Chapter 8 - The Docks
The Seattle shipping yards were completely deserted, cloaked in heavy fog and chilling rain.
Gideon walked slowly down the concrete pier, holding Ren's hand tightly in his own.
He carried a silver briefcase containing the rigged hard drive, his heart pounding violently against his ribs.
Elias was waiting at the end of the pier, surrounded by a dozen armed mercenaries and several black SUVs.
Nova was locked inside a suspended shipping container dangling precariously from a massive steel crane directly above the dark water.
"You actually showed up," Elias laughed, genuinely surprised by his brother's bravery.
"Let the girl down, Elias," Gideon demanded, stopping twenty feet away from the armed men.
Elias shook his head, holding up a remote control that operated the heavy industrial crane.
He ordered Gideon to slide the silver briefcase across the wet concrete.
Gideon did exactly as he was told, kicking the briefcase smoothly toward his brother's expensive shoes.
Elias picked it up, opening the case to verify the encrypted hard drive was safely inside.
He smiled triumphantly, believing he had finally secured his twisted empire for good.
"You really are a fool, Gideon," Elias sneered, raising his hand to signal his snipers.
Suddenly, the wailing sound of a dozen sirens pierced through the thick, heavy fog.
Gideon had not just rigged a tracker; he had broadcast the decrypted child trafficking evidence directly to the FBI.
Federal tactical teams swarmed the pier, shining blinding spotlights onto the terrified mercenaries.
"Drop your weapons!" a voice boomed over a police megaphone.
Elias panicked, realizing his brother had completely destroyed his life's work in a single night.
In a fit of absolute madness, Elias pressed a button on the crane's remote control.
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A spark ignited on top of the hanging shipping container, instantly setting the roof completely on fire.
Elias pressed a second button, releasing the heavy steel cables and sending the burning container plummeting toward the freezing ocean.
