Chapter 7 - The Ghost at Pine Ridge
Liam traversed the dense pines on foot for nearly six miles, circling wide around search perimeters to evade local police sirens drawn by the explosion. Every branch snap sent his senses flaring. His suit was ruined, covered in soot and blood, but his focus remained razor-sharp.
By noon, the misty drizzle had turned the abandoned limestone quarry into a cavernous, gray bowl. Rusted machinery stood like forgotten monoliths amidst pools of stagnant water.
Liam climbed the steep gravel embankment, spotting a battered olive-green pickup truck parked inside a rusted maintenance bay. A tall, gray-haired man in an oilskin jacket stood near the truck bed, smoking a hand-rolled cigarette with a lever-action rifle leaned against his thigh.
""You're late, Liam,"" Marcus said without turning around.
""Ran into traffic,"" Liam rasped, stepping from the tree line. ""Are they here?""
Elena’s car sat hidden behind a stack of rusted shipping containers. The passenger door opened, and Clara ran out across the gravel, flinging herself into Liam’s arms. Liam fell to his knees, burying his face in her hair.
""Daddy! Auntie said we were playing hide-and-seek, but there was too much noise,"" Clara muttered, holding her dirty stuffed rabbit against his collar.
""Games over now, sweetheart. You're safe,"" Liam whispered, standing up and facing Marcus. ""Talk to me. What did Sarah find?""
Marcus tossed the remains of his cigarette into the dirt and crushed it. ""She didn't just find a trafficking route, Liam. She found the customer ledger. High-ranking state senators, federal judges, and corporate titans. The firm running it is called Vanguard Logistics—a subsidiary of the governor's largest campaign donor.""
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Liam's jaw tightened. ""Who gave the order on my house?""
Marcus looked at him with grim certainty. ""The call came from inside the Governor’s mansion. And the cleanup squad hasn’t stopped hunting you. In fact... they’re already here.""
