Chapter 15 - The Phantom's Rebirth
The news of Everett Hale’s violent escape sent shockwaves across the United States. Photos of the bloody highway shootout dominated every news network. Authorities declared him armed, extremely dangerous, and the subject of an international manhunt.
In a hidden safehouse located in the dense woods of Upstate New York, Everett sat on a wooden chair. His skin was pale, his hair shorn short, and a jagged scar ran down his left cheek—a souvenir from his time behind bars.
Standing in front of him was a high-priced black-market plastic surgeon, wiping blood off his instruments. Beside them stood a shadowy figure holding a satellite phone—Julian Vance’s chief lieutenant, who had initiated the escape plan before Julian’s arrest.
"Your face is altered enough to clear basic airport scanners, Mr. Hale," the surgeon said coldly. "You have a fake Swedish passport and fifty thousand dollars in cash."
Everett looked into a small mirror. The handsome, arrogant corporate titan was gone. In his place was a hollow, terrifying phantom with eyes filled with pure madness.
"Where is she?" Everett rasped, his voice raspy from months of silence.
"Claire is currently in Monaco for the International Sovereign Wealth Summit," the lieutenant answered. "She is staying at the Hotel de Paris under maximum security. You need to flee to South America, Everett. The federal authorities are hunting you."
"Flee?" Everett let out a low, terrifying cackle that turned into a coughing fit. "You think I broke out of prison to go live in a jungle? She destroyed my life. She took my wealth, my mother, my pride, and made me a mockery of the entire world."
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He grabbed a heavy silenced pistol from the table, racking the slide with a sharp metallic click.
"I don't care if I die," Everett whispered, his eyes gleaming with psychotic determination. "I am going to Monaco. And I am going to make sure Claire bleeds in front of the same high society that laughed at me."
