CHAPTER 9 – The Grandfather Everyone Thought Was Dead
The elderly man stepped out of the shadows.
His silver hair was neatly combed.
His military uniform was immaculate despite the dust that covered the hidden bunker.
Nathan froze.
His voice cracked.
"...Father?"
Ethan looked back and forth between the two men.
"You... you're my grandfather?"
The old man nodded slowly, tears filling his eyes.
"My name is General William Carter."
"For twenty years, the world has believed I died in a helicopter crash."
Clara covered her mouth in shock.
"But... they held a state funeral."
William gave a bitter smile.
"That funeral buried an empty coffin."
He turned toward Ethan.
"I disappeared because powerful people inside our own government wanted to steal a defense system capable of controlling every military satellite in the country."
Nathan lowered his head.
"I failed to protect it."
"No," William replied quietly.
"You protected the only thing that mattered."
He placed a gentle hand on Ethan's shoulder.
"Him."
Suddenly, every monitor inside the bunker flashed red.
⚠ SECURITY BREACH ⚠
A cold voice echoed through the command center.
"Welcome back, General."
Collins appeared on the largest screen.
But this time...
He wasn't alone.
Standing beside him was someone none of them expected.
The FBI Director.
The very man who had saluted Ethan two days earlier.
Ethan's heart nearly stopped.
"You..."
The director smiled calmly.
"I never worked for justice."
"I built this entire operation."
Nathan clenched his fists.
"It was you all along."
The director nodded.
"For twenty years."
He looked directly into the camera.
"Open the vault."
"Or I launch every missile your father spent his life protecting."
The bunker shook violently.
Collins' private army had already surrounded the mountain.
May you like
Hundreds of armed mercenaries poured toward the hidden entrance.
The final battle had begun.
