Dominance of the ex-con Son-in-law

Chapter 2

“General Harper, this way.”

The warden’s voice was hushed, respectful, very different from the tone he used when other prisoners passed through these corridors.

He walked slightly ahead, his shoulders stiff with the weight of what he carried.

Kadmiel followed in silence, his steps echoing.

There were no more chains, no more disguise of a broken man serving time. Now he carried authority, each movement measured, impossible to mistake for the gait of a convict.

They stopped at a nondescript door at the far end of the restricted wing.

Two guards waited there, their uniforms crisp, their rifles gleaming. The warden swiped a card, and the door opened with a mechanical hiss.

Inside, the walls curved with sleek metallic panels, and in the center of the circular room stood a long table made of black glass.

Above it shimmered faint blue light, a dormant holographic system waiting to be activated.

The warden stepped aside and inclined his head. “They’re waiting sir.”

Kadmiel moved forward. As he did, the room came alive. The hologram came to life, casting the faces of President Hank Crawford and three senior officials, Barbara Kochi, Lincoln, and Clyde, into the air. They appeared as though standing in the room itself, their images clear, their presence commanding.

President Hank raised his hand in salute.

“General Kadmiel Harper,” the President said, his voice firm, reverberating even through the distortion of projection. “Welcome back.”

The three officials followed, lifting their hands in unison. “General.”

Kadmiel stood at attention. For years he had been painted as a man disgraced, a soldier lost to shadows and whispers.

Yet here, among those who truly knew, the truth held. He was not a prisoner. He was not forgotten. He was one of their most decorated, their most trusted.

“It’s been some time since you wanted to see me,” Kadmiel replied. His voice was not arrogant, but that of a man who had earned the right to speak plainly.

“I thought I had done enough. Fought enough. Sacrificed enough. I believed retirement was finally mine.”

Barbara, sharp-eyed and precise, leaned slightly closer. “You have done more than enough, but in our world, circumstances change.”

Clyde, always the cautious one, added, “The Council debated whether to trouble you again. We know what we ask is heavy.”

President Hank’s gaze was steady. “But we cannot entrust this to anyone else.”

Kadmiel studied their faces, reading the unspoken gravity in the room. He knew this look, leaders burdened with knowledge they could not share freely.

The last time he had seen such expressions, it had led to a minor war that disturbed the continent.

“What kind of mission demands dragging me out of hiding?” he asked, his tone coated with suspicion. “Be direct.”

Lincoln, his voice grave, leaned forward into the projection. “Direct? Fine. We face a threat without a name. It is around us, perfectly weaving itself into our institutions and masks itself in loyalty, whispers among allies. And when it strikes, it will not come from across the sea, it will come from the very hands we trust.”

The words landed heavily. Even for Kadmiel, who had seen betrayal and blood countless times, this chilled him.

“The enemy hides among allies,” President Hank said slowly, emphasizing each syllable. “That is the only clue we can give you for now. You will discover the rest yourself.”

Kadmiel’s jaw tightened. He had hoped his days of chasing were done. He had hoped the ghosts he carried could be laid to rest in quiet obscurity. But he had been roped back into duty.

“You’re asking me to hunt in the dark,” he said.

“Yes,” Hank answered simply. “Because no one else can.”

Barbara spoke again, her tone brisk. “We are restoring your full clearance. You will have authority across every branch. No questions would be asked, no door barred.”

The hologram shifted, a digital insignia glowing before him, five stars gleaming in sequence.

“Kadmiel Harper,” Hank declared, “by the power vested in my office, I reinstate you with the rank of Five-Star General. With it comes not just responsibility, but absolute clearance. Use it wisely.”

The insignia burned bright before fading into the projection. Kadmiel’s gaze lingered on the spot it had been, his thoughts unreadable.

After a long pause, he inclined his head. “If this is what must be done, then I will see it through. But know this, once I walk into that fire, there may be no coming back for me and people that would be around me.”

“We are prepared for the cost,” Hank said. “Are you?”

For the first time since he entered, Kadmiel’s expression softened, though only slightly. “I thought I had escaped this life. Seems fate disagrees.”

The President’s hologram flickered, his tone lowering. “Your country still needs you, Kadmiel. One last time.”

Kadmiel did not answer immediately. His gaze shifted downward, to the polished black surface of the table, where his reflection stared back. A man who had seen too much, endured too much, and yet was still asked for more.

Finally, he exhaled. “You said one last time the last time, well, so be it. Tell me where to begin.”

“That,” Hank said, “will reveal itself. Trust no one, not fully. And remember what I told you. The enemy hides among allies.”

With that, the holograms dimmed, one by one, until only the faint beeps of the machine remained.

The warden reentered, standing stiffly at the doorway. “General, your quarters have been prepared. I will escort you.”

Kadmiel gave a short nod but said nothing. His mind was already bracing for what lay ahead. Kadmiel was not a man that spoke many words, he believed more in using his ears before his mouth and that saw him through all these years.

Yet before he could take a step, the door to the chamber burst open.

“Kadmiel!”