Chapter 43 - Ghost Flight to Geneva
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The interior of the stolen private jet was completely dark, save for the blue glow of the navigation instruments in the cockpit. We were flying thirty thousand feet over the Atlantic Ocean, racing against the rising sun.
I sat in a leather recliner, methodically breaking down and cleaning my sidearm. Irene was asleep on the sofa across from me, curled beneath a thick woolen blanket, her face pale with exhaustion.
Julian walked out of the cockpit, pouring a cup of black coffee from a thermos. He sat down across from me, rubbing his tired eyes.
"We touch down in Geneva in four hours," Julian said quietly. "I've arranged for winter tactical gear and a transport vehicle to be waiting on the tarmac. But David... I need you to understand what we are walking into."
I racked the slide of my pistol, setting it on the table. "A mountain fortress guarded by private mercenaries."
"It's worse than that," Julian sighed. "Vault 77 is built inside a hollowed-out granite mountain. It was designed to withstand a nuclear blast. The only way in is through a heavily guarded funicular train that climbs a sheer cliff face. If Thorne is already inside, we will be walking into a fatal choke point."
"We don't have a choice, Julian. If Thorne activates the purge protocol, Grace will spend the rest of her life looking over her shoulder. I am ending this today."
Julian took a sip of his coffee, studying my face. "I've spent my whole life fighting ghosts, David. It costs you everything. Your humanity, your peace. When you pull the trigger on Elias Thorne... you can't undo it. It changes a man."
I looked over at Irene, watching the gentle rise and fall of her chest as she slept. I thought of my daughter playing with her wooden blocks back in the desert bunker.
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"I'm not doing this for revenge, Julian," I whispered, my voice hard and resolute. "I'm doing this for peace. Whatever part of my soul I have to sacrifice to keep them safe... it's a price I'm willing to pay."
Julian nodded slowly, standing up. "Get some rest. We're going to need it."
