Chapter 5 - Outlaws in the Shadows
The glow of the television illuminated the grim faces inside the cabin. Ricardo had struck fast, using his political influence to twist the entire apparatus of law enforcement into his personal hunting hounds. Gabriel was no longer just a wronged soldier; he was a branded fugitive, a designated terrorist hunted across state lines.
"Shoot on sight," Elena murmured, covering her mouth with trembling hands. "They’re using the police to execute you legally."
Gabriel didn't blink. He reached forward and shut off the broadcast. "Panic serves no purpose. When the enemy controls the perimeter, you don't fight on their terms. You disappear into the blind spots."
Marcus nodded grimly. "State troopers have already set up roadblocks along every highway leading north to Crestview. If you drive a standard vehicle, you won't make it past the first toll station. Ricardo’s private security has also tapped the city’s facial recognition grid."
"Then we don't use roads," Gabriel said. He turned to Marcus. "Uncle, do you still hold the master keys to the naval shipyard in District 4?"
Marcus narrowed his eyes. "District 4 is decommissioned. It's nothing but rusted dry docks and salvage yards."
"It's also connected to the old coastal railway tunnels built during the Cold War," Gabriel replied, the tactical map unfolding in his mind with razor precision. "Those tunnels bypass the mountain highways completely and terminate three miles south of Crestview Ridge. Nobody monitors those tracks."
"The old rail lines are flooded in multiple sections," Marcus warned. "A single collapse and you’ll be buried under two hundred feet of granite."
"Better buried under stone than executed in Ricardo’s cage," Gabriel countered. He looked at Elena, his expression softening with fierce tenderness. "You stay here with Marcus. He will move you to an offshore diplomatic vessel under naval intelligence protection. You will be safe."
Elena stood up, pain flashing across her bruised face, but her eyes held a defiant blaze that Gabriel had never seen before. "No."
"Elena—"
"I was helpless when they took him from my arms, Gabriel," she said, her voice ringing with absolute certainty. "I lay in that hospital bed, drugged and broken, listening to their lies. I will not sit on a safe boat while you go get our son. If we live, we live together. If we die, we die fighting for him."
Gabriel looked at her for a long moment, recognizing the unbreakable resolve that had made him fall in love with her years ago. He nodded once, acknowledging her courage. "Then we move together. But first, we need weapons, transport, and a decoy to blind Ricardo’s surveillance."
Gabriel took Marcus's phone, dialing a private, encrypted twelve-digit number from memory. After three rings, a rough, gravelly voice answered.
"Vance Recon. Speak."
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"Ghost Six, this is Commander Vance," Gabriel spoke into the receiver. "Initiate Protocol Blackout. The hunt is on."
There was a dead silence on the line, followed by a low, feral chuckle. "We thought you were feeding the sharks, Commander. Where do you need the cavalry?"
