The alley exploded in a storm of silenced gunfire and shattered glass. Ethan yanked Lucia into a side passage, leading them down twisting backstreets only locals or criminals would know.
"Where are we going?" Lucia gasped.
"To someone who owes me a favor," Ethan said. "And knows how to make people disappear."
Ten minutes later, they ducked into a derelict building near the Vltava River. Inside, the air was thick with dust, mold, and the quiet hum of static.
A heavy-set man with tattoos covering his neck raised a brow as Ethan entered.
"Ward?"
"Hello, Marek," Ethan said. "Still forging passports?"
The man chuckled. "For the right price. Or the right grudge."
He eyed Lucia, who stayed quiet. Ethan leaned in. "We were ambushed. Need new IDs, transport, and a clean tech lab. Fast."
Marek studied him. "You always show up when death does."
Still, he nodded. "Basement. Give me thirty minutes."
---
Downstairs, the basement was colder than the street. Lucia sat beside Ethan on a cracked metal bench while the USB was plugged into a heavily modified offline machine.
"Do you think this is worth it?" she asked, not looking at him.
"What?"
"This. Risking what's left of your life for secrets that should've died with Prague."
Ethan met her eyes. "It's not about secrets anymore. It's about what's coming."
On-screen, the encrypted file opened—partially.
Inside: a list of names. Coordinates. Digital signatures.
Lucia leaned in. "These aren't agents. These are… financial terminals. Deep-wallet accounts. Some of these banks were blacklisted after 9/11."
Ethan tapped a highlighted field. "That's not just a number. That's an execution key."
Suddenly, the monitor flickered. Then—
A video loaded.
Grainy. Time-stamped two days ago. A man sat tied to a chair. His face was bloodied, but unmistakable.
Tarek Basra. The Istanbul info-broker. One of Ethan's last contacts.
A masked figure stood beside him, speaking in a distorted voice.
> "To anyone watching: Shadow Protocol is not a weapon. It's a reset switch. Accept the new order… or be erased. One by one."
The man raised a gun and fired.
Lucia's hand flew to her mouth.
The screen cut to black.
Then text appeared:
YOU'RE NEXT, WARD.
---
Ethan stood slowly, fists clenched.
"That was a message."
Lucia nodded. "And not just to you. Someone knew we'd find this. They want us afraid."
"We should be," Ethan said.
At that moment, the basement door creaked open. Marek's voice drifted down.
"Ethan, someone's here. Says she knows you."
Lucia stood. "Who?"
Then a voice from the stairs answered.
"Hello, Ethan."
He froze.
Sophia Chang.
Presumed dead.
Former AI systems specialist. And once the lead architect behind Shadow Protocol.
Alive. And standing in his doorway.
---
End of Chapter 5