Chapter 8 - The Ambush at Pier 9
Friday night was drenched in fog and freezing rain. A fleet of black SUVs rolled silently into the industrial district of the docks, killing their headlights as they approached Pier 9.
Inside the sprawling, rusted warehouse, stacks of shipping containers lined the concrete floor. Larkin led a tactical team of six trusted bodyguards through a side entrance, Penelope walking close behind him, carrying a ruggedized laptop in a reinforced tactical case.
"Servers are in the elevated office at the back," Penelope whispered, checking the thermal blueprint on her tablet. "If Thomas is on-site, that's where he’ll initiate the wire transfer."
"Move in silence," Larkin ordered his men via comms.
They scaled the metal stairs to the control room. Penelope jacked her laptop directly into the mainframe terminal. Lines of green code cascaded down her screen.
"I'm in," she said, her fingers flying across the keys. "Initiating asset freeze... routing the cartel's payment into a dummy escrow vault. Thomas won't see a single dime."
Suddenly, the warehouse lights flared violently to life.
A deafening volley of automatic gunfire shattered the glass windows of the control room. Larkin tackled Penelope to the floor, covering her body with his own as glass rained down upon them like hail.
"Larkin!" Thomas's voice echoed through the warehouse loudspeakers, dripping with mockery. "Did you really think I didn't know your little pet was poking around my accounts? You always underestimated me, cousin!"
Larkin pulled his sidearm, his jaw clenched in cold fury. "Thomas! Walk out with your hands up and I might let you keep your tongue!"
"Kill them all!" Thomas screamed over the intercom. "Leave the girl for last!"
Dozens of armed cartel mercenaries emerged from between the shipping containers, opening fire on the elevated office. Penelope stayed low, her hands shaking slightly, but her eyes fixed on her screen.
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"I need sixty seconds!" Penelope shouted over the roar of gunfire. "If I finish the transfer, Thomas is completely bankrupted and the cartel won't have a reason to back him!"
"Take your time," Larkin said darkly, leaning out of the broken window and firing three precise shots that dropped three advancing gunmen. "Nobody touches you."
