Chapter 20:
Dominion Protocol Volume 7: Shadows of Tokyo
The sea stretched out before her, dark and endless, waves lapping gently against the shore. Jessica leaned against the railing of the balcony, a glass of whiskey in her hand, watching the night settle over the town. It felt different this time. The weight of the last few weeks pressing against her, but lighter somehow—less suffocating. The war wasn’t over. She knew that. But for tonight, just tonight, she let herself pretend.
Behind her, the door slid open. Footsteps, familiar and steady. Sam.
He didn’t say anything at first. Just stood beside her, looking out at the water. Finally, he spoke. “You’re back.”
Jessica took a slow sip of whiskey. “Was I gone?”
Sam glanced at her, amused but not fooled. “Not physically.”
She exhaled, setting the glass down. “I don’t know, Sam. Every time I think I’m closer to the truth, I end up with more questions.”
Sam nodded, as if he understood. Maybe he did. “And what about this one?” He gestured toward the table behind them. The Oni mask rested there, the dim light catching the sharp lines of its carved face.
Jessica turned, studying it. “We’re still figuring that out.”
---
Leanna sat cross-legged on the couch, flipping through notes, while Olivia scrolled through her laptop. The investigation hadn’t stopped, not even after the facility burned.
“The craftsmanship is legitimate,” Olivia said, tapping the screen. “We’re talking pre-Edo period, possibly older.”
Jessica raised an eyebrow. “That old?”
Leanna nodded. “If we’re right, the masks aren’t just relics. They were ceremonial. Used by a secretive order long before any recorded European contact with Japan.”
Jessica leaned against the wall. “Templars?”
Leanna smirked. “It wouldn’t be the strangest thing we’ve uncovered.”
Jessica exhaled, rubbing the back of her neck. So that was it. The masks were real, ancient. Mr. Black hadn’t wanted them because of some modern experiment. He wanted them buried because of what they represented. A truth older than Vanguard.
“You gonna tell us what really happened with Yuki?” Leanna asked quietly.
Jessica paused for a moment as if she was considering Leanna’s question. “Not everything. Not yet. But… she was married to Ryan.”
Olivia was taken by surprise. “Wait. Ryan? Your Ryan?”
Leanna stared over at Ryan’s albums, “He wasn’t mine. Not really. Not after I found the memo.”
“He lied to you.” Leanna said, coming to Jessica’s defense.
Jessica shrugged, “Or he loved me and lied because of it. I’m still working that part out.”
There was a brief moment of silence. As if compelled to end it, Olivia shut her laptop. “So, what’s next?”
Jessica let the question hang in the air for a moment, then shrugged. “I don’t know.” A small smirk tugged at her lips. “Maybe I should just switch careers. Cat burglar’s looking pretty tempting these days.”
Leanna snorted. “You’d get caught.”
Jessica placed a hand over her heart. “I’m wounded.”
Olivia smirked. “She’s right, though. You don’t have the patience for quiet jobs.”
Jessica sighed dramatically. “Fine. No cat burglary. Guess I’ll stick to this mess instead.”
They all laughed—the first real laugh in weeks.
---
Later, after the research was put away, Jessica found herself back on the balcony, staring out at the waves again. Sam leaned in the doorway, watching her. She was thinking about Ryan. “He thought he could protect me from the inside.” The words still echoed. She didn’t know if she hated him for trying… or for failing.
She turned slightly, meeting Sam’s gaze. “You ever think about walking away?”
Sam stepped closer, hands in his pockets. “You?”
She didn’t answer. Didn’t need to.
Sam looked past her to the horizon, the sea barely visible in the dark. “Every day. That’s what makes it a choice.”
Jessica considered it. The answer was more complicated than she wanted it to be. “I don’t know if I can.”
Sam studied her for a long moment, then reached for her hand. “Come inside.”
She let him pull her back in, closing the door behind them. The war wasn’t over. Maybe it never would be, but for the first time in a long time, she wasn’t just a ghost in someone else’s story. Tonight, she was Jessica Sanchez, and that was enough.
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