The hangar’s floodlights burned through the night haze, bleaching the color from everything — the banners, the cameras, even Juliette’s perfect smile. Her speech echoed over the loudspeakers, smooth and rehearsed, a promise of global unity and endless opportunity.
Behind her, the sleek cargo jet rumbled to life.

Inside, Tim was shoved forward by the barrel of Kurt’s gun. The noise of the engines drowned everything else, a rising mechanical growl that made the air vibrate.

“You’re lucky, Tim” Kurt said, his voice calm, almost casual. “You get to be useful again. Keep your mouth shut, fly the goods, deliver what you’re told, maybe get a little action form the boss lay… mean lady. Easy money.”

Tim said nothing. The plane smelled like oil and metal. Beneath the hum, he could hear his pulse hammering in his ears.
“Your sister should’ve stayed out of this,” Kurt went on, pacing behind him. “She was smart once — now she’s just sentimental. Guess it runs in the family.”

That did it.

Tim turned, fast. The two collided near the cabin wall. The gun clattered onto the floor. Kurt slammed a fist into Tim’s stomach, driving the air out of him — but Tim grabbed the older man’s jacket and threw him against the seat rail. They struggled, fists landing wild.

“You’re nothing but baggage!” Kurt spat, reaching for the gun.

Tim kicked it away, fury boiling over. “You don’t get to talk about her.”

Kurt lunged — and Tim drove him backward into the metal bulkhead. The sound was sharp, final. Kurt slid down the wall, his eyes still open but empty.

Tim stood there, shaking, chest heaving, the engine’s roar swallowing the silence that followed.

Allie stood at the rear of the hanger and fired the gun into the air.

The ground rumbled and the hanger floor began to buckle.

The crowd panicked. Reporters screamed. Diplomats scattered as Juliette’s calm mask shattered.

“What are you doing!?” she shouted, fury blazing across her perfect face.

Allie ran toward Jules.

“Why Juliette?” Allie shouted, her voice echoing throughout the hanger.

“You still don’t understand!” Juliette screamed. “We could’ve had everything! Power, respect, control—”

“You mean corruption!” Allie yelled, tears stinging her eyes. “This ends tonight!”

Juliette’s gaze hardened. “And what do you think you can do? One woman against the Vipers, the planes, the world I’m about to control? You’ll never leave here alive!” Juliette screamed, but Allie’s eyes held something softer, almost sorrowful.

“I don’t intend to,”

The jet groaned — the landing gear sinking as the plane began to tilt due to the explosions. The rear cargo door cracked open, hydraulics whining.

A flash of headlights cut through the smoke inside the cabin.

Tim — behind the wheel of a black sedan loaded inside the plane. He slammed it into gear and gunned the throttle. The car dropped from the ramp, tires screaming against the hangar floor as the plane tilted behind him.

Juliette turned in shock. Allie’s eyes locked on her one last time.

“I loved you, Jules,” Allie whispered and tackled Juliette just as a jet engine tore loose from its mount. The two women vanished beneath it with a deafening crash.

Tim’s breath caught — but there was no time. The jet’s frame was groaning, fire spreading across the runway.

He jerked the wheel and drifted across the hangar. Derrick jumped into the passenger seat, his detonator still in his hand, shouting over the chaos.

“Where’s Joey!?” Tim yelled.

“He’s got the kid!” Derrick pointed across the smoke.

Tim saw them — Joey clutching little Jessie tight, eyes wide with terror.

He yanked the e-brake. The car spun sideways in a perfect slide, stopping inches from them.

Joey threw open the door and climbed in with Jessie in his arms.

“Go!” Derrick shouted.

Tim floored it. The car tore through the hangar doors, firelight chasing them across the tarmac.

Behind them, Derrick leaned out the window, holding the detonator aloft. His expression was unreadable, but his voice was steady.
“Kaboom,” he whispered.

The explosion swallowed the hangar in a rolling wave of fire. The shockwave rocked the car as Tim sped into the night — headlights cutting a path away from the inferno, away from everything they’d known.

The lake was quiet except for the soft slap of the waves against the dock. The air smelled like pine and sun-warmed wood.

Tim sat with his feet in the water, watching the ripples spread out from where Jessie splashed. The boy giggled, little feet kicking happily, the hem of his shorts already soaked.

Joey sat beside them, leaning back on his hands, watching with a lazy smile.

“Daddy Tim,” Jessie said suddenly, pointing at the water. “It’s blue like mommy’s hair.”

Tim laughed softly. “Is it now?”

Jessie turned to Joey, grinning wide. “And Daddy Joey’s got the tickles!”

Joey snorted and caught him up in a hug, tickling his sides until Jessie squealed and kicked.

“He’s got that right,” Joey said, letting him go as the boy wriggled back to the dock, breathless and smiling.

“My room’s got stars!”

Joey nodded. “Looks real nice, doesn’t it? You picked all the best stuff.”

Jessie nodded proudly, then leaned his head against Tim’s arm. “Can we stay here forever?”

Tim looked down at him, his voice soft. “Yeah, kiddo. We’re not going anywhere.”

Joey reached over, brushed a bit of sawdust from Tim’s sleeve, leaned over and kissed on the lips. “Derrick might come by later,” he said. “He said he got some deer this morning.”

Tim smiled. “Figures. Guess he likes being back at that cabin of his.”

Joey chuckled. “Think we still owe him for all the weapons we lost?”

Tim shook his head, standing and stretching. “Nah. He’s square. Derrick’s not the kind of guy who keeps score.”

The light shifted, turning the lake a deep, perfect blue. Tim stared out over it for a moment, hands in his pockets, the wind tugging at his hair. The color reminded him of Allie — bright, alive, impossible to forget.

“You’d like it here,” he whispered, just for her.

Joey looked up. “What was that?”

Tim smiled faintly. “Nothing. Just thinking.”

Jessie hummed to himself, dipping his hand in the water, his reflection rippling and breaking. Joey leaned against Tim’s leg, quiet for a moment.

And as the sun sank lower and the lake shimmered gold and blue, the three of them sat together — safe, still, and whole.