Chapter 7 - The Revelation
The blinding spotlight pinned Dominic and Evangeline against the wet, rusted metal of the shipping container.
Marco was still hidden in the shadows, waiting for an opening, but the entire pier was suddenly crawling with heavily armed men.
They weren't just Caldwell's usual street thugs.
These men wore the tactical gear of private military contractors, their weapons state-of-the-art and highly illegal.
And standing calmly beside Vincent Caldwell was Mayor Sterling, a man who built his political career on fighting organized crime.
"Surprised, Dominic?" Caldwell yelled, his voice echoing off the water.
"You really thought my sister was just leaking shipping schedules to the feds?"
Caldwell crushed the small red tracker under the heel of his expensive shoe.
"Evangeline wasn't trying to destroy my empire," Caldwell laughed. "She was trying to expose the fact that the city's government is my empire."
Dominic glanced down at Evangeline.
Her good eye was fixed on the Mayor with a look of pure, unadulterated hatred.
"He's been laundering millions through Caldwell's shell companies for years," Evangeline whispered to Dominic.
"I found the ledgers. That's why Vincent chained me up. He was trying to beat the location of the files out of me."
Dominic’s mind raced.
This wasn't a simple mafia turf war anymore.
This was a massive political conspiracy, and he had just walked right into the epicenter of it.
"Kill them both," the Mayor ordered calmly, flicking the ash from his cigar into the dark water.
"Make it look like a syndicate shootout gone wrong."
Ten mercenaries raised their assault rifles simultaneously.
Dominic shoved Evangeline hard to the ground, diving on top of her just as a hail of bullets shredded the wooden pallets they were using as cover.
The noise was deafening, the air filling with splinters and the sharp smell of cordite.
Suddenly, the massive spotlight shattered into a million pieces, plunging the pier back into absolute darkness.
Marco had taken out the light from his hidden sniper position.
"Move!" Dominic roared, grabbing Evangeline by the collar and dragging her behind the solid steel of the shipping container.
Gunfire chased them in the dark, sparks flying as bullets ricocheted off the metal walls.
Dominic returned fire blindly, aiming at the muzzle flashes of the mercenaries.
"We can't hold them off," Dominic yelled to Marco over his radio. "There are too many."
"I have the SUV," Marco's voice crackled back. "I'm coming through the main gate."
A deafening crash echoed from the entrance of the pier as Marco drove the armored vehicle straight through the chain-link fence.
He barreled toward them, the heavy steel bumper tossing two mercenaries aside like rag dolls.
Marco slammed on the brakes, the SUV skidding sideways to provide cover.
Dominic threw open the back door and shoved Evangeline inside.
Just as he turned to jump into the passenger seat, a sharp, searing pain exploded in his left shoulder.
The impact spun him around violently, dropping him to his knees on the wet concrete.
"Dom!" Marco screamed, firing wildly into the dark to lay down suppressing fire.
Dominic gritted his teeth, forcing himself up through sheer willpower, and collapsed into the front seat.
Marco hit the gas, and they tore away from the pier, tires screaming against the asphalt.
Dominic slumped against the window, clutching his bleeding shoulder.
He looked back at Evangeline, expecting to see terror.
Instead, she was staring at her hands, which were covered in dark, fresh blood.
"Evangeline?" Dominic rasped.
She slowly looked up at him, her face completely pale.
"He didn't shoot you, Dominic," she whispered, her voice incredibly weak.
May you like
She moved her hands, revealing a massive, blooming red stain on her stomach.
"He shot me."
