Chapter 9 - The Crimson Dock
The darkness in the concrete tunnel lasted only seconds before Arthur activated a small tactical penlight, casting a narrow beam toward the downward slope.
""They're burning through the reinforced hinges,"" Arthur said, struggling to his feet while pressing Maya’s makeshift bandage tight against his ribs. ""The thermal drill means Dorian brought military-grade engineers. We can't reach the boat.""
Maya gripped his arm, supporting his weight. ""Why not? You said the tunnel leads to the river.""
""If Dorian’s men have the schematics to bring a thermal drill, they already control the waterway,"" Arthur replied, his voice strained as they moved rapidly down the damp corridor. ""The river is an ambush. Our only chance is the secondary ventilation shaft that cuts through the old mine network beneath the estate.""
""You built an entire fortress under this place and never mentioned it,"" Maya said, guiding him past rusting iron struts.
""I built a perimeter to keep you alive,"" he retorted, his breath coming in shallow gasps. ""In my world, survival isn't paranoia. It’s mathematics.""
They reached the end of the main corridor. Ahead, through an iron grate, Maya could see the black, churning waters of the river reflecting the searchlights of three armored patrol boats idling near the dock. Just as Arthur had predicted, Dorian's men were waiting with heavy weaponry trained on the dock exit.
Arthur pulled Maya sideways, toward a narrow vertical maintenance ladder that vanished into a dark, vertical shaft. ""Climb. It leads to the eastern forest ridge outside the estate boundary.""
Maya looked at the ladder, then down at Arthur’s bleeding side. ""You can't climb that with a punctured flank.""
""I don't have to,"" Arthur said softly. He pulled a heavy titanium security card from his collar and pressed it into her hand. ""The shaft locks behind you once you enter. On the other side of the ridge, there is a silver sedan parked beside the ranger station. Key is under the tire. Drive north to Montreal. Seek out a man named Gabriel Chen. Show him this card.""
""No,"" Maya stepped back, her eyes flashing with sudden, incandescent fury. ""You don't get to decide when my life starts and ends, Arthur Sterling. You bought my past, you hid my bloodline, and you brought this war to my doorstep. You are climbing that ladder, or we both stay here and let Dorian take us.""
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Arthur stared at her, stunned by the fierce, unyielding steel in her voice. For three years, he had protected a gentle art teacher. He had forgotten whose blood flowed through her veins.
Above them, the heavy iron blast door shattered inward with a deafening metallic screech.
