Chapter 7: The Brother Who Was Never Supposed to Survive
For several seconds, Daniel couldn't move.
He stood in the underground tunnel, staring at the photograph of two newborn babies as if the paper had just sentenced him to death.
"Which one of us was supposed to die?"" he finally asked.
Eleanor lowered her eyes.
"Richard wanted Samuel eliminated. He believed Nathaniel would be easier to control if he remained the only surviving heir.""
Daniel looked at me.
"So you were supposed to be the one who survived.""
I shook my head.
"I didn't know any of this.""
"I know.""
His voice sounded different now. Colder. More distant.
He turned toward Grace.
"Did you know I was alive?""
Grace began crying.
"No. I swear to you, Daniel. I searched for you for years.""
"Then why did you raise him?""
She looked at me.
"Because I promised Victoria I would protect her child. Eleanor told me the other baby had been placed with a family outside Pennsylvania. She believed he would be safe.""
Daniel laughed bitterly.
"And I ended up working for the family that tried to kill me.""
Nobody answered.
I looked at Eleanor.
"How did Daniel end up at the hotel?""
"Richard arranged his adoption under another name. The family who raised him was connected to one of his business associates. When Daniel grew older, Richard made sure he received a security position at Callaway Grand.""
Daniel stared at her.
"You're telling me my entire career was arranged?""
"Yes.""
"Even my promotion?""
Eleanor nodded.
"Richard wanted someone loyal watching over the family.""
Daniel looked down at his hands.
"All these years, I thought I had earned everything myself.""
I stepped closer.
"You did.""
He looked at me.
"Don't.""
"I'm serious. He might have arranged the opportunity, but he didn't make you the man you are.""
Daniel swallowed.
For a moment, I thought he might break down.
Instead, he folded the photograph and put it inside his jacket.
"Where is Richard keeping Samuel?""
Eleanor pointed toward the tunnel exit.
"The old St. Vincent Hospital. That's where you were both born.""
Grace frowned.
"That hospital closed twelve years ago.""
"The medical records department is still there," Eleanor explained.
"Richard bought the property through a private company. He has been using the basement archives to store documents that could destroy him.""
Alexander checked his phone.
"Then we're going there.""
Daniel raised his radio.
"We need backup.""
Eleanor grabbed his arm.
"Not the Callaway security team. Richard controls most of them.""
Daniel nodded.
"I know someone at the state police.""
He made a call.
While he spoke, I moved closer to Grace.
"Mom, why didn't you tell me about Victoria?""
She took my hands.
"I wanted you to have a normal life.""
"That isn't an answer.""
"I know.""
She looked toward the tunnel entrance.
"Victoria was a child when she gave birth to you. She loved you, Nathaniel. But Richard convinced her that keeping you would ruin her life. He told her that you would grow up hating her.""
"And she believed him?""
"She believed him because he had already spent eighteen years teaching her that love was something she had to earn.""
I thought about Victoria on the rooftop.
Her expression when Eleanor had fallen.
The way she'd ordered security to investigate me.
"She still tried to hurt Eleanor.""
Grace nodded.
"Yes. And she must answer for that.""
"Do you think she can be trusted?""
Grace looked at me.
"Not yet.""
At 5:06 a.m., we reached the abandoned hospital.
A thick iron gate blocked the entrance.
The building's windows were boarded up, and weeds covered the parking lot. A faded sign still displayed the hospital's original name.
St. Vincent Medical Center.
Daniel examined the entrance.
"There's another way in.""
He pointed toward a loading dock.
"We used to receive equipment deliveries through that corridor.""
"How do you know?"" I asked.
He looked at me.
"Because Richard made me memorize this building's security layout three years ago.""
I frowned.
"Why?""
"Apparently, he wanted to make sure I could protect his private archive.""
Alexander forced the loading door open.
Inside, the corridor was dark and smelled of disinfectant.
A generator hummed somewhere beneath the building.
We followed the sound downstairs.
At the bottom of the staircase, Daniel stopped.
A camera was mounted above a steel door.
He removed a small device from his pocket.
"Give me thirty seconds.""
He connected it to the control panel.
The light turned green.
The door opened.
Beyond it was a room filled with filing cabinets, old computers, and hospital records.
At the far end, a man sat in a chair with his hands tied.
He looked about twenty-six.
Dark hair.
Gray eyes.
A silver bracelet around his left wrist.
I knew immediately.
Samuel.
My twin brother.
He looked up.
"Who are you?""
Daniel approached him slowly.
"Samuel?""
The young man frowned.
"How do you know that name?""
Daniel cut the restraints.
"I'm Daniel Reed.""
Samuel rubbed his wrists.
"You're the security director?""
"Yes.""
Samuel stared at him.
Then his eyes moved toward me.
I stepped forward.
"I'm Nathaniel.""
He studied my face.
Then looked at Daniel.
Three identical sets of gray eyes stared at one another.
Samuel let out a stunned laugh.
"You're kidding.""
Daniel shook his head.
"No.""
Samuel looked at me.
"So you're the other one.""
I nodded.
He sat down heavily.
"I spent my entire life believing I was adopted because my parents couldn't have children.""
He looked at Daniel.
"Who raised you?""
"A family in Pennsylvania.""
Samuel swallowed.
"Did they love you?""
Daniel nodded.
"Yes.""
Samuel's eyes filled.
"Then at least one of us got lucky.""
Before I could respond, a door slammed behind us.
Richard Callaway stood in the entrance.
Two armed security guards flanked him.
"How touching," he said.
Daniel stepped in front of Samuel.
"You're under arrest.""
Richard laughed.
"By whom?""
Daniel raised his phone.
"The state police are already on their way.""
Richard looked at me.
"You have no idea what you've uncovered.""
I stepped forward.
"I know you tried to kill my brother.""
"Your brother?""
He glanced at Samuel.
"That boy was never meant to exist.""
Samuel stood.
"Funny. I was born anyway.""
Richard's expression hardened.
"Your existence destroyed everything I built.""
He pulled a document from his coat.
"This is the original hospital transfer record. It proves that the baby named Nathaniel Brooks was actually Samuel Callaway.""
I frowned.
"That's impossible.""
Richard smiled.
"Your grandmother switched the identification bands. The child raised by Grace was Samuel. The child sent to the Callaway household was Nathaniel.""
Daniel looked at Eleanor's photograph.
"No.""
Richard continued.
"And the family raised in Pennsylvania was told that Daniel was their son. Every record was altered.""
I felt my stomach turn.
"Then who am I?""
Richard stared at me.
"You're the child Victoria kept.""
I looked at Samuel.
He looked equally confused.
Richard smiled.
"One of you is entitled to the Callaway inheritance. The other is a mistake.""
Then he pulled out a second document.
A signed declaration.
It stated that Samuel had died shortly after birth.
The signature at the bottom belonged to Eleanor.
I stared at the paper.
"Grandmother signed this?""
Richard nodded.
"She did.""
Samuel stepped forward.
"You're lying.""
Richard shrugged.
"Ask her.""
A sudden siren sounded outside.
Richard glanced toward the door.
His guards raised their weapons.
Daniel grabbed Samuel and pushed him behind a filing cabinet.
I lunged toward Richard.
He swung his cane into my ribs.
Pain exploded through my side.
I fell against a desk.
Richard leaned over me.
"You should have stayed in that little house in Philadelphia.""
Then he whispered something that made my blood run cold.
"Your mother didn't die eleven years ago, Nathaniel. She died because she refused to tell me which baby she had saved.""
The door burst open.
Police officers flooded the room.
Richard dropped his cane.
But before they could handcuff him, he looked at Samuel and smiled.
"Ask him about the scar.""
Samuel froze.
I turned toward my brother.
"What scar?""
Samuel pulled back his sleeve.
A long surgical scar ran along the inside of his left arm.
He looked at Richard.
"What did you do to me?""
Richard said nothing.
Instead, he looked at me.
And for the first time, I realized the man wasn't afraid of going to prison.
He was afraid of something else.
May you like
Something buried in the hospital records.
Something neither of us had discovered yet.
