Chapter 15 - The Cliff of Blackwood CoveThe wind whipped across the jagged cliffs of Blackwood Cove, carrying the bitter scent of salt and impending doom. The waves crashed violently against the jagged rocks hundreds of feet below, mirroring the turbulence in Nathan’s chest.
Nathan stepped out of his car, holding a heavy tactical briefcase containing the flash drive and Elena's journals. The abandoned lighthouse stood tall and menacing against the gray pre-dawn sky, its broken windows staring out like empty eye sockets.
"Nathan!"
A terrified, muffled cry echoed from the base of the lighthouse tower.
Nathan’s head snapped toward the sound. Maya and Leo were tied to a wooden pillar near the edge of the cliff, their mouths taped shut, tears streaming down their pale faces. Standing right behind them, holding a revolver to Maya’s temple, was a towering man in a black trench coat.
And stepping out from the shadows of the lighthouse entrance was Judge Robert Thorne, impeccably dressed in a tailored wool suit, holding an umbrella despite the lack of rain.
"Ah, Mr. Hayes. Right on time," Thorne said, smiling benignly like a grandfather greeting a guest. "Put the briefcase on the ground and kick it toward me."
Nathan slowly lowered the briefcase to the gravel, pushing it forward with his foot.
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"Let my kids go first," Nathan demanded, his voice trembling with suppressed fury.
Thorne chuckled softly. "You don't get to negotiate, Nathan. You gave us thirty million dollars worth of headaches, and you uncovered a judicial network that took decades to build. Once I verify the contents of this briefcase, your children will be untied. Until then... stay right where you are."
