Chapter 6 - FIRE AT PIER 42
The abandoned warehouse at Pier 42 loomed out of the fog like a decaying skeleton against the dark, churning waters of the harbor. Inside, rusted cranes hung overhead like skeletal fingers, and crates of smuggled contraband were stacked haphazardly across the concrete floor.
Leo’s tactical team moved through the shadows with terrifying silence, black-clad figures blending seamlessly into the gloom.
Chloe walked directly behind Leo, wearing a heavy tactical vest over her silk pajamas, her hair tied back in a tight ponytail. She carried a secure radio earpiece, listening to the chatter of the scouts.
“We have three targets on the catwalk above,” Vincent whispered, crouching behind a stack of wooden crates beside Leo and Chloe. “Raymond Vance is in the central office. He’s got two hostages.”
Leo’s eyes narrowed. “Hostages?”
“Two of our dock workers,” Vincent reported. “Vance is using them as leverage to force a sit-down.”
“He doesn't want a sit-down,” Leo said coldly. “He wants a bloodbath.”
“Let me draw them out,” Chloe suggested quietly.
Leo whipped his head around, his face twisting in fury. “Absolutely not!”
“Listen to me,” she insisted, her voice calm and calculated. “Vance knows you’re here. He’s expecting a frontal assault. But if I walk out into the open—visible, unarmed, visibly pregnant—he’ll want to see me. He’ll want to use me as ultimate leverage against you.”
“I will not use you as bait, Chloe. End of discussion.”
“Leo,” she placed a hand firmly on his arm, her green eyes holding his with unshakeable resolve. “You taught me that survival requires adaptation. If you storm that office, the hostages die in the crossfire. If I draw his attention, your snipers get a clean shot at the windows.”
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Leo stared at her, his chest heaving with suppressed rage and raw terror—an emotion he rarely allowed himself to feel. The thought of her stepping into the line of fire tore at his soul.
“If a single bullet comes within an inch of you,” Leo whispered, his voice trembling with dark promise, “I will burn this entire port to ash.”
