Chapter 20: Aftermath
Chapter 20: Aftermath
Six months later. The Appalachian cabin was completely rebuilt, stronger, larger, and warmer than before, equipped with better security but looking like a normal home.
The bright morning sun filtered through the tall pine trees. I stood by the farmhouse kitchen sink, washing dishes, the comforting smell of fresh black coffee and frying bacon filling the air. Outside on the wooden porch, Lily sat in a rocking chair, a thick medical textbook resting in her lap. The bruises were long gone, leaving no physical scars. More importantly, the vibrant, defiant light had returned to her eyes. She was laughing brightly on the phone with a friend from her new university.
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The morning news on the small kitchen radio briefly mentioned the ongoing, massive federal trial of a dismantled cartel ring. The anchor noted the investigation was initially sparked by the grisly, unsolved discovery of a disgraced former real estate mogul, found severely tortured and left in the desert near the southern border.
I reached over with a wet hand and clicked the radio off, silencing the noise of the outside world. I looked out the window at my daughter's smile. My peaceful Sunday had finally returned. The Ghost was buried again deep in the earth. And this time, nobody would ever dare wake him.
