Chapter 11 – The First Call
Chapter 11 – The First Call
No one in Room E-12 moved.
The satellite phone lay inside the open drawer, its screen glowing faintly.
They're alive. But not for long.
Emily felt her heart pounding against her ribs.
For twenty-two years she had believed her parents were dead.
Ten minutes ago, she had learned they might still be alive.
Now...
Someone was telling her they were running out of time.
Agent Michael Harris carefully raised a hand.
"Nobody touch the phone."
The FBI technicians immediately began scanning it.
"No fingerprints."
"No explosive residue."
"No hidden transmitter."
One technician frowned.
"That's impossible."
"What is?"
"The battery."
"It should have died years ago."
Instead...
It showed 100% charge.
Emily stared at the phone.
"It was waiting."
Lawson nodded.
"For you."
Suddenly...
The screen changed.
Incoming Call
No caller ID.
Only one word.
PEANUT
Emily's breath caught.
That was the nickname her father had used in the video.
The room froze.
The phone rang again.
And again.
Agent Harris looked at Emily.
"This could be a trap."
Emily nodded.
"I know."
"But if it's my father..."
She reached for the phone.
Every FBI agent instinctively tightened their grip on their weapons.
Emily pressed Answer.
Silence.
Only soft static.
Then...
A familiar voice.
"Evelyn?"
Emily's eyes filled instantly.
It wasn't the recorded voice from the video.
It was older.
More tired.
But unmistakably the same man.
"Dad...?"
A long silence followed.
Then the man laughed softly.
"You still recognize my voice."
Emily could no longer hold back her tears.
"Are you really alive?"
"I am."
"What about Mom?"
Another pause.
"She's with me."
Emily collapsed into the nearest chair.
For the first time in twenty-two years...
She was speaking to her father.
Daniel Carter's voice became urgent.
"Listen carefully."
"We don't have much time."
Emily wiped away her tears.
"I've spent my whole life looking for you."
"I know."
"I'm sorry."
"No."
Emily shook her head.
"I'm sorry."
"I believed..."
"I believed you abandoned me."
Daniel's voice cracked.
"Never."
"Not for one second."
Agent Harris quietly activated the FBI's trace system.
The technicians worked furiously.
Signal bouncing...
Satellite relay...
Encrypted channel...
One technician whispered,
"I've never seen encryption like this."
Daniel continued.
"Evelyn."
"I need you to listen."
"The Consortium isn't your biggest problem."
Emily frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"The Phoenix Consortium believes they're in control."
"They aren't."
Emily immediately remembered Victoria's warning.
The Thirteenth Circle.
Daniel lowered his voice.
"The Thirteenth Circle infiltrated the Consortium years ago."
"They engineered everything."
"My company."
"Richard."
"Your disappearance."
"Even the Consortium itself."
Emily felt cold.
"So everyone was being manipulated?"
"Yes."
Lawson stepped closer.
"Daniel."
"It's Benjamin."
Silence.
Then...
Daniel laughed.
"You old fool."
Lawson smiled through tears.
"You survived."
"Barely."
"I always knew you would."
Emily interrupted.
"Dad."
"I need to know."
"Who took me?"
The line went silent.
For several seconds...
Nothing.
Finally Daniel answered.
"I don't know."
Emily stared.
"What?"
"I hid you."
"I left you somewhere only Richard knew."
"I returned less than thirty minutes later..."
"...and you were gone."
Everyone in Room E-12 looked stunned.
Richard hadn't kidnapped Emily.
He had been entrusted with protecting her.
Emily whispered,
"So..."
"...someone took me from Richard?"
Daniel answered quietly.
"Yes."
Agent Harris looked toward Lawson.
"That changes everything."
Lawson nodded slowly.
"It means Richard lied..."
"...but not about everything."
Daniel continued.
"Richard searched for you."
Emily frowned.
"He spent twenty-two years destroying my life."
"I know."
"But after you disappeared..."
"...he realized the people he worked for had betrayed him too."
Emily struggled to process it.
"My entire life..."
"...was based on a lie."
Daniel answered softly.
"I'm afraid that's true."
One FBI technician suddenly stood.
"Sir."
Harris turned.
"What?"
"We've got a partial location."
"Where?"
The technician looked confused.
"I don't understand."
"What don't you understand?"
"The signal..."
"...isn't coming from overseas."
The room became silent.
"It's inside Chicago."
Emily looked up.
"What?"
Daniel heard the conversation.
"They found you."
His voice changed instantly.
"Evelyn."
"You have to leave Room E-12."
"Now."
Emily stood.
"Why?"
"They know the room is active."
"They're already moving."
The underground complex suddenly lost power.
The lights flickered.
Emergency red lighting flooded the corridor.
Sirens began echoing throughout the bunker.
A computerized voice announced calmly:
Unauthorized access detected.
Sector Three breached.
Every FBI agent drew their weapons.
One of the technicians checked the security cameras.
His face went pale.
"Sir..."
"What?"
"There are people inside."
"How many?"
"I..."
He zoomed in.
Thirty-seven armed figures wearing black tactical gear moved silently through the underground tunnels.
No insignia.
No faces.
Only silver phoenix patches stitched onto their sleeves.
Emily grabbed the phone.
"Dad!"
"They're here!"
Daniel didn't hesitate.
"Go to the east corridor."
"There should be a hidden passage."
Emily looked around.
"How do you know?"
"I designed it."
The first explosion shook the bunker.
Concrete dust rained from the ceiling.
The blast doors slammed shut behind the attackers.
Automatic defenses activated.
Steel barriers emerged from the floor.
Turrets unfolded from hidden compartments.
The underground facility had awakened.
Agent Harris shouted,
"Move!"
The FBI formed a protective circle around Emily.
Gunfire echoed from the western hallway.
One agent reported through his radio.
"Contact!"
"They're inside!"
Daniel's voice came through the satellite phone one final time.
"Evelyn."
"I love you."
Emily's heart tightened.
"Dad—"
The connection suddenly filled with static.
Then disappeared.
The phone screen went dark.
At that exact moment...
The giant central monitor in Room E-12 came to life again.
Not with Daniel.
Not with Victoria.
A man wearing a black mask appeared.
Only his blue eyes were visible.
He smiled.
"Good evening, Evelyn."
"My name doesn't matter."
"But you'll know me by another title."
He slowly removed one black glove.
On his hand was a silver ring engraved with the Roman numeral:
XIII
The Thirteenth Circle.
The masked man tilted his head.
Then calmly spoke the words that made everyone in the room stop breathing.
May you like
"I've been raising you since the day you disappeared."
End of Chapter 11
