January 4, 2026 – Chicago Suburbs Safe House Time: 3:30 a.m.
As the tense wait inside the minivan continued, Michael threw the bloody bandage on the floor. His eyes were fixed on the file on the table, bearing the name of his uncle, Thomas Hale .
"Natalia," Michael said, his voice as low as a whisper but as sharp as a knife. "Explain something to me. I blew up a highway, escaped from a police station, and now half of Chicago is after me. But Luca D'Angelo... That son of a bitch walked into that ball unchallenged. Why isn't the FBI all over him? Why is Carter ignoring him?"
Natalia took a deep breath, the exhaustion visible in every line on her face. "Because, Michael, Luca isn't just a mob boss. He has the Justice Department's 'Valuable Information Source' status. So, on paper, he's a federal informant. The FBI knows about his crimes, but they gave him 'immunity' to catch a bigger fish, Asher. You, on the other hand... You're the wild card outside that deal. The system always eliminates the parts that don't serve its purpose."
Michael laughed bitterly. "So Luca is the hook used to catch Asher, and I'm the bait expected to get caught on that hook. Is that it?"
"Exactly," said Natalia. "Chicago Police run on bribes, but the FBI runs on 'interests'. Luca gives them the files they want, and they turn a blind eye to him attending the balls. But when you blew up the highway, you destroyed all of Carter's 'legal cover'. Now, to them, you're less of a potential informant and more of an internal security threat."
Ivy interjected, a fierce gleam in her eyes. "The highway incident could end Carter's career. That's why he has to catch you, dead or alive. If he catches you, he can cover up those dirty deals he made with Luca."
Time: 05:00
Federal Siege – Exit Strategy from Chicago
Michael spread Chicago's underground tunnel map on the table. "If everyone's waiting for us above ground, we'll go somewhere they don't know about. Those old coal transport tunnels my dad showed me 15 years ago. The feds' thermal cameras can't reach that depth."
"But the tunnels end at Lake Michigan," Ivy said. "There's coast guard there."
"Coast Guard knows Luca's shipping times," Michael said. "We'll leak a false report through the Alchemist that Luca is making a new weapons shipment. We'll draw all attention to the north of the lake, while we leave from the south on a fishing boat."
Michael turned to his sister. Elara was still trembling in a corner. Michael knelt beside her. "Elara, look at me. Tonight we're leaving this city. And we're never coming back. But first, we need to see our uncle's... Thomas's final move in this business."
Time: 07:00
Chicago Underground Tunnels
As they made their way through the dark, damp tunnels infested with rats, Michael heard his father's voice again:"If you want to escape a city, you must go not to its heart, but to its bowels."
When they reached the end of the tunnel, Lake Michigan appeared through the mist. Michael, Ivy, and Natalia (who had risked her career and life to come with them) boarded a fishing boat.
Just as they were about to start the engine, Michael's encrypted phone in his pocket vibrated. It was a video call. On the screen appeared a man whose face was still in shadow but who had that familiar "Hale" jawline. Asher Burke .
"Goodbye, Michael," said Asher, his voice mechanically cold. "It's very romantic of you to think you could escape Chicago. But your father taught you everything, except one thing:You can never leave the Shadow behind."
At that moment, a massive explosion echoed across the lake. But the explosion wasn't on Michael's boat; it was at the famous Hale Family Cemetery in the heart of Chicago. Richard Hale's grave had been blown to pieces.
Asher whispered, "I've erased your past, Michael. Now come and claim your inheritance from me. If you have the courage, I'll be waiting for you where we started, under the Dawson Bridge."