Chapter 7 - THE SHOWDOWN AT PIER 44The rusted skeletal framework of Pier 44 loomed out over the churning, dark waters of the harbor like a giant metallic monster. Wind whipped the sea spray across the wooden planks, howling through the rusted girders.
At the very end of the pier, standing beneath a flickering halogen work light, was Richard Sterling. Flanking him were two massive private security guards in black tactical gear. And sitting on a wooden crate behind them, shivering slightly in a oversized jacket, was Lily.
"Mommy! Papa!" Lily’s voice cried out over the roar of the wind.
"Lily!" I screamed, taking a step forward, but Nathan’s strong arm caught me, pulling me back into the shadows of a stacked shipping container.
"Stay here," Nathan whispered, his eyes locked on Richard. "When I step out, create a distraction."
Before I could argue, Nathan stepped out from behind the containers into the ring of light, his hands raised openly, holding a sleek silver flash drive in his fingers.
"I’m here, Richard!" Nathan called out, his voice echoing across the pier. "Let the girl go. You have what you wanted."
Richard turned around, a smug, triumphant grin stretching across his wrinkled face. He adjusted his trench coat, chuckling darkly as he walked toward Nathan.
"Ah, the conquering hero," Richard mocked, spreading his arms wide. "So predictable. Put the drive on the crate, Nathan. Then sign the transfer release forms my lawyers prepared."
"Where is she?" Nathan demanded, taking another step forward.
"All in good time, boy," Richard sneered, nodding to one of his guards. "Go check him for hidden transponders."
As the first guard stepped forward toward Nathan, I didn't wait.
Remembering the tracking beacon in my pocket, I hurled it hard against a hollow metal shipping container twenty yards to the right of the platform. It hit with a loud CLANG, echoing like a gunshot over the sound of the waves.
The guards whipped around, guns drawn toward the noise.
"Now!" Nathan roared.
In a fraction of a second, Nathan closed the distance, slamming his fist into the jaw of the nearest guard, sending him tumbling over the edge of the pier into the freezing water below.
The second guard swung his rifle toward Nathan, but I leaped out from behind the containers, raised the heavy tactical sidearm, and pulled the trigger.
BANG.
The bullet shattered the halogen work light above us, plunging the pier into sudden, disorienting darkness, save for the flashing red light of a distant buoy.
Chaos erupted.
Richard shrieked in terror, fumbling for his own weapon, while Lily began to scream, scrambling off the wooden crate.
"Mommy!"
"I've got you, baby!" I sprinted across the wooden planks, diving past the struggling forms of Nathan and the remaining guard, scooping Lily up into my arms and rolling behind a thick wooden piling.
Across the pier, Nathan delivered a devastating kick to the second guard’s chest, dropping him flat on his back. He turned his sights on Richard Sterling, who was now backing away, trembling as he pointed a silver revolver directly at Nathan’s chest.
"Stay back, you arrogant bastard!" Richard screamed, his face twisted in panic. "I’ll kill you right here! The trust, the company, everything reverts to me!"
"You lost, Richard," Nathan’s voice was ice.
Before Richard could pull the trigger, a pair of headlights cut through the pouring rain at the entrance of the pier. Marcus’s SUV tore down the wooden planks at full throttle, slamming to a halt right behind Richard, its high beams blinding the old man completely.
The passenger door flew open, and Marcus stepped out, leveling a heavy tactical shotgun straight at Richard’s head.
"Drop the weapon, Mr. Sterling, or I’ll blow you into the harbor," Marcus commanded.
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Richard stared at the shotgun barrel, then at Nathan, who stood towering over him in the rain. Slowly, trembling with rage and defeat, Richard’s fingers loosened. The revolver dropped to the wooden planks with a dull thud.
The war was over.
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