The decision took less time than it should have. By the time the taxi reached their hotel in Queens, Adrian and Mara had made their choice. They would return to Europe illegally, would violate every term of their deportation agreement, would become permanent fugitives operating outside all legal authority.They would finish the hunt, regardless of cost."We need the team back," Adrian said as they checked into the hotel under false names. "Coleman, Fischer, anyone willing to risk permanent fugitive status for one final operation."Mara was already composing encrypted messages. "Coleman will join. He's not the type to walk away from unfinished business. Fischer might—she has more to lose professionally, but she also understands what Richter represents. Erika probably won't. She's earned her retirement from this fight."The responses came back within hours. Coleman agreed immediately, apparently having expected the call. Fischer hesitated but ultimately committed, citing inability to li

Swiss custody was different from Polish detention. More efficient, more clinical, less interested in ideological debates about justice and terrorism. Adrian was processed through a system designed for handling international criminals—fingerprints, photographs, medical examination of his injuries, formal charges read in three languages to ensure comprehension.The charges were extensive: unauthorized military operations on Swiss soil, destruction of diplomatic facilities, terrorism, conspiracy, weapons violations, and approximately a dozen other offenses that collectively guaranteed he would never leave Swiss prison alive.Coleman was in a different facility, receiving emergency medical treatment for his gunshot wounds before being transferred to long-term detention. Adrian didn't know where Mara and Fischer were—whether they'd successfully prevented Prague's cascade, whether they'd been captured, whether they'd managed to extract before European authorities mobilized.He was held in i

The SUV took them through Vienna's outskirts, past industrial zones and into an area of abandoned warehouses that looked like they hadn't seen legitimate business in decades. Adrian's instincts screamed trap—isolated location, no witnesses, perfect place for an execution."Relax," Brandt said, apparently reading his body language. "If I wanted you dead, you'd have died in the café. I brought you here because you need to see what I'm actually building before you decide whether to fight me or join me.""I'm not joining you," Adrian said flatly."We'll see."The SUV stopped at a warehouse that looked derelict from the outside but had security cameras and reinforced doors that suggested otherwise. Brandt's security team—four operatives in gear—surrounded the vehicle as they exited."Weapons," one of them demanded, hand extended toward Adrian.Adrian pulled his concealed pistol and handed it over, understanding resistance would accomplish nothing except getting him shot. The operative patt

The private jet—courtesy of a CIA black budget Hayes had access to—was wheels up from Prague within twenty minutes. Adrian spent the flight coordinating with intelligence agencies across seven countries, sending Martinez's evidence packages, watching social media explode as journalists started breaking the story. CORPORATE CONSPIRACY TO CONTROL EUROPEAN INFRASTRUCTURE EXPOSED TECH GIANTS ACCUSED OF PLANNING COORDINATED BLACKOUTS LEAKED DOCUMENTS REVEAL PLOT TO TAKE OVER CITY POWER GRIDS "It's spreading faster than they can suppress it," Martinez said, monitoring the feeds from her laptop. "Brandt's corporate backers are already issuing denials, but the evidence is too solid. Their stock prices are tanking." "Good," Adrian said. "But the cascades still activate in—" he checked his watch "—four hours thirty minutes. Public outrage doesn't prevent infrastructure collapse." "Berlin's taking it seriously," Hayes reported from his phone. "German authorities are mobilizing technical te

The secure facility outside The Hague looked like a corporate office park—all glass and steel modernism, landscaped grounds, nothing to suggest it housed intelligence operations for multiple countries. Adrian's team arrived separately, maintaining operational security even though they were supposedly legitimate now.The briefing room was underground, three levels down, accessed through biometric checkpoints that made Vienna's security look casual. Twenty people were already seated when Adrian entered—intelligence officers from five countries, technical specialists, operational planners. All of them turned to watch as he walked to the front of the room.Vance was waiting there, along with a man Adrian didn't recognize—late fifties, Asian features, wearing an expensive suit that suggested private sector rather than government service."This is Director Kim," Vance said. "Singapore Intelligence. He's been tracking the Southeast Asia situation for eighteen months."Kim pulled up satellite