Chapter 7 - The Shipyard
The fog rolled heavily over the dark, freezing waters of Pier 44.
Evelyn walked alone through the maze of towering, rusted shipping containers.
She carried the heavy black ledger tightly against her chest, her heart pounding relentlessly.
She knew Agent Miller and his tactical team were hiding in the shadows, but she still felt entirely exposed.
A large, empty warehouse loomed at the end of the pier, its massive steel doors wide open.
Inside, a single harsh halogen light illuminated the center of the concrete floor.
Lucas was tied to a metal chair beneath the light, his face bruised and bleeding.
Standing behind him was Marcus Thorne, dressed in a sharp, expensive suit.
Thorne looked entirely out of place in the dirty warehouse, holding a silver pistol in his hand.
Four heavily armed guards stood in the dark corners of the room, their rifles ready.
"Mom!" Lucas shouted, his voice hoarse and desperate.
"I am here, Lucas, everything is going to be okay," Evelyn called back, forcing her voice to remain steady.
She stopped twenty feet away from Thorne, staring the devil directly in the eye.
"Throw the ledger on the ground and kick it over to me," Thorne commanded smoothly.
"Let him go first," Evelyn demanded, refusing to break eye contact.
Thorne laughed, a cruel, mocking sound that echoed off the metal walls.
"You are not in a courtroom anymore, Evelyn, you do not get to dictate the terms," Thorne sneered.
He pressed the barrel of the pistol directly against the back of Lucas’s head.
"The ledger, now."
Evelyn slowly lowered the black book to the ground and kicked it across the floor.
Thorne’s eyes lit up with greedy triumph as the book slid to his feet.
He bent down and picked it up, flipping through the pages to confirm it was authentic.
"Perfect," Thorne smiled, slipping the book under his arm.
"Now let my son go," Evelyn demanded again.
Thorne raised his pistol, pointing it directly at Evelyn's chest.
"I am afraid I cannot leave any loose ends, Judge," Thorne said coldly.
"You have caused my organization far too much trouble."
Before Thorne could pull the trigger, the warehouse was plunged into absolute darkness.
The halogen light shattered with a loud pop, destroyed by a sniper’s bullet.
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Evelyn hit the ground instantly, covering her head as chaos erupted.
The trap was finally sprung.
