Chapter 13 - The House That Was Never Empty
Emily stared at the monitor.
The man entering her house looked exactly like Daniel.
Same height.
Same haircut.
Same dark jacket.
But Daniel stood only a few feet away behind the observation glass.
"Who is that?" Emily whispered.
Daniel looked only once before lowering his eyes.
"I hoped you'd never see him."
The stranger moved comfortably through the living room.
He opened cabinets without hesitation.
Unlocked drawers.
Walked into the bedroom.
As though he had lived there for years.
Emily watched in disbelief as the man stopped before the family photographs.
He smiled.
Then he removed every picture containing Daniel.
Leaving only Emily.
The image suddenly cut to another camera.
Garage.
The gray suitcase sat where Emily had left it.
The stranger knelt beside it.
Instead of using the combination lock, he pressed his thumb against the handle.
The suitcase opened instantly.
Biometric access.
Dr. Hale noticed Emily's expression.
"You thought Daniel was unique?"
He chuckled quietly.
"There has never been only one Daniel."
Emily slowly turned toward him.
"What does that mean?"
"It means identities can be manufactured."
The stranger inside the garage removed a metal briefcase from beneath the false bottom of the suitcase.
He opened it.
Inside were passports.
Dozens of them.
Each carried a different name.
Each displayed the same face.
Daniel's face.
Emily felt dizzy.
"No..."
Hale nodded.
"One man cannot be everywhere."
He gestured toward the monitors.
"So sometimes..."
"...we make more."
Daniel's grip tightened around the pistol.
"You've gone too far."
"No," Hale answered calmly.
"You simply became attached."
The stranger closed the briefcase and looked directly toward the hidden garage camera.
Then, incredibly...
He smiled at Emily through the monitor.
May you like
As though he knew she was watching.
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