Chapter 4 - The Syndicate’s Floating Bastion
The heavy iron security doors of the terminal’s lower cargo bay slammed shut behind us with a pneumatic hiss that rattled the concrete foundations. Down in the sub-level berths, where ocean water surged directly against the massive steel caissons, the atmosphere was thick with the scent of heavy diesel, ozone, and unwashed fear. Viktor Vance—not a relative, but a rival syndicate warlord operating under the guise of an independent logistics investor—stood chained to a heavy steel pillar in the center of the bay, flanked by two of my elite enforcers. His clothes were soaked with seawater, his face bruised from a previous altercation on the upper deck. As I stepped into the amber light of the bay, Viktor raised his head, a bloodstained, mocking grin stretching across his lips. “Gabriel,” Viktor rasped, coughing up a drop of dark blood. “You think you’ve won because you seized the terminal? The moment the maritime council opens those digital ledgers without the master key, your entire corporate empire goes down in flames with mine.” I stopped three paces from him, my hands tucked casually into my coat pockets, my expression as unyielding as the concrete beneath our boots. “You assume I care about the council’s ledgers, Viktor,” I replied, my voice dropping into that quiet, deadly register that always made grown men look for an exit. “My empire was built on blood and steel long before your syndicate ever learned how to forge a shipping manifest.” Vivian stood a few paces behind me, wrapped in her cashmere shawl, watching the exchange with horror as she realized her backup plan had just been reduced to a chained prisoner in a saltwater cage. I turned my gaze back to Viktor. “Where are the remaining transit codes?” Viktor spat a mouthful of blood onto the wet floor and laughed hoarsely. “Go to hell, Vance.” I didn't blink. I simply raised two fingers toward Marcus, my head of security. “Flood the lower drainage trench. Let’s see how cooperative our guest becomes when the tide reaches his chest.”
