Location: Richmond, Virginia – Adrian's New Safehouse
A modern farmhouse nestled between tall pine trees and rolling fields—privacy cloaked in southern charm. Adrian Kade leaned against a granite counter in the kitchen, slicing through an apple with precision only a former assassin could casually display.
Mia, barefoot in one of Adrian's oversized shirts, entered with a smirk. "You cut fruit like you're prepping to eliminate a target."
He raised an eyebrow, chewing. "Force of habit."
She laughed and walked up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist. There was peace here—temporary, maybe, but real. Adrian was different when things were calm. Less Ghost. More Adrian.
Still… the silence didn't last.
The sound of tires on gravel broke the morning calm.
Adrian moved like smoke. From kitchen to door in seconds, eyes scanning. He pulled open a drawer, palmed a Glock, and stepped outside.
A vintage black Chevy Impala came to a stop.
Out stepped Vince.
Adrian's grip loosened, but just slightly.
"Easy, ghost," Vince called out with a smirk. "I come in peace."
Inside the Safehouse
Vince sat at the table, wolfing down bacon and toast like a man just out of prison.
"I've been looking for you two for weeks," he said between bites.
"Dom sent you?" Adrian asked, sipping coffee.
Vince nodded. "He's in Mexico. Laying low. But word on the street is… Brian's cover got blown."
Mia froze.
Adrian didn't flinch. "When?"
"About a week ago. Dom took off before the cops could grab him. Brian let him go—just like before."
Mia looked at Adrian. "You knew?"
"I suspected," he admitted. "Didn't say anything because I knew Dom would walk. He always does."
Vince leaned in. "Dom wants a meet."
Adrian stared. "Where?"
"Panama City. One week."
Mia looked between the two men. "Are we going?"
Adrian's voice was low, steady. "Yeah. But only because he's family."
Location: Panama City – Underground Garage
Dom was waiting—shirtless, wiping sweat off his brow, working on the Charger like the world hadn't shifted around him. When Adrian and Mia stepped inside, Dom stood up.
The air was tense. Thick.
Then Dom nodded once. "You kept her safe."
"I always will," Adrian replied.
That was it.
Family didn't need speeches.
Location: Miami – DEA Headquarters
Monica Fuentes sat across from a pair of stone-faced federal officers. Interrogation lights cast long shadows across her tired face.
"You've been quiet, Fuentes," one agent said. "Talk to us about Ghost."
She scoffed. "You don't talk about him. You hope he never remembers your name."
The younger agent leaned forward. "You had history."
"It wasn't history," she said coldly. "It was survival."
They exchanged looks.
"Give us a location."
Monica stood, tossing a flash drive on the table. "There's your intel on Reyes. I'm done playing informant."
"You walk now," the older agent warned, "and if Ghost resurfaces—"
She cut him off.
"He already has. And trust me… if he ever decides you're a problem, you won't see him coming."
Location: Virginia – That Night
Adrian sat at his desk, shirtless, muscles glistening from the workout. Maps, old photos, and encrypted files lined the table. Mia walked in, her expression mixed with worry and trust.
"You're planning something," she said.
"I'm preparing," he replied.
"For what?"
He looked up, eyes burning silver in the dark.
"For war… if it ever comes knocking again."
Final Scene: Washington D.C. – Pentagon Sub-Level
A secure room filled with glowing monitors. A red dossier labeled PROJECT DEVIL sat on the table.
An old general whispered to his aide, "If Kade ever turns on us…"
The aide interrupted, voice trembling: "Sir, there is no if. There is only hope… that he never does."
The general sighed. "God help us all."
End of Chapter 15