Chapter 10 - The Bloodline Awakens
Clara didn't scream, and she didn't run. Instead, her eyes narrowed into flint-sharp slits, her posture shifting into an athletic, defensive stance.
""Thomas Montgomery is dead,"" Clara said coldly. ""He was a corrupt shipping magnate who died in a hospice bed in California. I don't have a father.""
""He wasn't corrupt,"" Elena said, stepping closer to the doorway, keeping her hands visible. ""He was a coward. He hid you here because the Vance family swore to exterminate anyone who could claim the harbor charter. Look at me, Clara. Look at my face.""
Clara looked. She saw the identical shape of the brow, the unmistakable curve of the mouth, and the brutal cuts that told a story of violence.
Before Clara could speak, the radio on her desk crackled to life with static, overriding the private channel:
""Target confirmed in dispatch office 42. Clear the civilians. Authorization code: Vance Red.""
Clara’s gaze snapped to the radio. ""What is that? Who has my frequency?""
Cole stepped out from behind a shipping container, his trench coat parted to reveal his holstered sidearm. ""They didn't just hack your frequency, kid. They own the company that leases this dock.""
From the shadows between the giant red and blue cargo containers, six men in tactical suits emerged, their submachine guns raised. They moved with military precision, cutting off every exit from the berth.
At the head of the formation walked Julian Vance.
His arm was in a medical sling from his encounter with Tristan in the ballroom, and a white bandage covered his nose. But his eyes were feverish with triumphant malice. Behind him stood a dozen heavily armed private contractors.
""What a touching family reunion,"" Julian mocked, his voice echoing under the metal frame of the gantry crane. ""Elena, darling, you really shouldn't have run. You made me track you through five states. And now look—you brought all the Montgomery rats together in one single trap.""
Clara backed against the desk, her breath quickening as she realized the gravity of the nightmare unfolding before her. ""Who are these people?""
""I’m your fiancé's executioner,"" Julian sneered, raising his good hand to signal his men. ""Kill the brothers. Bring the girls to the yacht. We’ll finish the charter signing offshore.""
A high-velocity sniper round tore through the shoulder of the lead contractor before Julian could lower his arm.
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Tristan’s voice roared from the gantry crane overhead: ""DOWN!""
Cole tackled Elena and Clara through the office door as a hail of automatic gunfire shredded the metal walls into Swiss cheese.
