Final Sacrifice

Jess sat by Ryan’s bedside, unmoving, staring at the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest. The steady beep of the heart monitor was the only sound in the dim hospital room. She had lost count of how many hours had passed since she arrived, but the sunlight streaming in through the blinds told her it had been days. Days without eating. Days without sleeping. Days spent drowning in the weight of everything that had happened.

Ryan was pale, the bandages around his side stark against his skin. He had been lucky—the bullet hadn’t hit anything vital. The doctors said he would make a full recovery. But the sight of him lying there, so still, so vulnerable, shattered something inside her.

This was her fault. Everything was her fault. Leanna, Olivia, Kevin, Hannah—they had all been dragged into this because of her. Because she refused to stop, refused to let it go. And now, Ryan had taken a bullet for a fight that wasn’t his.

Tears blurred her vision as she reached for his hand, squeezing it gently. "I never wanted this for you," she whispered. "For any of you."

Ryan didn’t stir, lost in the haze of painkillers and exhaustion. Jess swallowed hard, blinking back her tears. She had made up her mind. They would be better off without her.

**********************************

Jess moved silently through the apartment, careful not to wake anyone. The others had all returned to the motel for the night, exhausted from days of worry. She had told them she would stay with Ryan—one last night.

Her backpack was packed. Everything they had found, the copies of Monroe’s files, the flash drive, the journals were all secured. She had already made arrangements. The documents had been placed in a safety deposit box at a local bank under a false name.

All that was left was to disappear. She leaned over Ryan one last time, brushing a strand of hair from his forehead. "I love you," she whispered, her voice breaking. "And I’m so sorry."

Then she turned and walked away, slipping into the night.

**********************************

By the time the others realized she was gone, it was too late.

Leanna found the letter first. It was tucked beneath a coffee cup in the motel kitchenette.

I’m sorry. This isn’t your fight anymore. You deserve a life without looking over your shoulder. Please don’t come after me.
-Jess

The room fell into stunned silence as they processed what had happened. Olivia was the first to speak. "She’s turning herself in."

Leanna’s hands shook as she read the letter again. "No… she’s ending it."

Kevin clenched his fists. "We have to stop her."

But Jess was already gone.

**********************************

Jess walked into the federal building, her backpack slung over her shoulder. Special Agent Samuel Richter was waiting for her in the lobby, his expression unreadable.

"You’re sure about this?" he asked.

She nodded. "I have evidence. Enough to bring Vanguard Biotechnics down. I want witness protection. And I want my friends left out of it."

Richter studied her for a long moment, then nodded. "Alright, kid. Let’s get you out of here."

Jess didn’t look back.

**********************************

The takedown of Vanguard Biotechnics made headlines. The company was exposed, and its illegal human experiments brought to light. The government moved swiftly, dismantling the project, shutting down facilities, and making high-profile arrests, but key scientists managed to  escape.

Jess disappeared into the system, her identity erased. The girl who had once been Jason Carter no longer existed. In her place was a ghost, a whisper lost in the chaos of bureaucracy. She was given a new name. A new life. And a one-way ticket to Belize.

**********************************

Years later, Leanna sat in her apartment, half-listening to the TV as she sorted through old papers. The LA Olympic Games played in the background, the camera panning across the stadium as the announcer introduced the athletes.

Then she heard it.

"And now, competing in the women’s heptathlon, we have Jessica Sanchez, representing Belize. A rising star in track and field, she’s been making waves in international competition."

Leanna’s heart stopped. She turned to the screen, eyes wide. The camera zoomed in on the runner. She was older, more refined, her hair tied back in a sleek ponytail. The name on the screen was different, but there was no mistaking her. It was Jess. She was alive.

Leanna sat back, pressing a hand to her mouth as emotions crashed over her. She had found her. And this time, she wasn’t going to let her go.

To Be Continued…
Jessica returns in Volume 3 Dominion Protocol: Echoes of the Self