Chapter 10 - THE RETURN TO THE SHADOWS
Jessica gave her mother a small, reassuring nod. She turned on her heel and walked down the stone garden path toward the front of the house, flanked by the two silent JSOC operators.
Behind her, on the concrete patio, Marcus remained on his knees.
The barbecue grill continued to vent thick, black smoke into the afternoon air, the forgotten burgers charring to ash against the cast-iron grates. Nobody moved to help him up. Nobody offered him a hand, a napkin, or a beer. His loud, performative kingdom had collapsed completely, reduced to a pathetic spectacle under the harsh July sun.
As Jessica cleared the side gate of the property, stepping out onto the quiet suburban street where a sleek black government SUV sat idling at the curb, she paused.
She took a deep, clean breath of the suburban air, letting the sweet smell of the neighborhood wash over her one last time.
She opened the passenger door of the SUV and climbed inside.
The driver, an operator in plain clothes, glanced in the rearview mirror as she fastened her seatbelt.
"Everything go all right with the family, Captain?" the driver asked.
Jessica looked out the tinted window as the vehicle accelerated down the tree-lined street, watching her mother’s house disappear in the distance.
May you like
"Fine," Jessica replied calmly, her face settling back into its cold, unreadable operational mask. "Just clearing a small obstruction from the line."
The SUV turned the corner, accelerating toward the military airfield, leaving the suburban facade behind as Captain Jessica Hayes returned to the shadows where the real battles were fought.
