Chapter 4 - Traitor in the ShadowsI sprinted toward Pier 42 through the pouring rain, dodging streetlights and hiding in the shadows of heavy industrial shipping containers. The dock was shrouded in thick river fog, the cold mist smelling of salt and gasoline.
I saw the sleek black hull of a private vessel docked at the edge of the pier. Standing near the gangplank was Dr. Hart, wrapped in a heavy coat, holding a small blanketed bundle tightly against her chest. Next to her stood two security guards armed with non-lethal pulse rifles.
"Dr. Hart!" I called out softly, rushing out from behind a stack of crates.
She turned, relief sweeping across her pale face. "Leo! You made it. Give me the key. Once we insert it into the neural-cradle on the vessel, we can wipe the remote servers at Apex forever."
I pulled the glowing blue key from my pocket and stepped forward.
"Leo, stop!" a voice yelled from behind me.
I spun around. Standing near the entrance of the pier, dripping wet and holding a sidearm, was my school principal, Mr. Vance.
"Don't give it to her, son!" Mr. Vance shouted, his face filled with desperate panic. "She’s lying to you! Look at her eyes, Leo! She isn't saving your father's legacy—she's selling it!"
I froze, trapped between the woman I saved on the sidewalk and the principal who had championed my education for three years.
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"Who do I trust?" I screamed into the howling wind.
"Ask her what happened to your father ten years ago, Leo!" Vance yelled. "Ask her who locked the laboratory doors from the outside!"
