Chapter 8 - The Net Tightens
"Treason?" Elena stared at the glowing blue and red lights reflecting off the Hudson. "They're framing you for Victoria's death before her body is even cold."
"Blackwood owns the regional director of Homeland Security," Christian muttered, his jaw set like granite as he dragged himself up to the helm beside Marcus. "Victoria told me months ago that if anything happened to her, the syndicate would activate their federal assets to seize my company's assets under the Patriot Act."
"We can't outrun them, sir," Marcus said grimly, watching the radar screen. "Two Coast Guard cutters are closing in from the south. If we try to blow past the bridge, they'll deploy anti-vehicle netting and shred the props."
Leo peeked his head out from the cabin door, his little face streaked with tears and soot. "Daddy? Are the police bad guys too?"
Christian looked down at his son, his heart breaking. He knelt, gritting his teeth against the stabbing pain in his ribs, and gently rested his hands on the boy’s shoulders.
"No, buddy," Christian said softly, his voice remarkably steady. "The police just don't know the truth yet. But Daddy and Mommy are going to show them. Okay?"
Leo nodded bravely, sniffing back his tears. "Okay. Mommy gives the best hugs. She makes the bad guys go away."
Christian looked up at Elena. The bitterness and mistrust that had filled her eyes at the ballroom had shifted into something else—a shared, protective ferocity. They were parents first, survivors second, and they were running out of room to run.
"Elena," Christian said, pulling a heavy platinum signet ring from his finger. He twisted the bezel, popping open a micro-compartment that held a tiny, gold-plated cryptographic key. "This contains the master decryption code for the Blackwood financial network. Arthur gave it to me before he died. Victoria never found it."
"Why didn't you use it three years ago?" Elena asked, taking the cold piece of metal.
"Because it requires two biometric keys to unlock," Christian explained, taking her right hand and placing her thumb directly over the micro-scanner on the key's face. "Mine... and yours. My father set it up so neither of us could act alone. He knew Victoria would try to divide us."
The key clicked. A faint green LED flashed on the tiny device.
Access Granted.
Marcus turned from the helm, his eyes wide. "Sir, we have three minutes before the cutters enter firing range."
"Cut the engines, Marcus," Christian ordered calmly.
"What?!" Elena gasped. "Christian, if we surrender, they’ll separate us! They’ll take Leo!"
"They won't get the chance," Christian said, pointing toward the western shore of the river—the dark, industrial docks of Weehawken, New Jersey.
"See that rusted grain silo?" Christian asked, his eyes narrowing. "That’s where Arthur kept his private server farm off the grid. If we upload the decrypted files to the global press server from that terminal, every corrupt senator, judge, and federal director on Blackwood's payroll will be exposed simultaneously. But we have to make it to the shore without the cutters opening fire."
"How?" Elena demanded.
Christian grabbed a life vest, strapping it tightly around Elena, and secured another one onto Leo.
"Marcus," Christian said, clapping his head of security on the shoulder. "Set the autopilot to cruise toward the bridge at low speed. We go over the side now, under the cover of the engine exhaust."
"Understood, sir," Marcus nodded, hitting the throttle lock. "I'll stay with the boat to draw their fire."
"No, Marcus, you come with us," Christian insisted.
"Someone has to acknowledge the radio, Christian, or they'll fire thermal scans into the water immediately," Marcus said with a sad, resolute smile. "I owe your father my life. Now go. Protect the boy."
Before Christian could argue, Marcus shoved them toward the stern.
May you like
Elena held Leo tight against her chest, looked at Christian, and nodded. "On three."
They plunged into the freezing, dark waters of the Hudson just as the spotlight from the bridge slammed onto the empty cockpit of the decoy vessel.
