Chapter 32 - The Flight to Sanctuary
Daniel struck the edge of the cargo hatch with both arms.
For one terrifying second, his body hung above the runway.
The aircraft continued gaining speed.
He pulled himself inside as the wheels lifted from the ground.
Below, Victor stopped the truck.
Eleanor watched the jet disappear into the storm.
“He went alone.”
Clara shook her head.
“No. One of my agents boarded before takeoff.”
Inside the cargo hold, Daniel lay between metal containers, struggling to breathe.
A small light flashed near the ceiling.
The compartment smelled of fuel and cold steel.
He stood carefully.
The black archive container had been secured near the rear wall.
Two guards sat beside it.
Neither had noticed him yet.
Daniel moved behind a stack of equipment.
The plane climbed sharply.
One guard received a message through his headset.
“Chairman Ashcroft wants the archive in the forward cabin.”
The second guard unlocked the restraints.
Daniel picked up a loose metal tool.
Before he could act, someone dropped silently from an overhead maintenance compartment.
A woman dressed in gray struck the first guard behind the ear and swept the second man’s legs from under him.
Daniel helped restrain them.
“You’re Clara’s agent?”
The woman nodded.
“Mara Voss.”
“Her daughter?”
“No.”
She did not explain further.
Together, they opened the black container.
The sphere rested inside, its symbols still moving.
A single projection appeared.
A map of the island.
One section flashed red.
MATERNAL SUBJECT: ACTIVE.
Daniel stared at the words.
“My mother is there.”
Mara remained cautious.
“The archive may be manipulating you.”
“Why?”
“To ensure you reach the Sanctuary.”
The sphere displayed another message.
PRIMARY SUCCESSOR APPROACHING.
INITIATE FAMILY REUNIFICATION.
Mara stepped back.
“This system knows you’re on the plane.”
Daniel reached toward the sphere.
It reacted to his hand.
A holographic image of Eliana appeared above it.
She looked directly at him.
“Julian,” the recording said.
Daniel froze.
“If you are seeing this, then Harold failed to keep you hidden.”
The message continued.
“Do not trust Eleanor’s memories.”
Daniel’s expression changed.
“Do not trust Thomas’s confession.”
Mara watched silently.
“And above all, do not allow Clara Voss to enter the Sanctuary.”
The recording flickered.
“She is not trying to rescue me.”
“She is trying to replace me.”
The projection ended.
Daniel looked toward Mara.
Her face had become unreadable.
“What does that mean?”
Before she could answer, the cargo hold door opened.
Harold Ashcroft stood there with a pistol.
He looked at the unconscious guards, then at Daniel.
“I hoped you would board.”
Daniel positioned himself in front of the sphere.
“You knew I would come.”
“I knew the archive would call you.”
“What is Clara planning?”
Harold entered the compartment.
“She wants Eliana’s biological authority.”
Daniel frowned.
“Authority over what?”
“The Sanctuary was not created to imprison people.”
Harold lowered the pistol slightly.
“It was created to produce successors.”
Mara suddenly attacked him.
Harold fired.
The bullet struck a metal crate.
Daniel tackled Harold while Mara reached for the archive.
The sphere detached from its base and rolled across the floor.
The aircraft shook violently.
Warning alarms filled the cabin.
A pilot’s voice came over the speaker.
“We’ve lost navigation control.”
Outside the windows, lightning illuminated the ocean.
The aircraft began descending.
The island appeared below.
Its hospital complex glowed through the storm.
Then every light on the island turned red.
A transmission entered the plane.
A woman’s voice spoke calmly.
“Julian Ashcroft has returned.”
Daniel recognized the voice from the recording.
Eliana.
“Do not land the aircraft.”
May you like
A missile warning alarm began screaming.
Something launched from the island and raced toward the plane.
