Chapter 14 - The Architect
Adrian raised his hands slowly.
“You ordered me to fake my death.”
Ward nodded. “And you misunderstood the assignment.”
“You said Shaw was compromised.”
“She was.”
Shaw looked annoyed. “I still am, apparently.”
Claire stared at them. “You’re working together?”
Ward’s expression remained calm. “Working is a generous word. Evelyn and I share a problem.”
Her eyes moved to the carrier.
“Your son.”
Claire stepped in front of it.
“You don’t even know him.”
“I don’t need to.”
Ward looked at Adrian.
“Lantern was never built merely to protect undercover agents. It was built to control them. Identities, families, medical histories, financial pressure points. Complete human leverage.”
Adrian’s face showed disgust.
“You built a blackmail machine.”
“I built stability.”
Lucas laughed through split lips. “There’s the speech.”
Ward ignored him.
“When Adrian locked the archive, he took away our ability to manage hundreds of operations.”
“Manage?” Claire snapped. “You mean threaten.”
Ward looked at her. “Words depend on where you stand.”
Claire tightened her jaw. “I’m standing between you and my child.”
For the first time, Ward’s expression chilled.
“Not for long.”
Adrian moved.
A guard pressed a rifle against his ribs.
Ward pointed toward the lab.
“Bring the child inside.”
Claire lifted the carrier.
Her heart pounded so hard she could hear it.
Inside the glass lab, a cradle-like scanner waited beneath bright white lights.
A technician approached.
Claire wanted to vomit.
“Place him down,” Ward said.
Claire looked at Adrian.
He gave the smallest nod.
She set the carrier on the scanner.
The technician unzipped the cover.
Silence.
The training doll stared upward with plastic blue eyes.
Shaw’s face changed first.
“No.”
Adrian drove his elbow into the guard’s throat.
Claire grabbed the metal carrier frame and swung it into the technician.
Lucas kicked backward, knocking his chair into another guard.
Chaos exploded.
Adrian seized a rifle.
Glass shattered.
Alarms screamed.
Claire crawled behind a lab counter.
Ward shouted, “Where is the child?”
Claire smiled for the first time that night.
“Far away from you.”
Then the wall monitor came alive.
A live security feed showed Cross’s vehicle on a snowy highway.
A black SUV followed behind it.
Claire’s smile disappeared.
Ward looked at her.
“Did you really think we weren’t watching Daniel Cross?”
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On the screen, the black SUV rammed Cross’s car.
Noah was inside.
