Chapter 12
The flight back to the United States was deeply peaceful,
and the stealth jet cruised smoothly above the clouds,
leaving the chaotic and burning destruction of Europe far behind.
I sat in the comfortable leather chair and closed my eyes,
and the incredible adrenaline that had sustained me for days,
finally began to slowly and completely drain from my body.
Lily was sitting across from me,
and she was fast asleep with her head resting on her jacket,
her breathing steady and incredibly calm for the first time.
The bruises on her face were finally beginning to heal,
and the dark shadows under her eyes were slowly fading,
replaced by a profound sense of absolute peace.
Miller walked out of the small cockpit and sat beside me,
and he handed me a steaming cup of strong black coffee,
which smelled like absolute heaven after the freezing mountains.
The cleanup crews are currently scrubbing the Swiss facility,
he reported quietly,
and they are confiscating billions in illegal offshore assets.
The intelligence we gathered is completely unprecedented,
he continued,
and it will dismantle dozens of incredibly corrupt organizations.
You did incredibly good work today, Director,
he praised me,
and the entire world is significantly safer because of you.
I am completely retired,
I reminded him with a tired smile,
and I am never picking up a weapon ever again.
Miller chuckled softly and took a sip of his coffee,
and he looked out the window at the bright morning sky,
knowing that men like us can never truly walk away.
But you have certainly earned a long vacation,
he agreed,
and we will handle the massive fallout from here.
The jet landed smoothly at a classified military airfield,
and a completely unmarked car was waiting on the tarmac,
ready to take us back to whatever was left of our lives.
Our old house was completely burned to the ground,
and we had absolutely nowhere to go in the immediate short term,
but that minor detail did not bother me at all.
We drove into the quiet, sleeping city,
and the morning traffic was incredibly light and peaceful,
a stark contrast to the brutal violence we had just survived.
I booked a completely secure suite in a luxury hotel,
and we finally had a chance to shower and rest properly,
washing away the thick grime and heavy smell of gunpowder.
I stood by the large window overlooking the busy street,
and I watched the normal, everyday people walking below,
completely unaware of the massive shadow war that had just ended.
They were living their lives in blissful, protected ignorance,
and they were worrying about their simple, ordinary problems,
which was exactly the way it was supposed to be.
I had spent my entire life standing in the terrifying dark,
and I had fought terrible monsters to keep them completely safe,
so they could enjoy the beautiful warmth of the bright sun.
Lily walked out of her room looking refreshed and clean,
and she joined me by the massive glass window,
looking out at the beautiful city with a soft, genuine smile.
What do we do now,
she asked quietly,
and she leaned her head gently against my strong shoulder.
We completely start over,
I replied simply,
and we build a new life from the very beginning.
We have a massive amount of completely untraceable funds,
I added,
and we have the absolute freedom to go anywhere we want.
I think I would like to live near the ocean,
she suggested,
and I would like to hear the sound of the crashing waves.
That sounds absolutely perfect,
I agreed warmly,
and we will buy a beautiful house on the sandy beach.
The past was completely and utterly destroyed,
May you like
and the future was incredibly bright and full of endless possibilities,
as we prepared to step into the comforting light.
