Chapter 13 - Shadows of the Syndicate|
"Lane!" Alexander called out, his voice echoing through the massive space as twenty of his armed guards fanned out behind us. "Stealing my cargo is a declaration of war."
Victor Lane stepped forward, a nasty sneer on his face. "You ruined my daughter's reputation, Ashford! You threw away our alliance for a low-class maid! I'm taking back what I invested in your empire!"
"The cargo belongs to the city, Victor," Alexander said coldly. "Leave now, and I might let you live."
Master Chen stepped out from behind a stack of shipping containers. He moved without a sound, his posture light, his dark eyes locked entirely on me.
"The cargo is irrelevant," Chen said smoothly. "I am here for the lineage. Miguel Reyes died six years ago, leaving his discipline unfinished. I was told his daughter revived it last night."
Chen raised his hand, and suddenly, fifteen men stepped out from the shadows of the catwalks above, holding suppressed pistols aimed directly at Alexander's men.
"A trap," Alexander whispered, shifting his body slightly to shield me.
"Hand over the girl, Ashford," Chen instructed calmely. "She holds the key to a defensive technique my masters have sought to erase for fifty years. Do this, and Victor can keep the docks, while you walk away alive."
I stepped out from behind Alexander, my heart pounding, though my father’s lessons kept my voice steady.
May you like
"My father fought you off six years ago," I said, looking Chen dead in the eye. "He died protecting an innocent life. I won't let you use his memory to destroy others."
Chen laughed softly—a dry, rattling sound. "Your father was a fool who bled to death in a dark alley, child. Let us see if his daughter inherited his foolishness."
