Chapter 11 - The Rat in the Corner
Bradley didn't move. He stood pinned against the floor-to-ceiling glass wall, breathing like a cornered animal. His mother Vanessa was hyperventilating beside him, clutching her designer pearls as two uniformed officers moved toward them with sets of silver handcuffs.
""You think you’ve won, Maddie?"" Bradley suddenly hissed, his polite mask completely shattering into raw, venomous spite. A twisted sneer distorted his handsome features. ""You think having Kane behind you makes you untouchable?""
""It makes her completely out of your reach, Sterling,"" Christian warned, his voice low and dangerous as he stepped forward, his massive frame dwarfing Bradley.
""Does it?"" Bradley laughed wildly, digging his hand into his pocket.
The officers drew their sidearms instantly: ""Hands where we can see them!""
Bradley didn't pull a weapon; he pulled out a slim, encrypted satellite transponder. He slammed his thumb down on the red center button.
""Look out the window, Maddie,"" Bradley whispered, his eyes gleaming with mad satisfaction. ""Look down at the dry docks!""
Maddie rushed to the panoramic glass wall, looking down toward the industrial harbor three miles away where the flagship container vessel of the Vance fleet, the Empress Vance, sat docked for scheduled maintenance.
A sudden, muted flash of orange light erupted from the hull of the massive ship, followed seconds later by a low, rumbling detonation that rattled the double-glazed skyscraper windows. A thick column of black smoke began billowing into the morning sky.
""The automated cargo bay has seven hundred tons of volatile industrial solvents,"" Bradley said through clenched teeth, laughing as the sirens in the street below immediately began to wail. ""If that bulkhead fails, the entire eastern port district goes up in flames. And guess whose digital signature authorized the bypass of the sprinkler systems two hours ago?""
Bradley pointed his finger directly at Maddie.
""Yours, my dear. Signed from your personal cloud account while you were supposedly playing dead in Kane's bed.""
Maddie’s stomach plunged into ice. He hadn't just tried to murder her; he had set up an apocalyptic insurance policy to ensure that if he went down, she would take the blame for the worst maritime disaster in the nation's history.
""You monster,"" Maddie whispered.
""I gave you a choice at the pool, Maddie,"" Bradley snarled as the police officers tackled him to the floor, pinning his face against the polished carpet. ""You should have stayed in the water!""
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Christian’s phone was already at his ear. ""Captain Reyes, mobilize the Kane harbor tugs! Flood the dry dock ballast tanks immediately! Move!""
Maddie didn't wait. She turned away from the glass, her mind firing with ruthless clarity. ""Arthur, keep these directors in this room under police guard. Christian, we need to get to the docks before the fuel lines ignite.""
