I dialed the familiar sequence of numbers, each beep a step away from the life I had left behind and a step toward reclaiming what was rightfully mine. The call connected, and a voice on the other end answered, curt and efficient.
“This is Major Elias Thorne,” I said, my voice steady with the resolve of a man who had nothing left to lose. “I need a favor. It’s time to cash in on those IOUs.”
As I ended the call, I felt the weight of years lift slightly off my shoulders. The cavalry was coming, and this time, I wasn’t alone. I had allies who understood the real cost of freedom, people who knew the value of redemption and the lengths one would go to protect their own.
