Chapter 3 - Flight Across the LakeThe freezing November wind whipped off Lake Michigan, cutting through Emma’s sweater as they scrambled down the rocky embankment toward the water’s edge. Behind them, the upper floors of the lakefront mansion erupted in orange flames—a secondary explosive charge set by their pursuers to erase all evidence of the break-in.
Adrian stumbled, his hand slick with blood where his wound had reopened during their descent through the narrow utility tunnels. Emma caught him by the elbow, throwing his heavy arm over her shoulder to bear his weight.
“I’m fine,” he gritted out through clenched teeth, though his face was stark white in the moonlight.
“You’re bleeding to death, Adrian,” she shot back, scanning the dark shoreline. “Where is the boat?”
Just fifty yards away, half-concealed beneath a heavy canvas tarp tied to a dilapidated wooden pier, sat a sleek motorboat idling with a low, muffled purr. A man stepped out from the shadows—a weathered older individual wearing a familiar silver hawk ring, but this time, the ring was turned inward, palm-facing.
“Took you long enough, boss,” the old man grunted, rushing forward to help Adrian into the hull.
“Marcus,” Adrian breathed, collapsing onto the aluminum bench seat. “I thought Kessler turned you.”
“Kessler’s men are currently dealing with a federal raid at his downtown office,” Marcus replied grimly, casting off the moorings with practiced speed. “Word leaked about the financial transfers twenty minutes ago. Someone dropped a bomb on their secure network.”
Emma climbed in behind them, pulling the hatch closed as Marcus slammed the throttle forward. The boat surged out into the choppy, black waters of the lake, leaving the burning mansion and the chaos far behind.
As the city skyline rose in the distance like a jagged crown of neon and steel, Adrian sank back against the cushions. He looked across the small cabin at Emma, who sat shivering, her fingers still clenched tightly around the titanium drive.
“You leaked the files,” Adrian stated, a mixture of awe and realization in his voice.
May you like
“While you were bleeding on the study floor,” Emma replied calmly, wiping a streak of soot from her cheek, “I synced your local server to my cloud storage. If we go down, the entire corrupt network of Chicago goes down with us.”
Marcus let out a low whistle from the helm. “Remind me never to get on your bad side, Miss Lawson.”
