Chapter 9 - The Maritime Frequency
David stopped at the bottom of the stairs, his cruel smile illuminating his handsome, wicked face.
"Hand over the ledger, Claire, and I promise I will make this quick and painless," he offered smoothly.
I clutched the leather book tighter to my chest, refusing to show him an ounce of fear.
"If you kill us, the FBI will still find the flash drive I left with my lawyer," I bluffed confidently.
David laughed, a cold, echoing sound that bounced off the steel walls of the cargo hold.
"I know you don't have a lawyer, Claire, because my men have been watching your apartment for weeks."
He stepped closer, pressing the cold barrel of the pistol against my forehead.
"You really thought you could outsmart a billionaire with a rusty car and a burner phone?"
Sarah stepped forward, shielding me with her own battered body.
"Let her go, David, this is between you and me!" she pleaded desperately.
David shook his head in mock disappointment.
"You both know my secrets, which means you both have to sink to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean."
He placed his finger on the trigger, the metallic click echoing loudly in the silent room.
I closed my eyes, bracing for the gunshot that would end my life.
Suddenly, a deafening screech of feedback erupted from the ship's overhead intercom system.
A small, trembling voice broadcasted loudly across the entire vessel and into the night air.
"This is an emergency, David Vance is trying to kill my mom in the cargo hold!" Leo's voice shouted through the speakers.
David flinched, lowering his gun in sheer confusion as the voice continued.
"He is running a human trafficking ring and his men have guns!" Leo yelled over the open channel.
Leo had not stayed hidden in the shadows.
He had sneaked into the ship's unlocked bridge and activated the emergency maritime radio frequency.
Every single Coast Guard vessel, police boat, and harbor master within fifty miles had just heard David's name and location.
Sirens instantly began wailing in the distance, growing louder by the second.
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David panicked, realizing his carefully constructed empire was collapsing in real time.
He raised his gun again, screaming in pure rage as he aimed directly at my chest.
