Chapter 8 - RED WATERFRONT
The safe house was a renovated industrial loft overlooking the foggy East River in Brooklyn.
Exposed brick walls, heavy metal shutters, and high-tech security monitors filled the spacious apartment.
Julian sat on a leather couch, nursing a cut on his arm while Emily expertly bandaged the wound.
"You're remarkably good at this," Julian remarked, looking down at her focused face.
"When you grow up around danger, survival becomes second nature," she replied smoothly, tying off the bandage.
She walked over to an exposed brick column near the window and pressed three hidden bricks in a specific sequence.
A quiet mechanical click sounded, and a small compartment swung open.
Inside rested a micro SD card wrapped in velvet cloth.
"This holds the encrypted audio files recorded in Arthur Sterling's private villa," Emily explained, handing it to Julian.
Julian inserted the card into a secure laptop on the table and pressed play.
A grainy, recorded voice echoed through the speakers: "Make sure the helicopter never lands in Albany. Make it look like mechanical failure."
Julian recognized Arthur Sterling's voice instantly, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the desk.
"He murdered my father," Julian said, his tone chillingly calm.
"And he's coming for you next to consolidate total control of Vance Global," Emily warned.
Suddenly, the security monitors in the loft lit up with motion alerts along the waterfront dock below.
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Three sleek black SUVs pulled up, their doors flying open to reveal armed men in tactical gear.
"They tracked the satellite phone signal," Emily realized, her face turning pale.
