Chapter 8 - The Warehouse Sector Four Breach
At sunrise, David Chen and I stood outside the massive corrugated steel gates of warehouse sector four in the industrial outskirts of the city. A cold mist hung over the asphalt as two flatbed trucks idling near the loading dock prepared to roll out without proper digital authorization seals.
"Hold those trucks!" David shouted, flashing his corporate security badge as he jogged toward the loading bay, flanked by two private security contractors Harriet had hired the night before.
The truck drivers slammed on their brakes, jumping down from the cab with defensive expressions. The warehouse manager, a greasy-haired man named Viktor who had been with the company for a decade, hurried out of the side office waving a clipboard.
"What the hell is the meaning of this?" Viktor barked, stepping between David and the loading bay. "These are standard outbound shipments for the Pacific Northwest retail partners. We have schedules to keep!"
I walked up behind David, my boots clicking sharply against the concrete. I pulled the manila folder from under my arm and flipped it open to a specific sub-contract agreement bearing Viktor’s signature.
"Standard shipments don't usually require unmarked containers bound for offshore shipping ports in Seattle," I said calmly, stepping right up to him. "And they certainly don't bypass our central inventory database."
Viktor’s face flushed a deep, mottled red. "You don't know what you're doing, kid. Sterling had arrangements in place. You start pulling threads on these logistics chains, and you're going to bring down partners who will make your life a living hell."
"Tell me who they are," I demanded, my voice cutting through the ambient hum of the idling diesel engines.
Before Viktor could answer, a sleek black sedan screeched to a halt outside the warehouse gates. The passenger door flew open, and a sharp-suited man with slicked-back blonde hair stepped out, clutching a briefcase. It was Julian Vance, Marcus’s estranged brother and a high-powered corporate litigator known for representing offshore venture capital groups with questionable asset histories.
"Miss Bellamy," Julian called out, walking briskly across the asphalt with an arrogant, predatory smile. "I’m advising you right now to step away from these trucks. You are interfering with active commercial contracts governed by international maritime law."
May you like
I didn't blink. I turned to David and nodded. "Call the federal marshals assigned to Sterling’s case. Tell them we found the secondary asset-stripping pipeline."
Julian’s arrogant smile instantly vanished.
