Chapter 8 - THE GHOST FROM MY PAST

The symbol haunted me.

A simple black mark.

Three lines crossing a circle.

Most people would see nothing.

But I knew exactly what it meant.

Because I had seen that symbol on the battlefield.

On enemies.

On documents.

On the people who were never supposed to exist.

“The Ghost Network,” Ethan whispered.

The warehouse became silent.

Lisa looked confused.

“Ghost Network?”

Marcus looked at her.

“You don’t want to know.”

I stared at Ethan.

“I thought they were gone.”

“They were supposed to be.”

I stepped closer.

“What aren’t you telling me?”

Ethan looked away.

That was when I knew.

There was something he had never told me.

“Ethan.”

He sighed.

“Your final mission.”

I froze.

“Don’t.”

“Dennis, you need to hear this.”

“No.”

My voice became colder.

“That mission is over.”

Ethan looked at me.

“Is it?”

The question stayed in the air.

Because deep down...

I already knew the answer.

My last mission wasn’t a success.

It was a cover-up.

We were sent to stop a weapons network.

But halfway through, we discovered something bigger.

Government officials.

Military contractors.

Private companies.

Everyone involved.

The truth was too dangerous.

So they erased it.

They erased the mission.

They erased the evidence.

They erased us.

Or at least they tried.

I looked at Ethan.

“The man in that video.”

He nodded.

“His name was Victor Kane.”

My stomach dropped.

“Kane is dead.”

“That’s what they wanted everyone to believe.”

I looked at the screen again.

Victor Kane.

The man who betrayed my team.

The man responsible for the deaths of seven soldiers.

The man I watched disappear.

“You’re sure?”

Ethan nodded.

“I never forget a face.”

I walked away.

Because if Kane was alive...

Then everything I believed about that night was a lie.

The next morning, Sheriff Barnes held a press conference.

Every television in town showed his face.

He stood behind a podium.

Looking calm.

Looking innocent.

“My heart goes out to the Irwin family,” he said.

I almost laughed.

“The incident involving young Tyler was a tragic misunderstanding.”

A misunderstanding.

That word burned.

Sarah stood beside me watching.

“Is he serious?”

I didn’t answer.

Barnes continued.

“We believe the officer acted appropriately.”

Officer.

He didn’t even say his own name.

He was hiding behind the badge.

Then he looked directly into the camera.

Almost like he knew I was watching.

“There are always people who want to create a story.”

His eyes narrowed.

“But the truth always wins.”

I turned off the television.

“He knows.”

Sarah looked at me.

“What?”

“He knows I’m coming.”

She looked scared.

“Dennis…”

I looked at her.

“I need you to trust me.”

“That’s exactly what scares me.”

Her voice softened.

“I love the man you became.”

A pause.

“But I’m afraid of the man you used to be.”

That hurt.

Because she was right.

That afternoon, I went to the courthouse.

The same building where I had pushed a mop for seventeen years.

The same halls where Barnes walked like a king.

I entered the sheriff’s office.

Everyone stared.

Barnes looked up.

Then smiled.

“Well, well.”

He leaned back.

“The janitor.”

I said nothing.

He laughed.

“You here to clean my office?”

I stepped closer.

“No.”

His smile faded.

“Then why are you here?”

I looked him directly in the eyes.

“Because you made a mistake.”

He stood.

“You think you scare me?”

“No.”

I turned toward the door.

“I think you should be scared of what happens next.”

Barnes laughed.

“You don’t know who you’re dealing with.”

I stopped.

Then looked back.

“You’re right.”

A pause.

“You don’t know who you’re dealing with.”

I walked out.

But before I reached the elevator...

My phone buzzed.

A text message.

Unknown number.

One sentence.

WE KNOW WHO YOU ARE, REAPER.

I stared at the screen.

Then another message arrived.

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