Chapter 9 - The Dive
The tiny black flash drive splashed softly into the dark, freezing water of the shipping channel.
All the evidence, the entire federal case against the massive trafficking syndicate, sank instantly toward the muddy bottom.
"No!" I screamed, breaking away from the safety of the brick wall and sprinting directly toward the wooden dock.
"Stay back!" Agent Carter yelled, firing two rapid shots at the man in the tailored suit.
The man ducked behind a massive metal shipping crate, returning fire with his suppressed weapon.
Bullets splintered the wooden planks right by my feet, but the adrenaline rushing through my veins completely erased my fear.
I didn't stop running, throwing myself into a flat dive directly off the edge of the wooden pier.
The freezing, polluted water hit me like a solid wall of ice, instantly forcing the air from my lungs.
I opened my stinging eyes in the dark, murky depths, desperately scanning the muddy floor for any sign of the tiny black drive.
The water was incredibly deep and thick with industrial runoff, making it almost impossible to see more than a few inches ahead.
My lungs began to burn aggressively, screaming for oxygen as I frantically swept my hands through the thick silt.
I touched old tires, broken glass, and rusted chains, but nothing that felt like smooth, modern plastic.
Above me, the muffled, distorted sounds of a heavy gunfight vibrated through the water.
My vision started to darken around the edges, the lack of oxygen threatening to completely shut my brain down.
I knew I had to swim back to the surface, but I refused to let the people who hurt my family win this war.
I dug my fingers deeply into the mud one last time, sweeping in a wide, desperate arc.
My fingertips brushed against something small, hard, and perfectly rectangular resting against a submerged cinder block.
I grabbed it tightly in my fist, kicked my legs violently, and shot directly up toward the faint light filtering through the water.
I breached the surface, gasping massively for sweet, freezing air.
I hauled myself up onto the wooden dock, shivering uncontrollably and coughing up gross, murky river water.
I looked up and saw the man in the suit lying on the ground, completely neutralized and handcuffed by Agent Carter.
Carter rushed over to me, kneeling on the wet wood and wrapping her warm federal jacket around my freezing shoulders.
"Did you find it?" she asked, her voice tight with genuine concern and desperate hope.
I slowly uncurled my freezing, trembling fingers.
Resting perfectly in my palm was the tiny, black flash drive.
"You are incredibly brave, kid," Carter smiled, taking the drive and securing it in a waterproof evidence bag.
"This is exactly what we needed to tear their entire operation down to the foundation."
I laid back against the wet wood, looking up at the bright morning sky, finally feeling completely safe.
The nightmare was actually, truly over, and the people who hurt my brother were going to spend the rest of their lives in federal prison.
But as Carter helped me walk back toward the armored tactical vehicle, she received a frantic call on her secure radio.
She stopped walking, her face turning entirely pale as she listened to the voice on the other end.
"I need you to tell me exactly where your grandmother and brother are right now," Carter demanded, looking at me with pure terror.
"They are at the city hospital, under police protection," I answered, panic instantly returning to my chest.
Carter shook her head slowly, drawing her weapon again.
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"The hospital just called us," Carter whispered.
"The police officers assigned to guard their room were found unconscious in the hallway, and the room is completely empty."
