Chapter 5 - Shadows on the DockPier 42 was a graveyard of rusted shipping containers and abandoned cranes, shrouded in a thick sea fog rolling off the bay. The smell of salt water and rotting wood hit Hadrian as he stepped out of his car, carrying a heavy metallic briefcase containing the air-gapped drive holding the defense keys.
Rain slicked his hair as he walked down the central aisle between two walls of stacked iron containers. His footsteps echoed in the vast, empty space.
"Stop right there, Vance."
A dozen men emerged from the shadows, training red laser sights onto Hadrian's chest. From behind a stack of crates, Vanessa stepped into view. Her face was bruised from where the serving tray had hit her, and her clothes were practical combat gear now, a far cry from her high-fashion dresses.
She held a silencer-equipped pistol aimed directly at Hadrian’s head.
"Look at you," Vanessa mocked, a sickly grin spreading across her face. "The great Hadrian Vance, reduced to a desperate dog crawling to save his broken little girl. Do you know how much I enjoyed making her kneel? Do you know how delicious it was to watch her cry for a father who wasn't coming?"
Hadrian didn't flinch despite the dozens of laser dots dancing across his heart. "You’re a pawn, Vanessa. Helena is using you just like she used me. Once she gets this drive, you think she’s going to share the payout with you?"
"Shut up!" Vanessa spat, her hand shaking slightly on the grip. "Helena promised me half of your assets! She promised me protection!"
"She lied," a cold voice echoed from the shadows behind Vanessa.
Before Vanessa could turn around, a quiet THWIP echoed through the fog. A bullet pierced Vanessa’s throat from behind. Her eyes went wide with shock as she dropped her weapon, clutching her neck, tumbling backward into the dark waters below the pier with a heavy splash.
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Helena walked out of the fog, holding a smoking silenced pistol.
"Tidy up loose ends," Helena said casually, kicking Vanessa’s dropped gun over the edge. She looked up at Hadrian, her expression indifferent. "Now, hand over the drive, Hadrian. Let’s finish this drama."
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