Chapter 278: Is it right to bring Chloe into this world?
The next day arrived with a quiet tension that lingered beneath every movement, every breath, every decision Ghost made.
It was the day everything would change.
Inside his safe house in Paris, the screens flickered softly with surveillance feeds, routes, and encrypted data, yet his focus was no longer on observation.
It was on action.
His earpiece came alive.
"Ghost."
The Commander’s voice carried its usual authority, steady and unwavering.
"I am sending you backup for tomorrow’s mission. We are putting an end to Nawwar once and for all. The world has been searching for him for years. If he disappears again, he will return stronger and more dangerous. We cannot allow that."
Ghost stood still, his hand slowly tightening into a fist.
"I understand, Commander," he replied, his tone firm. "Tomorrow will be the last day for Al Qiyan."
A brief pause followed.
"All the best, my soldier."
The line cut with a soft burst of static.
Silence returned.
Then his phone vibrated again.
Ghost glanced at the screen.
"Yes, Monica?"
Her voice came instantly.
"Everything is ready. There will be a helicopter waiting for you. I have sent you the coordinates."
Ghost closed his eyes for a brief second.
"Make sure they reach safely."
There was a pause on the other end.
"You are not coming, Boss?"
Ghost’s voice did not change.
"I have orders for Nawwar’s assassination tomorrow. I have to stay and finish my duty."
Monica exhaled softly.
"Understood. I will take care of everything. I have arranged new identities for them and a place where they can stay safely."
Ghost nodded, even though she could not see him.
"Thank you."
"Good luck, Boss."
The call ended.
For a moment, the room felt heavier than before.
Ghost turned slowly.
His eyes moved across the walls.
The photographs.
The maps.
The pinned notes.
Every detail of the mission that had consumed his days.
He stepped forward and began removing them one by one.
Each paper came off the wall with a soft sound.
Each piece of evidence gathered into his hands.
He moved to the center of the room and set them down.
A lighter clicked.
Flames rose.
And slowly, everything began to burn.
The fire reflected in his eyes as his thoughts finally broke through the silence.
Am I doing the right thing?
The question echoed within him, louder than any command he had ever received.
I have hidden things from Graveyard before... but I have never lied to them.
The flames grew stronger.
I have never acted against them.
He stared at the fire, unmoving.
If I take Chloe and Gabriel away today... this mission will remain unfinished.
And Graveyard never leaves anything unfinished.
They will search.
Relentlessly.
Forever.
His jaw tightened slightly.
Am I doing the right thing?
The question returned.
Different.
Heavier.
Will they even be happy like this?
His mind drifted.
Chloe’s face appeared in his thoughts.
Her smile.
Her voice.
Her innocence.
How will she react... when she finds out who I really am?
A shadow crossed his expression.
That I am not just Kai.
That I am someone who has taken lives.
Will she look at me the same way?
Or will she...
He stopped the thought.
Or will she not question me at all... just like that day in the abandoned hospital.
The fire crackled softly.
Do I even have a future?
His gaze lowered.
I have seen people disappear in this life.
Gone.
Without warning.
Without goodbye.
His breath slowed.
Is it right to bring Chloe into this world?
Can I protect her... forever?
Silence.
A deeper thought surfaced.
Should I walk away?
Let the French intelligence take Gabriel.
Let the law decide his fate.
Will Chloe be able to live happily after that?
His eyes closed briefly.
No.
He knew the answer.
He will be gone.
And I...
I cannot replace her father.
I cannot be there for her always.
Another thought struck him.
Should I leave Graveyard?
His eyes opened instantly.
No.
The answer was immediate.
I cannot.
They gave me everything.
They built me.
They trusted me.
I owe them this life.
The flames began to fade.
Ashes remained.
And so did the weight in his chest.
I do not know if I am doing the right thing.
His fingers curled slightly.
And I have no one to ask.
For the first time in years...
I feel alone.
The silence stretched.
Then slowly, something changed in his expression.
Resolve.
Quiet.
But unshakable.
No.
I have to do this.
For her.
So she does not lose her father.
He reached for his phone.
And dialed.
Marcel answered almost instantly.
"Lead?"
Ghost’s voice returned to its usual calm.
"Everything done?"
"Yes, Lead," Marcel replied. "Chloe will be staying at her friend’s house tonight. Gabriel will be at home."
Ghost listened carefully.
"You will enter through the secret route in the complex," Marcel continued. "Talk to Gabriel. Persuade him to come with you."
A brief pause.
"I have also prepared chloroform... in case persuasion does not work."
Ghost’s eyes remained steady.
"We take him," Marcel said. "Then we pick Chloe from her friend’s place. After that, we move to extraction."
His voice lowered slightly.
"By midnight... they will be out of France."
Ghost nodded faintly.
"Thank you, Marcel."
"I will see you in the evening, Lead."
Ghost ended the call.
And stood there for a moment longer.
Between duty.
And something far more fragile.
Something he had already chosen to protect.
.....
Evening
Marcel brought the car to a smooth halt just outside the safe house, the engine humming softly before going still. The air inside the vehicle carried a quiet tension, the kind that came before something irreversible.
Ghost stepped out without a word, his hoodie pulled low, shadowing his face as he moved with calm precision. Marcel followed, locking the car behind him before they both slipped into the building and moved quickly through the familiar corridors.
Moments later, they were back on the streets, heading toward the shopping complex.
The city moved as usual around them, unaware.
They stopped at a quiet corner near the entrance, blending into the surroundings as Ghost’s eyes stayed fixed on the road.
They waited.
Then, after a few minutes, a black sedan passed by.
Ghost’s gaze followed it.
Marcel immediately got to work, fingers moving rapidly over his device.
"CCTV feeds are down," he said under his breath. "Internal visuals replaced."
Ghost nodded once.
"Let us go in."
They moved quickly toward the parking entrance.
The car descended.
Level one.
Then level two.
And finally, the third level.
The engine slowed as they approached the restricted section.
A honk echoed.
The guard hurried toward them.
Marcel rolled down the window casually.
"Sorry sir, this space is only for admin st... wait, I saw you before"
Before the sentence could finish, Marcel’s hand moved swiftly.
A small needle pressed into the guard’s neck.
The man’s eyes widened briefly before his body went limp, collapsing silently.
Ghost’s voice came low.
"Move in."
Marcel pressed the pedal.
The barrier lifted just enough, and the car slipped through into the hidden passage.
The tunnel stretched ahead, dimly lit by overhead lights, its structure echoing faintly with the sound of the engine.
On one side, a line of cars stood parked.
Identical.
Orderly.
Ghost observed them carefully.
"These are the cars Gabriel uses," he said quietly.
Marcel checked his device.
"No signal here."
Ghost already knew.
They were cut off.
Deep inside.
Far from the surface.
...
Across the city, Louis drove at high speed, his grip tight on the steering wheel as he dialed again and again.
"Damn it... why is it not connecting..."
His jaw tightened.
He knew.
Time was slipping.
And the DGSE was already moving.
...
Back in the tunnel, the car continued forward until an opening appeared ahead.
Two armed men stepped forward, raising a hand to stop them.
"I was not informed that the boss was expecting more men," one of them said, eyes narrowing slightly.
Ghost remained silent.
Marcel leaned forward slightly.
"Mr. Gabriel called us urgently."
Then he lowered his voice just enough.
"It is about the boy Miss Chloe has been seeing."
The guard exchanged a quick glance with his partner.
"I heard something about that."
He stepped aside.
"Park on the left."
Marcel drove in, slowing the vehicle before bringing it to a stop.
Both of them stepped out.
Immediately, four armed men approached.
Two in front.
Two behind.
Their posture was rigid.
Controlled.
"We are here to escort you," one of them said.
Ghost looked at Marcel briefly.
Then spoke calmly.
"Only I am going. He is leaving."
Marcel hesitated for a fraction of a second.
Ghost gave him a subtle signal.
Leave.
Marcel understood.
Without another word, he turned, got back into the car, and drove away, disappearing back into the tunnel.
Ghost stood alone.
He could not risk Marcel any further.
This part...
Was his alone.
The guards positioned themselves.
Two ahead.
Two behind.
They began walking.
Ghost moved with them, his steps steady, but his mind calculating every detail.
Distances.
Angles.
Movement patterns.
Weapons and their fingers on the triggers.
Everything.
They moved upward through a staircase.
Then emerged.
And there it was.
The estate.
A vast villa surrounded by open green lawns, the quiet elegance of the place masking the heavy security presence around it.
Ghost’s eyes moved across the area.
Multiple guards.
Positions set.
Clear lines of sight.
Too many variables.
He did not want bloodshed here.
Not today.
Not here.
Not in her home.
They moved forward.
Closer.
Then in a single instant...
Ghost turned.
His hands shot out.
Grabbing the two guards beside him by their collars.
Before they could react, he lifted and shoved them backward with explosive force.
Their bodies crashed down the staircase behind them with a loud, echoing thud.
The remaining guards spun around instantly.
"What was that"
They rushed toward the stairs.
But all they saw...
Were their men lying on the ground below.
Unconscious.
Gone.
"Where is he?" one shouted.
"Alert the security," another yelled, grabbing his comm. "We have an intruder!"
And just like that...
Ghost had vanished.
To be continued....