Chapter 11 - The Mill
At 8:52, Thomas entered the abandoned textile mill alone.
At least, Gabriel believed he was alone.
The hard drive was inside Thomas's jacket.
The red unit was in his pocket.
A fake memory card sat in his hand.
Sarah's team was positioned at the river tunnel exit.
Thomas had refused a wire.
Gabriel would check.
The mill was enormous.
Broken windows.
Rusting machines.
Concrete floors.
Water dripping somewhere in the dark.
A light appeared at the far end.
“Keep walking,” a man called.
Thomas obeyed.
Two armed men searched him.
One found the hard drive.
Thomas's pulse jumped.
“What's this?”
“The rest of what Gabriel wants.”
The man took it.
He didn't find the tiny transmitter Sarah had sewn into the heel of Thomas's shoe.
Thomas was led upstairs.
Gabriel waited in an old office.
Madeleine sat tied to a chair.
Her lip was split.
Thomas's stomach twisted.
Émilie was beside her.
For twelve years, Thomas had imagined seeing Émilie again.
Sometimes she apologized.
Sometimes he screamed.
Sometimes they simply looked at each other.
Reality was different.
She looked older.
Of course she did.
So did he.
Lines around her eyes.
A bruise along her cheek.
But she was still Émilie.
And when she saw him, every wall Thomas had built over twelve years cracked at once.
“Thomas.”
He couldn't answer.
Gabriel stepped between them.
“Touching.”
Thomas held out the fake card.
“Let them go.”
Gabriel took it.
“And the red unit?”
Thomas removed it.
Gabriel smiled.
“There we are.”
He handed both to one of his men.
Thomas looked at Émilie.
“Where's Sophie?” Gabriel asked.
“Safe.”
“That wasn't the question.”
“You're never getting near her again.”
Gabriel sighed.
“I always liked your confidence.”
“You killed my father.”
Madeleine's eyes widened.
Émilie closed hers.
Gabriel's expression stayed flat.
“Pierre killed himself with bad judgment.”
“You forced his car off the road.”
“I wasn't driving.”
“So you admit someone was.”
Gabriel smiled.
“No. I said nothing of the sort.”
Thomas understood.
Even now, Gabriel was careful.
Every sentence measured.
Every word deniable.
Thomas glanced at Émilie.
Her eyes moved toward the floor.
Once.
Twice.
Thomas followed her gaze.
A metal grate.
Tunnel access.
She was telling him where Gabriel planned to go.
Gabriel connected the hard drive to a laptop.
His face changed.
“This is encrypted.”
“Dad liked passwords.”
“Unlock it.”
“I can't.”
Gabriel looked at Madeleine.
Then pulled a gun.
Thomas stepped forward.
“Don't.”
Gabriel pointed the weapon at her.
“Unlock it.”
“I don't know the password.”
Gabriel moved the barrel to Émilie.
“Then guess.”
Thomas stared at the screen.
PASSWORD REQUIRED.
Below it was a hint.
THE FIRST TRUTH.
Thomas's mind raced.
First truth.
Pierre?
Émilie?
Sophie?
Then he remembered the community center.
The first thing Émilie ever said to him.
You are an idiot.
Thomas almost laughed.
He typed:
YOUAREANIDIOT
The drive unlocked.
Émilie's eyes widened.
“You remembered.”
Thomas looked at her.
“I remembered everything.”
Gabriel searched the folders.
His smile returned.
“Finally.”
Then the red unit in his hand began flashing.
Gabriel frowned.
Thomas didn't.
Because he knew what that meant now.
Someone had activated the other transmitter.
Sophie.
Gabriel looked toward the screen.
A new message appeared automatically.
REMOTE MIRROR ACTIVE.
His face changed.
“What did you do?”
Thomas smiled.
“Nothing.”
Émilie did.
“Twelve years ago,” she said, “I built the system so every time you opened the complete archive…”
Gabriel stared at her.
“…it copied itself somewhere you couldn't reach.”
Gabriel's face twisted.
“To where?”
Thomas looked at the blinking light.
May you like
Émilie answered.
“Everywhere.”
