Chapter 13 - Blood Money
Pier 42 was a decaying graveyard of rusty shipping containers and rotting wooden pilings jutting out into the black, churning waters of the Hudson River. Rain poured down in heavy sheets, driven by a howling ocean wind.
Mark pulled his stolen sedan onto the slick asphalt, turning off the headlights. The heavy silence of the docks was broken only by the rhythmic creaking of metal containers swaying in the storm.
He stepped out into the pouring rain, holding the glowing silver flash drive high above his head in his left hand, his right hand buried deep in his jacket pocket over his sidearm.
At the end of the pier, beneath the swinging halogen lights of a cargo crane, stood Julian Vance, wrapped in a long black trench coat, flanked by Viktor and three heavily armed mercenaries. Lily stood beside Viktor, her hands tied, tears washing down her rain-soaked cheeks.
"Drop the weapon, Mark!" Julian yelled across the open expanse, his voice barely carrying over the wind. "Place the drive on the crate and slide it forward!"
Mark took three slow, deliberate steps forward, keeping his eyes locked on his daughter. "Let Lily walk across first. You get the drive when she touches this car."
Julian chuckled, nodding to Viktor. "A tactical negotiation? You have no leverage here, Mark."
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Suddenly, from high atop a shipping container behind Julian’s men, a sudden flash of light cut through the dark storm—a powerful flare struck the deck directly between the mercenaries, blinding them instantly.
Out of the darkness behind the crane, a silhouette emerged with lethal grace—Elena, holding a heavy iron pry-bar, swung with all her strength into the knee of the closest guard.
