Chapter 6 - The Private Yacht
The chilling command from Dr. Sterling echoed from the small radio, freezing the blood in my veins.
I crouched perfectly still behind the armored tire, desperately listening for the quiet footsteps of the assassin.
Vanessa was somewhere in the thick, rolling fog, hunting me with the precision of a trained predator.
I grabbed the L. Monroe file from the dead billionaire's grasp and slowly crawled toward the edge of the pier.
The icy water of Boston Harbor churned violently below, offering the only possible escape route from the isolated shipping yard.
A bullet suddenly ricocheted off the metal rim of the tire, showering my face with sharp sparks and hot rubber.
"You cannot hide from me forever, Clara," Vanessa taunted, her voice drifting hauntingly through the dense mist.
I took a massive breath, closed my eyes, and threw myself blindly off the concrete ledge into the freezing darkness.
The shock of the frigid water knocked the air completely out of my lungs, but I forced myself to stay submerged.
I swam frantically beneath the wooden pylons of the pier, letting the strong current carry me away from the danger zone.
When I finally broke the surface to gasp for air, I was completely hidden by the shadows of a docked fishing trawler.
I dragged my exhausted, freezing body onto the muddy shore, clutching the waterproof envelope tightly to my chest.
I knew that as long as Dr. Sterling possessed his massive fortune, he would never stop hunting me and Nathan.
I needed to find the central hub of his illegal financial operations and destroy it completely from the inside.
I remembered a cryptic argument Nathan had engaged in with Sterling months ago regarding an offshore banking terminal.
Nathan had angrily mentioned that Sterling conducted all his illicit business from a private luxury yacht docked at the marina.
I spent the next hour creeping through the shadows of the city, stealing dry clothes from a laundromat to stop my violent shivering.
I arrived at the exclusive harbor and easily spotted Sterling's massive, multi-million dollar vessel gleaming under the security lights.
I slipped past the sleeping security guard and climbed quietly onto the rear boarding deck of the luxurious yacht.
The main cabin was brightly lit, and I could hear the clinking of expensive crystal glasses through the slightly opened sliding door.
I crouched beneath the large bay window, pressing my ear against the cold glass to listen to the conversation inside.
Dr. Sterling was laughing heartily, pouring a generous measure of champagne for someone sitting out of my sight.
"With Monroe dead and Pierce locked in a holding cell, our black-market organ pipeline is completely secure," Sterling boasted proudly.
"You are absolutely brilliant, Doctor, and the international buyers are wiring the funds as we speak," a familiar woman's voice replied.
I risked a tiny glance over the windowsill and saw Vanessa sitting elegantly on a white leather sofa.
She had removed her blonde wig, revealing a head of short, dark hair that drastically changed her entire appearance.
"Tomorrow morning, I will forge Nathan's signature on the final transfer documents, and he will take the fall for everything," Sterling gloated.
This arrogant admission was the absolute, undeniable proof I needed to completely clear my husband's name.
I pulled out my phone, intending to record their confession through the cracked glass door.
Suddenly, the reflection in the dark window revealed a massive man standing directly behind me with a raised metal pipe.
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Before I could even scream, the heavy weapon crashed down onto the back of my skull.
The world exploded into brilliant flashes of blinding white light before fading instantly into total darkness.
