Farewell

The evening air in Belize was thick with humidity, the scent of salt and sand hanging in the breeze. Jessica and Ryan walked along the shoreline, their footprints fading with each wave that rolled in. It had been a long day of planning, but Ryan had been distant, quieter than usual. Now, as the sun dipped below the horizon, the tension between them was palpable.

Ryan finally broke the silence. "I’m not going with you."

Jessica slowed her steps but didn’t stop. She had known this conversation was coming. She had seen it in his posture all day. "I figured."

Ryan sighed. "Jess, I have to finish the tour. It’s bad enough I took this time off, and the band… they need me. I need this, too."

Jessica turned to face him. "You think I don’t get that? I’ve been watching from a distance, Ryan. I know how much this means to you."

"Then why are you doing this?" His voice was firm but not unkind. "You could stay. Live your life. You don’t have to go chasing ghosts."

Jessica exhaled slowly. "They’re not ghosts. They’re real. And if this letter is telling the truth, Project Prometheus isn’t just some closed chapter in my life. It’s still out there. It’s still hurting people."

Ryan rubbed his face, looking away. "I don’t want you to get hurt again."

Jessica let out a quiet laugh, shaking her head. "It’s a little late for that, don’t you think?"

Ryan hesitated, his fingers twitching at his side like he wanted to reach for her but wasn’t sure if he should. "You don’t have to be the one to fix this, Jess."

Jessica looked at him, really looked at him, and saw all the conflict he was trying to bury. "I know. But I have to try."

Ryan sighed again, this time deeper, like he was letting go of something. "I’ll meet up with you when I can. Just… don’t get yourself killed before then."

Jessica smirked. "I’ll try my best."

They stood there for a moment, the ocean whispering between them. Then, without another word, Ryan turned and walked back toward the bungalow. Jessica watched him go, her heart aching in ways she didn’t have time to unpack.

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

Back at the bungalow, Olivia was busy at the kitchen table, sorting through a collection of papers and forged documents. She looked up as Jessica entered. "You good?"

Jessica shrugged. "Define good."

Olivia sighed, sliding a freshly printed passport across the table. "Meet Annika Lindström, Swedish national."

Jessica picked up the passport and flipped through it. Her face stared back at her, but the name was different, the identity manufactured. "Swedish, huh?"

"Easiest to fake, and Vanguard won’t have eyes on Swedish travelers the way they would on Americans," Olivia explained. "The rest of us are now proud citizens of Sweden as well."

Kevin picked up his new ID, frowning. "My name is Björn Eriksson? Seriously?"

Hannah smirked. "I think it suits you."

Leanna tapped her fingers on the table. "Flights are booked. One-way tickets to Buenos Aires. We’ll figure out the next steps once we’re on the ground."

Jessica exhaled, setting her passport down. "Then I guess we’re really doing this."

Olivia nodded. "We leave at sunrise."

Jessica looked out the window, toward the darkened horizon where the ocean met the sky. No turning back now.