Chapter 9 - The Exchange
The freezing ocean wind whipped across Pier 44, carrying the heavy scent of salt and rust.
Clara stepped out of her stolen car, clutching a pistol tightly inside her coat pocket.
The shipyard was a massive maze of towering steel containers and dark, ominous shadows.
She walked slowly toward the main loading crane, her heart hammering violently against her ribs.
Standing under a single, flickering halogen light was a tall, scarred Russian lieutenant.
Beside him, tied to a wooden chair, was Clara's frail, weeping mother.
"Where is my daughter?" Clara screamed over the sound of the crashing waves.
The Russian lieutenant laughed, stepping forward to pat Clara's mother on the shoulder.
"You really thought Marcus was going to let you walk away with the child?" the Russian mocked.
"The girl is already secured inside a shipping container on that vessel."
He pointed to a massive freighter slowly preparing to undock from the pier.
"Drop the gun, Elena, or I put a bullet in the old woman right now," the lieutenant ordered.
Clara hesitated, tears blurring her vision as she looked at her terrified mother.
She slowly pulled the pistol from her coat and dropped it onto the wet concrete.
"Good girl," the Russian sneered, raising his own weapon to execute them both.
Suddenly, a high-powered sniper bullet tore through the air, completely shattering the lieutenant's skull.
His body hit the ground before the echoing crack of the gunshot even reached their ears.
Dozens of laser sights instantly appeared from the darkness, painting the chests of the remaining Russian guards.
Dominic stepped out from the shadows of a shipping container, holding a smoking assault rifle.
His men swarmed the pier, executing the cartel members with ruthless, terrifying precision.
Dominic ran to Clara, grabbing her shoulders to ensure she was completely unharmed.
"I told you I would protect you," Dominic said fiercely, cutting her mother's ropes with a tactical knife.
Before they could celebrate, a massive steel door on the cargo ship banged open.
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A heavily armed guard stepped out onto the ship's deck, holding little Lily by the back of her shirt.
The guard pressed a gun directly against the three-year-old's temple.
