Chapter 17 - The Docks of Fire
I sprinted out of the executive suite, abandoning stealth entirely as I raced down the concrete stairwell toward the ground floor.
The sounds of the brutal firefight in the courtyard were deafening, the air thick with the smell of cordite and burning rubber.
I burst through the warehouse loading doors and into the pouring rain, desperately searching for Lorenzo amidst the absolute chaos.
Armored vehicles were burning fiercely, illuminating the dark shipping yard in a chaotic, flickering orange glow.
I spotted Lorenzo pinned behind a massive steel shipping container, laying down heavy suppressive fire against a barricade of Isabella's remaining mercenaries.
I ran across the wet asphalt, completely ignoring the bullets sparking wildly against the concrete around me.
I dove behind the shipping container, sliding forcefully into Lorenzo's side.
"Elena! What are you doing out here?" Lorenzo roared over the gunfire, grabbing me by the shoulders to pull me behind cover.
"The ledgers are gone! She is on a yacht, and she called the feds. We have to leave right now!" I shouted frantically.
Lorenzo’s dark eyes widened as he instantly grasped the catastrophic reality of the situation.
If the federal authorities arrested his men at the scene of a massive shootout, they would all spend the rest of their lives in federal prison.
Lorenzo pulled a red flare gun from his tactical vest and fired it straight up into the stormy night sky.
The bright red flare was the absolute signal for an immediate, unconditional retreat.
His loyal enforcers instantly broke cover, laying down a final, massive wall of suppressive fire as they scrambled back into their armored trucks.
"Get to the vehicles!" Lorenzo commanded, pushing me toward the closest heavily armored SUV.
Just as we reached the doors, the wailing sirens of dozens of federal police cruisers pierced the night air, rapidly approaching the main gates.
We were completely out of time.
Lorenzo slammed the SUV door shut behind me, jumping into the driver's seat and throwing the heavy vehicle into gear.
Instead of heading for the front gates to fight the police, Lorenzo violently spun the steering wheel toward the back of the shipping yard.
He drove the massive SUV directly off the edge of Pier 4, plunging us violently into the freezing, dark waters of the ocean.
I screamed as the vehicle hit the water with a world-shattering impact, the freezing ocean immediately rushing in through the cracked bulletproof glass.
"Take a deep breath!" Lorenzo yelled, unbuckling my seatbelt as the heavy armored car began to sink rapidly into the black abyss.
The freezing water swallowed us entirely, plunging the cabin into absolute, suffocating darkness.
Lorenzo kicked his shattered window completely out of its frame, grabbing my hand and pulling me fiercely through the narrow opening.
We swam desperately toward the surface, our lungs burning with the agonizing need for oxygen.
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We broke the surface, gasping violently for air, hidden completely in the dark shadows beneath the wooden pier.
Above us, the bright spotlights of federal helicopters swept across the empty docks, completely missing the two ghosts hiding in the freezing waves below.
