Chapter 19
Two weeks later, Ethan and Clara had packed their remaining belongings into their SUV, preparing to leave Illinois for a new, quiet start in the mountains of Montana.
Their suburban house had been sold, the past officially put to rest behind them.
Clara sat in the passenger seat, looking out at the frozen Chicago skyline one last time as Ethan loaded the last suitcase into the trunk.
He climbed into the driver's seat, starting the engine and turning on the heater.
"Ready?" Ethan asked, looking at his wife with deep warmth.
"Ready," Clara replied, taking his hand and squeezing it gently.
Ethan shifted into drive, pulling out of the driveway and onto the quiet highway heading west.
For the first time in weeks, a sense of real peace washed over Ethan's heart.
He had protected the woman he loved, brought justice to those who had destroyed his family, and closed the dark chapter of his military past forever.
They drove for four hours through the rolling snow-capped plains of Iowa, watching the winter sunset paint the sky in brilliant shades of pink and gold.
They stopped at a quiet diner off Interstate 80 to grab warm coffee and pie.
As Ethan walked back to the truck holding two hot coffee cups, his encrypted satellite phone—a phone that had remained completely silent for five years—suddenly began to vibrate in his pocket.
Ethan froze in his tracks, the warm coffee cups growing heavy in his hands.
May you like
He pulled the satellite phone from his jacket, staring at the glowing screen.
The caller ID displayed a top-secret fourteen-digit encrypted code originating from an untraceable military satellite network.
