January 5, 2026 – Lake Michigan Escape Boat Time: 03:30
The sound of the boat's motor cutting through the dark waters was like a funeral march. Michael sat on the floor of the boat, at Ivy's feet. Ivy was cleaning the bullet wound on Michael's shoulder with a wet cloth. Her touch was possessive, more like a collector polishing a precious piece in her hands than a nurse.
Natalia was at the helm. She never took her eyes off the horizon, but every time she saw the scene behind her in the rearview mirror, it felt like a knife was being plunged into her heart.
"Enough," Natalia said, her voice breaking in the wind. "Leave him alone, Ivy. Michael isn't a toy."
Ivy slowly raised her head, that infamous, infuriating smile appearing on her lips. "Jealousy doesn't suit you, Detective. Or what should I call you now? 'Former Detective'? Because you left that badge on the bridge, remember?"
Natalia gripped the wheel tighter, her knuckles white. "I left that badge for Michael. I left it to save him from a snake like you. I had a home in Chicago, a retirement, my honor... All of it is now under that burning bridge."
Natalia's voice trembled completely this time. Michael felt the weight of Natalia's words. Natalia was right. He hadn't entered this war for justice; he had thrown his entire life into the fire to save a man named Michael Hale. And now, amid the ashes of that fire, he had to watch the man beside him being "healed" by another woman.
"Natalia," I said, gently pushing Ivy's hand away and standing up. I staggered over to Natalia. "You shouldn't have done this. You should have left me on that bridge."
Natalia turned to me. Her eyes were filled with tears, but she wouldn't let them fall. "I couldn't leave you there, Michael. Because when you left, I would have had nothing left to hold onto in this world. But look at us... A murderer, a spy, and a traitor. What a team we make."
Time: 05:00
Open Water – Middle of Lake Michigan
The fog had lifted, and Chicago's silhouette was now just an orange glow. Michael sat on the edge of the boat, staring at the lake that resembled an ocean. Thomas's (Asher's) words kept echoing in his mind:"Your father raised you for me."
"My father..." I whispered. "My father wasn't a murderer, Natalia. When my uncle Thomas killed Vince D'Angelo, my father was just trying to protect me. For fifteen years, he carried the burden of a murderer's crime on his shoulders, with a father's loyalty."
Natalia placed her hand on Michael's. This touch was different from Ivy's; pure, painful, and real. "Richard Hale was the most honest cop I ever knew, Michael. He sacrificed his own integrity to bury his brother's sin. Just like I'm doing right now."
Ivy continued to play with the knife in her hand as she watched them from the other end of the boat. The fire of jealousy inside her was fanned by Natalia's "self-sacrificing lover" attitude. Ivy wanted Michael, but not to "save" him like Natalia; she wanted to pull him into her own darkness and burn together there.
Time: 06:30
Destination: Indiana Coast
When we reached the coast, a black van sent by the Alchemist was waiting for us. We were now out of Chicago's borders. But the federal government's "Red Notice" had begun to spread across the country.
"Where are we going?" asked Elara. When my sister spoke for the first time, her voice was so weak that for a moment I almost forgot she was there.
"Far away, Elara," I said. "Somewhere Asher, the feds, and this past can't find us. But first... I need to meet the Alchemist face to face. We need new faces, new names, and a new army."
Ivy looked at Natalia as she moved into the driver's seat of the minibus. "Come on, Detective, get in the car. You're a fugitive now, just like us. Enjoy it."
Natalia threw her police ID into the water. She handed the badge from her wallet to Michael. "Take this, Michael. In case you ever want to remember what justice really is."
Michael took the badge and put it in his pocket."Justice is dead, Natalia,"Michael said."Only the survivors get to tell the story."