Chapter 8 - The Man at the Docks
Nora woke with a headache and the taste of blood in her mouth.
The truck wasn't moving.
Her wrists were bound in front of her.
Her dress was torn at one shoulder.
For several seconds she remembered nothing.
Then everything returned.
Warehouse.
Waiting in the SUV.
A guard opening the door.
Smoke.
Someone grabbing her.
She sat upright.
A man occupied the opposite bench.
Not Adrian.
Younger.
Maybe thirty.
He had a scar across his chin.
“Where am I?”
He didn't answer.
“Are you deaf?”
Still nothing.
Nora examined the interior.
Cargo truck.
No windows.
One locked rear door.
Her purse was gone.
Phone gone.
Shoes gone.
That made her strangely angry.
“I liked those shoes.”
The man glanced at her.
Progress.
“How much is Adrian paying you?”
No answer.
“I'll double it.”
He laughed.
Finally.
“You don't have that kind of money.”
“Apparently I own eighty million dollars of waterfront property.”
His expression changed.
Nora filed it away.
“So you know who I am.”
The man stood.
“Stop talking.”
“I talk when I'm nervous.”
“I don't care.”
“Most people don't.”
“Shut up.”
“You seem stressed.”
He stepped closer.
Nora's heartbeat raced.
She kept talking.
“My grandmother says men who tell women to stop talking are usually afraid of what they'll say.”
He grabbed her chin.
Nora forced herself not to flinch.
“You think Cole is coming?”
“Yes.”
The certainty surprised even her.
The man smiled.
“He's exactly why you're here.”
Nora looked at him.
“Then you're an idiot.”
His smile disappeared.
“Excuse me?”
“You kidnapped someone Evan Cole cares about.”
She hoped she sounded confident.
Inside she was terrified.
The man's hand loosened.
Interesting.
“So you are his girlfriend.”
Nora paused.
Technically?
The contract had expired.
The kiss hadn't.
“Yes.”
He released her immediately.
Not because he believed her.
Because the possibility frightened him.
Nora noticed.
So the rumors were real.
“What's your name?” she asked.
“Shut up.”
“I'll call you Kevin.”
“My name isn't Kevin.”
“Then tell me.”
“No.”
“Kevin it is.”
He swore.
Nora smiled.
Her grandmother would be proud.
Across Charleston, Evan Cole was becoming less calm by the minute.
He stood inside the operations room at Cole Security headquarters.
Screens covered one wall.
Traffic cameras.
Dock feeds.
Private surveillance.
Caleb coordinated twelve teams.
“We have the truck on Meeting Street at 8:46.”
“Then?”
“Disappears near the port.”
“Nothing disappears.”
“It changed plates.”
“Find both sets.”
“Working.”
Miles stood across the room.
Evan had nearly thrown him out.
Then Miles showed him the message.
Pier Nine.
Ledger.
Alone.
Evan read it twice.
“They contacted you instead of me.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I don't know.”
“You do.”
Miles rubbed his face.
“They don't trust Adrian.”
That caught Evan's attention.
“What?”
“Hale isn't running everything.”
“Who is?”
“I don't know.”
“Wrong answer.”
Miles looked exhausted.
“You think I'm protecting them?”
“I think you've protected yourself every day of your life.”
Miles laughed bitterly.
“Fair.”
Evan stepped closer.
“Who has access to your company?”
“My father.”
“Thomas.”
“Yes.”
Caleb looked over.
“Samuel's tape said not to trust Thomas Harper.”
Miles became still.
“My father is seventy-one.”
“And?”
“He barely leaves home.”
“So?”
“He doesn't run criminal networks.”
Evan stared at him.
“Neither did Victor Hale publicly.”
Miles shook his head.
“No.”
His phone rang.
FATHER.
Everyone saw.
Evan pointed toward the table.
“Speaker.”
Miles answered.
“Dad?”
Thomas Harper's voice came through.
“You need to come home.”
“Why?”
“Because you've made a terrible mistake.”
Miles went pale.
“What mistake?”
“Bringing Nora Bennett into this.”
Evan's expression sharpened.
Miles whispered, “You know?”
Thomas sighed.
“Of course I know.”
“Dad—”
“You were supposed to marry her. Quietly. Respectably. Instead you let your ego turn a simple transaction into chaos.”
Nora's kidnapping suddenly made sense.
Evan moved closer.
“Thomas.”
Silence.
Then Thomas laughed softly.
“Evan Cole.”
“Where is Nora?”
“Safe.”
“Where?”
“You know where.”
“Pier Nine.”
“Midnight.”
“What do you want?”
“The ledger.”
“And Nora walks?”
“And Eleanor.”
Evan glanced at Caleb.
So Thomas controlled both pieces.
“What about Adrian?”
Thomas laughed again.
“Victor's boy always thought he inherited his father's empire.”
“He didn't?”
“He inherited his father's arrogance.”
Miles looked sick.
“You financed Adrian.”
Thomas ignored him.
Evan understood.
Thomas Harper had been Victor Hale's silent partner fifty years ago.
When Victor fell, Thomas survived.
Then spent decades appearing respectable.
“Samuel knew,” Evan said.
“Yes.”
“You killed him.”
Miles froze.
Thomas was silent.
Then:
“Samuel fell.”
Nora's memory.
A gun.
Her grandfather collapsing.
Evan's jaw clenched.
“And Nora saw you.”
Miles whispered, “No.”
Thomas sighed.
“She was nine. Children forget.”
“You've been watching her because you weren't sure.”
“Correct.”
Miles gripped the table.
“Dad, what did you do?”
“What was necessary.”
“You killed Samuel Bennett?”
“He was going to destroy everything.”
“You let me spend my entire life with that family.”
“Exactly. It kept you close.”
Miles looked shattered.
“You wanted me to marry Nora because of the land.”
“Yes.”
“You used me.”
“Don't become sentimental.”
Something broke in Miles's expression.
For the first time, Evan felt almost sorry for him.
Thomas continued.
“Midnight, Evan. Bring the ledger.”
“If she's hurt—”
“You'll do what?”
Thomas's voice hardened.
“Kill me?”
Evan didn't answer.
“You had your chance six years ago. You thought destroying Victor ended the network. You were wrong.”
The call disconnected.
Caleb exhaled.
“Well.”
Miles stood motionless.
“My father.”
Nobody answered.
“I spent my whole life trying to become him.”
Evan looked at him.
“Then stop.”
Miles laughed hollowly.
“That's your advice?”
“Yes.”
“From you?”
“Especially from me.”
Miles sat down.
Evan returned to the screens.
“Find Thomas's phone.”
Caleb nodded.
“What about midnight?”
“We don't wait.”
“You have a plan?”
“Yes.”
“Good plan?”
“No.”
“Expected.”
Miles looked up.
“I know Pier Nine.”
Evan turned.
“So do I.”
“My father renovated it three years ago.”
“For what?”
“Private storage.”
“Access tunnels?”
Miles hesitated.
“One.”
Caleb raised an eyebrow.
“That would've been useful twenty minutes ago.”
Miles stood.
“I can show you.”
Evan studied him.
“Why?”
“Because that's my father holding Nora.”
“You've chosen him before.”
“I know.”
“How do I know this isn't another choice?”
Miles looked at the screen showing Nora's photograph.
“You don't.”
A long silence.
Then Miles said, “But Nora was right.”
“About what?”
“I don't love her.”
Evan waited.
“I love winning.”
Miles gave a tired smile.
“And I finally found something worth losing.”
For once, Evan believed him.
At eleven-fifteen, three vehicles left Cole Security.
Miles rode with Caleb.
Evan drove alone.
Before they departed, Caleb gave him a gun.
Evan checked it.
“Backup?”
Caleb handed him another.
“You planning a war?”
“If necessary.”
“That's what worries me.”
Pier Nine appeared through the rain.
Six years earlier, Evan had saved three men here.
Tonight, he intended to save one woman.
The irony wasn't lost on him.
His phone buzzed.
Unknown video call.
He answered.
Nora appeared.
Bound to a chair.
Her hair disheveled.
But alive.
Relief nearly dropped him to his knees.
“Nora.”
She looked into the camera.
“Hi.”
Even now.
Hi.
“You hurt?”
“Mostly annoyed.”
Thomas's voice came from off-screen.
“Midnight, Evan.”
Nora looked toward whoever held the phone.
Then back.
“Don't bring him anything.”
Thomas laughed.
“Brave.”
Nora ignored him.
“Evan.”
“Yes?”
“If you give them that ledger, what happens?”
“Not your problem.”
“That means bad.”
“Nora.”
“Don't.”
His voice softened.
“I'm coming.”
Her eyes filled.
She whispered, “I knew you would.”
The call ended.
Evan stood in the rain.
For years, men had called him ruthless.
Dangerous.
Heartless.
He had encouraged all three reputations because fear was efficient.
But standing outside Pier Nine, Evan finally admitted something to himself.
He wasn't afraid of losing money.
He wasn't afraid of Thomas Harper.
He wasn't afraid of prison.
He was terrified of arriving thirty seconds too late.
He checked his weapon.
Then walked toward the warehouse.
Inside, Nora heard footsteps approaching.
Thomas Harper smiled.
“Right on time.”
Nora looked toward the door.
But it wasn't Evan who entered.
It was Miles.
Thomas's face changed.
“What are you doing here?”
Miles held up the flash drive containing what appeared to be Evan's ledger.
“I came to make a trade.”
His father smiled.
Nora didn't.
Because she recognized the look on Miles's face.
Desperation.
And desperate men were unpredictable.
Miles looked at Nora.
Then at his father.
“You wanted me to become you.”
Thomas nodded.
“And?”
Miles raised the flash drive.
“I finally decided what kind of man I want to be.”
A gunshot echoed through Pier Nine.
Nora screamed.
May you like
And outside, Evan started running.
---
