Chapter 17 - AFTERMATH AND ANSWERSWe tumbled out onto the concrete pier, coughing and gasping for fresh air as the cold sea breeze washed over us.
Kuro and the rest of the strike team secured the perimeter, ensuring no hostile operatives had survived the blast.
Ethan sat down on a concrete bollard, his chest heaving, his face smudged with soot and dirt. He looked up at me as I clutched the thermal casing tightly to my chest.
“You okay?” he asked, his voice softening.
“I’m fine,” I breathed out, a shaky, exhausted smile breaking across my face. “And more importantly... we have the complete antidote. Every child caught in Vance’s trial can be cured.”
Ethan let out a long, slow breath—the first truly relaxed exhale I had ever heard from him. He stood up, walked over, and gently took the thermal casing from my hands, setting it safely inside the lead SUV.
Then, he turned back to me.
Before I could process his movement, Ethan closed the distance between us, wrapped his arms around my waist, and pulled me into a fierce, protective embrace.
“You are out of your damn mind,” he murmured against my hair, though there was no anger in his voice—only profound, overwhelming relief.
May you like
“I learned it from the best,” I whispered back, resting my head against his armored shoulder.
As the sun fully cleared the horizon, bathing the harbor in a warm, golden light, we knew the shadow of the syndicate had finally been purged for good.
