Chapter 7 - AFTERMATH AND ANSWERSTwo hours later, the naval yard was swarming with tactical response vehicles, medical teams, and high-level government officials.
Jax sat on the back bumper of an ambulance, a shock blanket wrapped around his shoulders, holding a hot cup of coffee. His two friends had been found safe nearby, heavily sedated but uninjured. They sat beside him in stunned silence, staring at Samuel Vance, who was being attended to by a team of military technicians re-attaching a new, advanced limb assembly to his leg.
Agent Cross walked up to Samuel, holding a secure communications tablet. "The harbor dive team recovered Victor's tactical vest three hundred yards down current. No body. The current is strong, Commander, but... you know as well as I do that he could have survived."
Samuel looked out at the dark horizon, his face expressionless. "He's alive. Victor doesn't die that easily. But he knows I'll be waiting next time."
Cross nodded grimly. "The Director wants you back at HQ, Commander. Your retirement is officially revoked. The world needs Black Spire Level 0 back in the field."
Samuel stood up, testing the weight of his new prosthetic. It snapped into place with a smooth, silent click. He walked over to Jax.
The teenager looked up, his face full of humility, regret, and profound respect. "Sir... I'm so sorry. For everything. For what we said at the bus stop... we didn't know."
Samuel placed a heavy, scarred hand on the boy's shoulder. "Knowledge comes from experience, son. Some people learn it the easy way, some the hard way. You got lucky today."
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Samuel pulled the faded "Veteran" cap out of his pocket and placed it firmly back on Jax's head.
"Keep it," Samuel said gently. "And make sure you live a life worth protecting."
