Chapter 6 - Blood on the Harbor
The emotional revelation hung heavily between us for the next two days. The Citadel was buzzing with constant military-style preparation. Lucian was consolidating his remaining loyal captains, preparing for a decisive strike against Julian before Julian could solidify his grip on the syndicate.
On Friday night, intelligence arrived.
Arthur Pendelton—the long-time advisor who had indeed betrayed Lucian—was meeting Julian at Pier 42 at the city's commercial harbor. Julian was holding a secret meeting with foreign investors to sell off Lucian's prized container shipping routes.
"I'm coming with you," I declared, standing in the estate armory as Lucian strapped an arm holster over his crisp black shirt.
Lucian stopped, turning to glare at me with sharp disapproval. "Absolutely not. This is a tactical assault, Maya. You are a marine biologist, not a soldier."
"I know Pier 42 better than any of your men!" I shot back angrily. "I worked environmental impact assessments on those exact docks for two years! I know every maintenance tunnel, every underwater drainage pipe, and every blind spot in the harbor's radar system!"
Lucian narrowed his eyes, studying my face for a long, tense moment. "It's too dangerous."
"Julian murdered my father!" I snapped, my voice shaking with raw emotion. "He destroyed my house! He tried to kill my brother! You said your family protects its debts—well, this is my fight too, Lucian. Don't leave me behind in this cage!"
Lucian stared at me, the fierce determination in my eyes breaking through his cold exterior. A slow, approving nod slipped from him.
"If you come, you stay behind Viktor at all times," Lucian warned sternly. "If I tell you to jump into the water, you dive. Understood?"
"Understood," I agreed.
An hour later, three black armored vans pulled into the shadowed industrial district surrounding Pier 42. Fog rolled heavy off the dark ocean, blanketing the rows of towering steel shipping containers in ghostly white mist.
Wearing dark tactical gear and earpieces, I crouched behind a stack of wooden crates alongside Lucian and Viktor. The harbor was eerie and silent, save for the rhythmic lap of waves against the concrete pylons below.
"Target sighted," Viktor whispered through the comms, looking through night-vision binoculars. "Arthur Pendelton is on the main loading platform. Julian just arrived in a silver sedan. He has eight armed guards with him."
I looked across the fog-shrouded pier. There he was: Julian Vance. Tall, thin, with slicked-back blonde hair and a cruel, arrogant face. He was laughing, shaking hands with Arthur Pendelton over a table set with champagne and contract documents.
"Traitorous old bastard," Viktor growled softly.
"Wait for my signal," Lucian instructed his team quietly over the radio link. "We breach from the east crane line."
"Lucian, wait," I whispered, pointing to the water beneath the pier. "Look at the water lines near the cargo ship. The tide is rushing into the narrow channel beneath the platform. If your men breach from the east, the noise will trigger their guards to retreat down the central gangway toward the speedboats anchored on the south side."
Lucian glanced down at the tide charts on his wrist monitor, then back at me, impressed. "Where do we cut them off?"
"The south drainage tunnel," I said eagerly. "I can lead you through the lower cat-walk right beneath their feet. We flank them before they even know you're alive."
Lucian looked into my eyes, a fierce flash of pride lighting up his dark gaze. "My smart marine girl," he murmured softly. "Lead the way."
We moved swiftly and silently down a rusty iron ladder into the shadowed cat-walks beneath the pier. The roar of the rushing ocean tide echoed around us, masking the sound of our footsteps.
We reached the south exit just as raised voices boomed above us on the deck.
"You guaranteed me Lucian was dead, Julian!" Arthur Pendelton’s voice shouted nervously from above. "His shadow is still moving in the city! My bank accounts are frozen!"
"Shut up, old man!" Julian snapped back coldly. "Lucian is crab food at the bottom of the ocean! The syndicate is mine now!"
"Is it?" Lucian’s voice cut through the dark night like a thunderclap as he stepped up from the catwalk stairs onto the open platform, weapon raised.
Julian and Arthur spun around, their faces turning ghost-white with absolute terror.
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"Lucian?" Julian gasped, stepping back, his eyes bulging in disbelief. "You're... you're dead!"
"I came back from hell to collect your soul, cousin," Lucian said coldly, his finger tightening on the trigger.
