Vanessa Carter left two five-year-old twins on a bench at O’Hare, boarded her flight, and never looked back to see whether they were crying.

The Sterling Heights shipyard was a desolate wasteland of rusted cranes, decaying warehouses, and dark water. It was the very land that Daniel’s trust fund protected, the graveyard of his dreams.

The fog had rolled in thick from the lake, wrapping the skeletal structures of the abandoned ships in a ghostly shroud.

I stepped out of the SUV, carrying the leather briefcase in one hand. I was wearing a black tactical jacket, my weapon hidden but ready. Gabe and his team were already in position, moving through the shadows like ghosts.

"Ryker!"

Vanessa's voice echoed through the empty shipyard. She was standing on the deck of an old, half-sunken freighter, illuminated by the harsh glare of a portable work light. Standing next to her was Arthur Pendelton, and behind them were two men holding Lily and Owen.

The children looked tiny and fragile against the rusted iron of the ship. Lily’s face was tear-stained, but she was holding Owen's hand, her small body trembling with cold and fear. Owen was wheezing slightly—he didn't have his inhaler.

"I'm here, Vanessa!" I called out, my voice carrying over the lapping waves. "Let the children go. You have the ledger, you have the blueprints. You have everything you wanted."

"Not everything," Arthur Pendelton said, stepping forward. "We need your silence, Ryker. And we need the digital signature key for the Steel Enterprises trust account. If we're going to rebuild our empire, we need your capital."

"You're greedy, Arthur," I said, taking a slow step toward the gangplank of the ship. "That's always been your weakness. You don't just want to win; you want to take everything."

"It's called survival, Steel," Vanessa snapped. "Now, toss the briefcase over, and we'll talk about the boy's medicine."

I looked at Owen. His breathing was getting shallower. He was struggling for air.

"The briefcase is coming," I said.

Instead of tossing it, I kicked a rusted iron pipe resting near my foot.

The heavy pipe rolled into a pile of dry wooden pallets, triggering a small, silent thermite charge that Gabe's team had planted moments earlier.

BOOM.

A blinding flash of white light and a roaring wall of fire erupted near the generator powering the work lights. The shipyard was instantly plunged into chaos and shadow.

"Sniper!" one of Pendelton's guards screamed as a non-lethal flashbang detonated near the deck, disorienting them.

In the confusion, I lunged forward. I took the stairs of the gangplank three at a time, my weapon drawn.

The first guard recovered and aimed his rifle at me, but a single, precise shot from my sidearm took him down before he could pull the trigger. I vaulted over the railing onto the deck, my eyes locked on the children.

Vanessa was scrambling backward, trying to drag Lily with her, but the little girl bit her hand with fierce, desperate strength. Vanessa screamed, releasing her grip.

"Lily! Owen! Down!" I roared.

They both dropped to the wet iron deck, curling into small balls.

Arthur Pendelton drew a compact pistol from his pocket, his face twisted in rage. "You ruined everything, Steel!"

He pointed the gun at me, but before he could fire, a shadow materialized behind him. Gabe tackled him to the deck, disarming him with a brutal, efficient strike to the wrist.

I reached the children, throwing my body over them as Vanessa tried to reach for a fallen weapon. I aimed my gun directly at her chest.

"Move," I said, "and I will personally ensure you never see the light of day again."

She froze, looking into my eyes, and finally realized that the Dragon was not a myth.

The sound of police sirens began to wail in the distance, cutting through the fog. Gabe's tactical team had secured the perimeter, and federal agents were already flooding the docks.

I looked down at the twins. Owen was gasping for air, his face pale.

I reached into my pocket, pulled out the emergency inhaler I had retrieved from Vanessa's suitcase earlier that morning, and shook it.

"Here, buddy," I whispered, lifting his head gently and placing the inhaler to his lips. "Take a deep breath."

He took two puffs, his chest expanding as the medicine did its work. He let out a long, shuddering sigh, and then he wrapped his tiny arms around my neck, burying his face in my shoulder.