Chapter 14 - THE SHADOW SQUADRON
The dark waters of the harbor churned violently under the gale-force coastal wind.
Dock 42 sat at the edge of the abandoned naval shipyard, a rusting relic of cold-war iron and rotting timber.
Massive shipping containers were stacked like giant black tombs along the concrete pier.
A single spotlight shone down from an overhead crane, illuminating a sleek black luxury vessel tied to the dock.
Standing beneath the spotlight were four men dressed in high-grade private security gear, carrying automatic weapons.
In the center of the group stood a tall man in a tailored dark coat, holding an open umbrella against the rain.
A heavy black SUV pulled onto the concrete pier, its headlights cutting through the thick sea fog.
The driver’s door opened, and Admiral Vance Miller stepped out into the pouring rain.
He wore his black tactical overcoat, his naval officer cap pulled low over his eyes.
In his right hand, held loosely between his thumb and index finger, was the silver encrypted flash drive.
"You are five minutes late, Admiral," the man in the dark coat called out over the roar of the ocean waves.
"Traffic was heavy," Admiral Miller replied calmly, walking slowly toward the spotlight.
"Do you have the decryption key?"
The man in the coat reached into his pocket and pulled out a small gold hardware token.
"Right here," the man said with a smug, condescending smile.
"Drop the drive on the concrete, kick it toward me, and you might walk away from this pier alive."
The Admiral stopped ten feet away, looking at the four armed guards surrounding the executive.
"You made three critical errors tonight," the Admiral said, his voice remarkably steady.
"First, you targeted my family."
"Second, you assumed I would come here to bargain."
"And third?" the executive sneered, resting his hand near his holster.
The Admiral raised his left hand and snapped his fingers once.
"Third, you forgot to check the shadows."
Red laser sight dots suddenly appeared on the chests of all four security guards.
Before anyone could scream, four muffled gunshots echoed across the pier in rapid succession.
All four guards collapsed instantly onto the wet concrete.
The executive stumbled back in sheer terror, dropping his umbrella as he stared into the surrounding darkness.
Out from behind the rusted steel containers stepped six silent figures dressed in unmarked black stealth gear.
"Shadow Squadron active, Admiral," the lead operator reported, keeping his rifle trained on the executive.
"The perimeter is totally secured."
The Admiral stepped forward, picking up the gold decryption token from the fallen executive's trembling hand.
May you like
"Now," the Admiral whispered into the man's ear.
"Let's see who was really pulling the strings."
