Chapter 8 - The Shadow in the Harbor and the Retaliation Plot
Although Dominic was in federal custody, his network of corrupt dockworkers, crooked cops, and black-market smugglers was not completely dismantled. A man who steals forty million dollars always keeps a contingency plan buried in the dark.
Three days after the boardroom confrontation, I was sitting in my newly reclaimed study on the second floor, reviewing the restored company ledgers with Tessa.
She was sitting across from me, reviewing Clara’s medical transfer papers. I had already transferred Clara to the finest private nephrology institute in Switzerland, with a top-tier surgical team on standby for a transplant.
“The Swiss clinic confirmed Clara’s admission for next Tuesday,” I told her, setting down my pen. “All expenses, travel, and recovery suites are fully funded for the next five years.”
Tessa looked up from the documents. Her eyes were rimmed with red, but for the first time, they were tears of profound relief.
“I don't know how to thank you, Vincent,” she whispered. “I was just doing my job.”
“You didn't do your job, Tessa,” I said, leaning forward and resting my forearms on the desk. “You saved my life. You stood in front of armed men for me. That goes beyond any job description on earth.”
Before she could reply, the secure red landline on my desk buzzed with urgency.
I hit the speakerphone.
“Corvino.”
“Vincent, it’s Frank from the South Terminal,” came the panicked voice of my most trusted harbor foreman. “We’ve got a massive problem. Dominic’s loyalists just hijacked two container cranes at Pier 9. They’ve locked themselves in the control tower and are threatening to blow the fuel reserves if Dominic isn't released on bail by midnight.”
My jaw tightened.
Dominic was trying to create enough public leverage and economic chaos to force a jurisdictional dispute between the city police and federal authorities, hoping to slip out during the confusion.
“How many men do they have?” I asked.
“At least ten. Heavily armed. They’ve got the automated perimeter security locked down. Vince... they know you’re walking again, and they said if you don't show up in person to negotiate, they’re going to burn the entire terminal to the waterline.”
I looked over at Tessa.
Her face was pale, but her eyes were steady.
“You can’t go down there,” she said instantly. “Your nervous system is still recovering from the strain of the board meeting. If you engage in physical combat or take a severe blow, the scar tissue could permanently rupture.”
I stood up from the desk, walking over to the concealed wall safe behind the oil painting of my father.
I opened the heavy steel door and pulled out a custom black semi-automatic pistol, checking the magazine with a sharp, practiced slide of the chamber.
“Those docks bear my family’s name, Tessa,” I said, looking back at her. “And no one burns down my empire while I’m breathing.”
“Then I’m coming with you,” she said, grabbing her medical bag from the chair.
“Absolutely not. It’s a war zone.”
“I am your private medical attendant until Dr. Bennett clears you,” she stated, stepping directly into my personal space, completely undaunted by the firearm in my hand. “If your blood pressure drops or your braces slip in the field, you will collapse in front of them. You need me, Vincent Corvino. Stop acting like an immortal king and let me do my work.”
I stared at her for five long seconds.
May you like
The sheer audacity and fierce courage of this woman left me breathless.
“Get your coat,” I said.
