
Everyone turned toward him.
Grant had been silent for several minutes.
He looked at Daniel.
“Martin Vale is alive.””
Daniel stared at him.
“No.””
“I saw him six months ago.””
“Where?””
Grant swallowed.
“Terminal Four.””
Daniel grabbed him.
“You're lying.””
Grant shook his head.
“He gave me the instructions for today.””
My chest tightened.
“Then he told you to steal our seats?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Grant looked at me.
“To bring both sisters to the airport.””
Zena's voice trembled.
“For what?””
“To force your mother to reveal which daughter she protected first.””
I looked at the screen.
My mother was nowhere to be seen.
Then the pilot spoke again.
“Ten seconds.””
Dad shouted,
“Evelyn!””
A woman's voice answered from somewhere inside the plane.
“I'm here.””
My mother's face appeared on the screen.
She was standing beside the frightened twin.
Blood ran from her temple.
But she was upright.
She looked straight into the camera.
Then straight at us.
“Nora.””
I nodded through tears.
“I'm here.””
She swallowed.
“Zena.””
My sister answered.
“I'm here.””
Mom looked between us.
“I need you to remember one thing.””
“What?””
“You were both my daughters.””
The cold woman stepped into frame.
“No.””
Mom stared at her.
“Yes.””
“You only raised one.””
“I loved both.””
The cold woman laughed.
“Love doesn't determine blood.””
“No,” Mom said.
“But it determines family.””
The pilot's expression tightened.
“Time.””
My mother suddenly removed the brass necklace from around her own neck.
A compass.
The same design.
She held it up.
Then she looked directly at me.
“Turn yours over again.””
I did.
“Now compare the engraving.””
I looked.
The tiny compass beneath the needle had a series of microscopic marks around the edge.
I had never noticed them.
Zena leaned closer.
“Those are initials.””
I traced them with my finger.
N.
E.
Z.
A.
D.
N.
“Mom,” I whispered, “what do they spell?””
She smiled through the blood on her face.
“Read the first letters.””
I looked again.
N.
E.
Z.
A.
D.
N.
Then I understood.
It wasn't a name.
It was an instruction.
*N E Z A D N.*
Reverse it.
*N D A Z E N.*
No.
I frowned.
“It's scrambled.””
Mom nodded.
“You've got thirty years less experience than I do.””
“We don't have thirty years.””
“Then use your sister.””
Zena took my compass.
She turned it over.
“There's another layer.””
She pressed her thumb into the brass.
A second plate opened.
Inside was a tiny photograph.
Two newborn babies.
Side by side.
One had a hospital bracelet.
The other didn't.
On the back was a handwritten sentence.
Zena read it aloud.
“*The daughter without the bracelet is Evelyn's biological child.*”
We looked at each other.
Then at the photograph.
I could barely breathe.
My sister looked at me.
“Nora…”
The picture showed two babies.
And beneath them were two initials.
*A.*
*B.*
Mom closed her eyes.
The cold woman stepped forward.
“Now choose.””
I stared at the photograph.
One baby wore the hospital bracelet.
One didn't.
And suddenly I remembered something from the day we were born.
Not a hallway.
Not a nurse.
A hand.
My mother's hand.
Holding mine.
And a woman whispering into her ear:
“Take Baby B.””
I looked at the photograph again.
Then at Zena.
“Mom,” I whispered, “which baby was I?””
She opened her eyes.
Before she could answer, the screen went black.
A single message appeared.
*DNA CONFIRMATION COMPLETE.*
Then beneath it:
*NORA HART — MATCH: 100%*
*ZENA HART — MATCH: 0%*
Zena's hand slipped from mine.
She stared at the screen.
May you like
And whispered,
“I was never your sister.””
