Chapter 18 - Midnight on Pier 14
The fog over the East River was so thick that the city skyline looked like a cluster of smoldering embers.
Pier 14 was eerily quiet except for the rhythmic slap of waves against rotting wooden pilings.
Container 408 sat beneath a massive yellow gantry crane near the edge of the deep-water dock.
A luxury yacht hummed quietly in the adjacent slip, its engines running at low idle, ready for an immediate departure.
Dominic stood on the wet concrete, supervising half a dozen heavily armed men loading steel lockboxes into the yacht’s hold.
"Spread out," Alexander commanded in a whisper, gesturing to Marcus and our four tactical officers.
"Non-lethal until they draw; we need Dominic alive to clear the Valenzuela name publicly."
I racked the slide of my pistol, staying right in the slipstream of Alexander’s shadow.
We moved through the maze of towering shipping containers like specters in the mist.
Suddenly, a spotlight mounted on the gantry crane clicked on with an ear-splitting buzz.
A blinding white beam pinned Alexander and me directly in the center of the loading lane.
"Did you really think my men were loyal to an Astoria dockworker, nephew?" Dominic’s voice boomed through the crane’s loudspeaker.
From behind the stacks of steel crates, a dozen laser sights painted bright red dots across our chests.
Alexander immediately stepped in front of me, shielding my torso with his own armored body.
"Let the girl walk, Dominic!" Alexander shouted, his voice echoing across the misty water.
"This is between the blood of Julian and Dominic Sterling!"
"She is the living proof of your father's treason, Alexander!" Dominic shouted back, emerging from behind the gantry leg.
He held a detonator switch in his left hand and a polished silver revolver in his right.
"Your father wanted to turn our empire into a legitimate charity for the poor dock rats!"
"I built this kingdom with blood and grease, and I will not let a maid inherit what belongs to the wolves!"
Dominic raised his revolver, aiming directly at Alexander’s forehead.
Before he could squeeze the trigger, a thunderous crack shattered the harbor silence.
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A high-caliber rifle round struck the concrete inches from Dominic’s feet, spraying razor-sharp stone shards into his cheek.
Dominic staggered back with a cry of shock, his pristine face covered in blood.
