Chapter 9 - The Freezing Depths
The dark water swallowed Julian instantly, the heavy fabric of his custom tuxedo pulling him under.
I sprinted to the edge of the wooden pier, staring down into the violent, churning waves below.
If Julian drowned with the digital token, the eight million dollar loan would default, entirely destroying the Mercer Family Trust.
Without a second thought, I kicked off my shoes and dove headfirst into the freezing ocean.
The brutal cold hit me like a physical wall, stealing the breath from my lungs in an instant.
The water was murky and black, but I could faintly see the white fabric of Julian’s shirt thrashing frantically in the deep.
I swam downward, fighting against the heavy current that threatened to smash me against the wooden pilings.
Julian was completely panicked, choking on seawater as he flailed wildly in the darkness.
I grabbed the collar of his jacket, but he violently pushed me away, nearly drowning us both in his terror.
I saw the small silver security token slipping out of his open hand, sinking rapidly toward the muddy ocean floor.
I let go of Julian, kicking hard to propel myself deeper into the freezing abyss.
My lungs burned fiercely, screaming for oxygen as the water pressure pressed against my ears.
I reached out my hand, my fingers brushing against the cold metal of the token just before it disappeared into the silt.
I grabbed it tightly in my fist and immediately kicked upward toward the shimmering surface lights.
I broke the surface, gasping desperately for air as the security team threw a heavy life ring into the water.
Two agents hauled me onto the dock, wrapping me in a thick, dry jacket while I shivered uncontrollably.
Another agent dragged a coughing, sputtering Julian out of the water, pinning him face-down onto the wooden planks.
Agnes was already sitting in the back of a black SUV, her hands securely zip-tied, screaming obscenities at the men holding her.
I looked down at the digital token in my trembling hand, the small green light still blinking steadily.
I handed it to the lead agent, who immediately plugged it into a specialized decryption tablet.
He typed furiously for a few seconds, his face completely unreadable in the dim harbor light.
May you like
Then he looked up at me, shaking his head with a grim expression.
The automated transfer protocol had already completed, and the eight million dollars was entirely gone.
