Chapter 13 - The Northern Hangar
The black sedan tore through the freezing upstate New York highway, the tires hissing against the wet asphalt. Julian gripped the steering wheel with white-knuckled intensity, his eyes fixed on the winding road ahead. In the passenger seat, Chloe sat with her arms crossed, her light purple tweed jacket zipped up against the evening chill, staring intently at the GPS tablet tracking the satellite ping.
"We're three miles out," Chloe said, her voice steady and focused. "According to the telemetry, her transport hasn't taken off yet. She's waiting for a secondary cargo transfer."
"What kind of cargo?" Julian asked, navigating a sharp curve without slowing down.
"Physical documentation," Chloe replied. "The original hard copies of the fraud evidence. If she leaves the country without them, she’s just a fugitive with money. If she takes them, she retains control of the offshore shell companies."
Julian pulled the sedan off the main highway, cutting the headlights as they approached a rusted chain-link fence half-hidden by overgrown pine trees. "Arthur’s key should work here."
He pulled the heavy iron key from his pocket, stepping out into the biting wind to unlock the padlocked side gate. The metal groaned in protest before swinging open, allowing the sedan to slip quietly onto the private tarmac of the northern airfield.
Ahead of them, sitting under the harsh floodlights of a corrugated metal hangar, was a sleek, twin-engine private jet with its turbines already whining at high idle. Standing near the bottom of the boarding stairs was Victoria Sterling, flanked by two private security guards. She wore her severe updo and her dark purple suit, the twin star brooches gleaming coldly under the halogen lights.
Julian killed the car engine. The silence of the tarmac rushed in around them.
"Stay here," Julian said, reaching for the door handle.
"No," Chloe said, opening her door and stepping out into the cold wind. "We finish this together."
They walked out from the shadows of the pine trees into the glare of the hangar lights. Victoria turned sharply, her expression shifting from impatience to absolute disbelief as she spotted her son and the young woman she thought she had erased.
"Julian?" Victoria shouted over the roar of the jet engines, stepping down from the metal stairs. "Have you completely lost your mind? Get back in that car!"
"It's over, Mom," Julian shouted back, stopping twenty feet from the tarmac stairs. "The feds are five minutes behind us. Surrender now."
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Victoria let out a cold, piercing laugh, reaching into her leather briefcase and pulling out a heavy manila folder. "You think a few federal agents can touch me once I cross state airspace? You know nothing about how power works, Julian!"
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