Chapter 10 - Blood on the Water
Marcus stood on the pier amidst the swirling sea mist, waving them forward frantically. "Hurry! The harbor master is overriding the police channel, but we only have two minutes before the coast guard deploys their interceptors!"
Julian grabbed Lyra, hoisting her up through the torn opening onto the wet wooden planks of the dock. Cold ocean spray whipped against their faces as they sprinted toward the idling tugboat.
Behind them, gunfire erupted from the mouth of the drainage tunnel. Bullets tore into the wooden crates and oil drums stacked along the pier. Marcus returned fire with deliberate, military precision, suppressing the advancing mercenaries while backing toward the vessel's gangway.
"Julian! Watch the crane!" Lyra screamed suddenly.
Julian looked up just in time. Suspended fifty feet above the pier, a massive shipping container was abruptly released from a gantry crane, hurtling downward directly toward the tugboat's deck.
Julian tackled Lyra to the dock as the steel container struck the stern of the boat with an earth-shattering crunch. The impact crushed the vessel's wheelhouse and snapped the mooring lines, sending a massive wave of seawater washing over the pier.
Through the pouring rain and sea spray, a sleek black town car glided onto the wharf, flanked by four black SUVs. The rear door of the town car swung open.
Victoria stepped out into the pouring rain. She had changed out of her champagne wedding gown into a tailored dark trench coat, but her diamonds still glittered against her neck. She held a silver umbrella in one hand, her face contorted in an expression of absolute disgust.
"Did you really think a broken old man like Harrison could save you?" Victoria called out across the pier, her voice amplified through the SUV's public address system. "Your father died in his hospice bed forty minutes ago, Julian. The Alistair line ends tonight."
Julian stood up slowly, wiping ocean water and blood from his brow. He stepped in front of Lyra, his hands clenching into white-knuckled fists. "You murdered him."
"He was an obstacle," Victoria dismissed coldly, raising her hand to signal a dozen heavily armed private contractors who stepped forward, leveling assault rifles at Julian, Lyra, and the wounded Marcus. "Just as your sister was. Just as you are now. Give me the documents, Julian. Perhaps I'll let them bury you in the family cemetery."
Lyra stepped out from behind Julian’s shoulder, looking directly into Victoria’s cold eyes. "You forgot one thing, Victoria."
May you like
Victoria scoffed. "And what could a glorified waitress possibly know about the real world?"
Lyra held up her phone, the screen glowing bright green against the night. "This entire pier has public port authority livestream cameras. And my phone just uploaded your shipping manifests directly to the Federal Maritime Commission."
