Chapter 9 - The Race Against Dawn
My blood ran completely cold as I recognized Claire's distinct handwriting.
"What does it say?" Noah asked, peering cautiously into the ruined vault.
"It is from Claire," I whispered, unable to comprehend the impossible reality.
"That is impossible, we saw the death certificate," Noah argued, his eyes wide with fear.
"Vanguard faked it, and they have been hiding the real Claire this whole time," I realized aloud.
The imposter, the surgical scars, the hidden facilities—it was all a massive smokescreen.
They didn't kill my sister; they imprisoned her to force her to complete the genetic research.
And now that the research was done, they had moved her to a final, secure location.
"There is a Vanguard cargo ship leaving the harbor in twenty minutes," I told Noah, checking my phone.
"If she is on that ship, we are going to get her back," I declared with fierce determination.
We rushed back upstairs, leaving the destroyed estate behind us.
I drove the armored SUV at reckless speeds, weaving through early morning city traffic.
We reached the commercial harbor just as the massive horns of the cargo ship sounded.
The gangway was being pulled up, and heavily armed mercenaries patrolled the main deck.
"Stay here and protect Lily," I ordered Noah, handing him a spare pistol from the glovebox.
"Bring her home, Mr. Carter," Noah said, locking the car doors instantly.
I sprinted down the concrete pier and leaped across the growing gap between the dock and the ship.
I barely caught the metal railing, my boots dangling perilously over the churning black water.
I pulled myself up and hid behind a stack of wooden shipping crates.
I moved silently like a ghost, taking down two guards with quick, stealthy strikes.
I found the ship's main control room and kicked the metal door wide open.
Thomas Sterling was standing by the navigation console, his face heavily bandaged from our previous fight.
He turned around in shock, reaching for his weapon, but I was faster.
I tackled him to the floor, pinning him down and pressing my gun to his temple.
"Where is she?" I roared, pure adrenaline surging through my veins.
"Cargo hold three," Sterling choked out, his eyes wide with genuine terror.
I knocked him unconscious with the handle of my gun and sprinted down the metal stairwell.
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I threw open the heavy door to cargo hold three, expecting to finally rescue my sister.
Instead, I found a massive ticking time bomb strapped to the center support pillar.
