Chapter 8 - THE CHOICE NO SISTER SHOULD MAKELucie had spent three years searching for Julien.
Three years imagining the moment she would finally bring him home.
Now, with forty-three lives hanging in the balance, she was being asked to hand him back to the people who had stolen those years from them.
"No," she said.
Bellamy's voice remained calm.
"Then you have made your decision."
"Wait."
Julien stepped forward.
Lucie caught his arm.
"Don't."
He looked at her.
"Those people have families."
"So do you."
"I know."
"Then act like it."
Julien's eyes filled.
"Lucie, if we let them die just to save me, everything I've done here will mean nothing."
She shook her head.
"Don't ask me to do this."
"I'm not asking you to surrender me."
He glanced toward the control station.
"I'm asking you to trust me."
Lucie studied his face.
There was something familiar in his expression.
The same look he had worn when they were children and he had invented some reckless plan that somehow always worked.
"What are you thinking?"
Julien lowered his voice.
"The system still recognizes my credentials."
"Bellamy knows that."
"He knows the credentials he gave me."
Lucie understood.
"You created another access point."
Julien smiled.
"I've had three years."
He explained that he had hidden a backup control function inside the facility's maintenance network. It wasn't powerful enough to shut down the entire system, but it could briefly release the patient doors.
The problem was timing.
They needed Bellamy to believe Julien had surrendered.
Lucie looked toward Valois.
"Can you arrange the exchange?"
Valois nodded.
"I can contact his security team."
Mara stepped forward.
"I'll go with Julien."
Lucie stared at her.
"Why?"
"Bellamy trusts me less than he trusts your brother. If he sees both of us, he'll think he's won."
Julien shook his head.
"You don't have to."
Mara looked at him.
"Yes, I do."
For years, Mara had measured every decision by what it would cost her.
Money.
Power.
Freedom.
Now she was measuring it by what it might give someone else.
A chance to survive.
A chance to go home.
A chance to know the truth.
Valois contacted Bellamy.
The exchange was arranged at the central medical checkpoint.
Lucie would remain behind.
Julien and Mara would surrender.
In return, the patient doors would be opened.
Bellamy agreed too quickly.
That worried Lucie.
As Julien prepared to leave, she caught his hand.
"Promise me you'll come back."
He looked at her for a long moment.
"I promise I'll try."
"That's not good enough."
"It's the only honest promise I can make."
She embraced him.
He held her tightly.
"Do you remember the summer Dad taught us to swim?" he whispered.
Lucie frowned.
"What?"
"You were terrified of the deep water."
"Julien—"
"You kept saying you'd drown."
She remembered.
Their father had stood in the lake, holding out his arms.
Julien had jumped first.
Then he had turned and shouted that the water was safe.
"I remember."
Julien smiled.
"You didn't believe Dad."
"No."
"But you believed me."
Lucie swallowed.
"Yes."
He kissed her forehead.
"Believe me now."
Then he walked away with Mara.
Lucie watched them disappear down the corridor.
The countdown showed thirty-eight minutes.
Valois remained beside her.
For the first time, his voice sounded old.
"I should have protected your family."
Lucie didn't look at him.
"Yes."
"I can't undo what happened."
"No."
"But I can help finish this."
She turned.
"Then start by telling the truth."
Valois nodded.
He removed a small encrypted communication device from his pocket.
"This connects to an independent investigator. Someone I should have contacted years ago."
"Who?"
"Inspector Camille Laurent. Internal Affairs."
"Can we trust her?"
"Your mother did."
Lucie stared at him.
Valois handed her the device.
Then the monitor flickered.
Julien had reached the checkpoint.
Bellamy appeared on the screen.
He smiled.
"Welcome back, Julien."
Julien raised his hands.
"Open the patient doors."
Bellamy nodded toward a guard.
The first shutter began rising.
Lucie exhaled.
Then a second guard stepped behind Julien.
He placed a gun against his head.
Bellamy leaned toward the camera.
"One final condition."
Lucie's stomach dropped.
Bellamy smiled.
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"LUCIE MUST COME ALONE. OTHERWISE, HER BROTHER DIES IN FRONT OF HER."
End of Chapter 8 — Cliffhanger: Bellamy has anticipated the exchange and now demands Lucie surrender herself.
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