Marina crouched behind a wall of boxes on dock number twelve of Langman's wharf. A SWAT team crowded behind her, the lights from the city reflecting off their helmets. They waited, steady, patient. But Marina could hardly contain her excitement. Five years. Five years she had spent trying to bring down the notorious smuggling ring known as the Syndicate. The first two she had spent busting low-level drug dealers, which led to a few convictions that the organization hardly noticed. The third year was spent trying to untangle impossible webs of money laundering from legitimate businesses. That had been fruitless, except to tie the Syndicate to the behemoth Chamberlin Corp, and in turn to its CEO, Rex Chamberlin. She had spent the fourth year tracking down Alex Chamberlin, Rex's estranged son, and convincing him to work with her. But the last year had been the hardest. A whole year undercover working for Chamberlin Corp. With Alex's help, she had risen through the ranks and wormed her way into Rex's life. Last week, she got close enough to plant the listening device that had led them here. To dock twelve at midnight, when Rex would be meeting his supplier. Finally, she would be able to take him down. Marina bounced silently on her haunches, waiting for Rex to arrive. But a voice buzzed in her earpiece. "You’re at the wrong dock," Alex said. He was with the second contingent, ready to close down the roads leading out of the wharf. "What do you mean?" Marina hissed. "I've been monitoring the audio feed. They changed the dock at the last minute. The exchange is going down at dock six." Marina cursed. "Are you sure?" "Would I lie to you?" Marina cursed again. "How far are you from dock six?" "I'm closer than you are. " "Do me a favor and get over there and stall?" "And how am I supposed to do that?" "I don't know. He's your father!" "How does that help?" "If you can't keep them there until the team arrives, all this will have been for nothing." Alex grumbled, but a surly "Fine" came over the radio. Marina switched to her other feed. "Change of plan, team. Move operation to dock six. Immediately." The SWAT team behind Marina and the one hidden on the other end of the dock jumped up and started running for the quayside.
On the other side of the wharf, Alex hopped out of a cop car and took off towards dock six. The lights of the city cast an eerie glow as his footsteps slapped across the pavement. He wasn't sure how he had gotten himself into this mess. He had cut ties with his father to get out of the smuggling game after all. And now here he was, sprinting along the deserted docks at midnight. He was sweating when he skid to a stop in front of dock six. Silhouettes of two groups of men stood facing each other on the pier. A shrimp boat bobbed at the end of the dock, its cranes stuck out at odd angles, like the legs of a praying mantis. Both groups of men turned to look at Alex as he slowed and approached them, trying not to draw attention to the fact that he was out of breath. The silhouette of the tallest man there separated itself from the group and stepped into the light. "Well, if it isn't the prodigal son," Rex said, watching Alex with calculating eyes. "What brings you down to the water this evening?" "Hi, Dad." Alex took his time walking up to reach his father. "I was looking for you." "Oh?" Rex lifted his eyebrows. "And what an interesting spot you've chosen to find me." Alex shifted his weight. "Well, I'm here." "And now that you're here, not at my office or in the home where you grew up, but at the docks in the middle of the night, what is it you want?" Alex’s jaw clenched "I want back in." "Ah, I see. I guess you were expecting to start tonight, then?" Alex shrugged. "Figured I'd make myself useful." "You've always been a terrible liar. Ever since you were a little boy." Rex smiled indulgently. "Now, let's be honest. Where's your little girlfriend?" "Who?" "That detective friend of yours?" Alex's face paled. Rex grinned like a wolf. "Oh yes, I know she works for the police." "But how-" "I have my ways. And if I had to guess, she is on her way here now.” He squinted past Alex, peering into the darkness at the end of the dock. "So, if you don't mind, I've got some business to conclude before she arrives." Rex turned back to the other group of men and held up the briefcase in his hand. Alex panicked, watching the exchange go down. It was happening too fast. The leader of the opposite group gave a nod that the payment was good and Rex waved his men forward. Two thugs split from the crowd to run towards the shrimp boat at the end of the pier. "Wait!" Alex shouted, causing the two men to stop. "I want to help." Rex snorted. "You can quit the act, kid." Alex stood his ground, determined to keep stalling. "I'm serious! I want back in." Rex paused. He put his hands on his hips and gave Alex an appraising look. Alex could almost see the gears turning in his head. "Alright," he decided. "Go with them." Rex nodded to the men heading for the boat. There was a challenge in his voice that made Alex hesitate. But it was too late now. He held his head high and strode towards the boat, making sure to take his time. The thugs were waiting for him by the gangplank. One grinned and held out his hand to let Alex go first. A knot of dread began to form in his stomach, but he boarded the boat and walked down the stairs into its belly, all too aware of the hulking men who followed after him.
When Marina arrived at dock six, Alex was nowhere to be found. But Rex and his men were still there, along with their suppliers. "Halt! Police!" she called. She held out her badge as the SWAT team streamed around her. In a matter of moments, they had the smugglers surrounded. A chorus of Miranda rights were read as the SWAT team members forced the men to kneel and cuffed them One of the SWAT team members brought Marina the briefcase they'd found with the second group of men. She opened it to find neat rows of cash. Marina grinned. "I'd like to speak to the detective," she heard the tallest of the men say. The woman handcuffing him looked to Marina for approval and she gave a nod. "Marina," Rex said as he was brought closer. "So good to see you again." "What do you want?" she snapped. "Only to know why I am being arrested? Last I checked it wasn't illegal to take a moonlit stroll." "You take lots of moonlit strolls with half a million dollars in a briefcase?" "What makes you think that's mine?" "Cut the crap, Chamberlin. We'll find your prints all over it." "Ah, I doubt that. I'm rather fond of gloves, you see." Rex wiggled his hands inside his cuffs. They were covered in leather gloves. Marina rolled her eyes. "Rex, I know you're great at denying things. And I'm sure you have an excellent lawyer on retainer. But this is what we call getting caught red-handed." Rex's expression darkened. "No, detective. I think you'll find it's what we call circumstantial evidence. Which does not tend to hold up well in court." "I've got a whole boatload of physical evidence sitting right there, Rex." She pointed at the shrimp boat. "Do you?" As he spoke, the engine of the shrimp boat roared to life and it began to pull away from the wharf. Marina cursed. She dropped the briefcase and took off sprinting. Rex's laughter echoed behind her. She pulled her gun from its holster and fired two shots at the console, shattering the glass. The boat stopped pulling away long enough for her to leap from the end of the dock and land, crouching, on the deck.
Alex was not surprised when he heard the unmistakable click of a gun being cocked behind his head. He stood stock-still. "Now fellas," he said. "I don't think you wanna be the one to off the boss' son, do you?" "Keep moving," a gruff voice said. The gun was jabbed into his spine and he stumbled forward, deeper into the hold of the ship. If Alex had been expecting to walk into bags and boxes of cocaine, he was sorely disappointed. Instead, the hold of the boat was filled with stacks and stacks of C4. In the center, there was a single box labeled dynamite. "You're arms dealing now?" His jaw dropped. One of the thugs chuckled at his surprise, while the other un-cocked and carefully stowed his gun. He forced Alex to sit on the box of dynamite and cuffed him to one of the steel bars running through the ship. "Don't move, " said the other thug. "Otherwise, BOOM." He chuckled as Alex winced. "Is it safe to store the dynamite this close to the C4?" he asked. "I mean, if anything should happen, that would be a big waste of money. And you know the boss hates that…" "That's why we have you keeping an eye on things." The first thug grinned. "You offered to help, didn't you?" Alex gulped. The men left, laughing as they climbed the stairs. As soon as they were gone, Alex pulled a lock pick out of his pocket and began to work on his cuffs. His hands shook as he tried to maneuver the tiny piece of metal into the lock. Then, the motor turned over and the boat jerked away from the dock. Alex lurched, dropping his picks. As he leaned over to grab it up, two shots fired. He froze, half expecting the explosives to ignite. But they remained peaceful in the dim light of the cargo hold. When it was silent for another moment, he lunged for the pick and turned it on his handcuffs. In a moment, he'd managed to free himself and rushed up the narrow stairs. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the glaring lights of the city, but soon he saw Marina. She stood on the deck, two hands on her Glock, aiming through the broken glass of the console. "Hands in the air!" she was shouting. "Now!" Her finger was about to squeeze the trigger. "Marina!" Alex shouted. Her head whipped around just in time to see him barreling towards. He grabbed her arm and forced her to shoot up into the air. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" she shrieked as he grappled with her, trying to take the gun. "Give me the gun!" "So you're back on daddy's payroll, then?" she grunted. Alex managed to elbow her in the nose, making her eyes water and forcing her to release the gun. "The cargo hold is full of C4, you idiot!" he shouted, waving the gun in front of her. Marina's eyes widened. "What?" Then another shot sounded. They both looked down to find blood spurting from Alex's arm. Blood gushed from his bicep, drenching his thick jacket. One of the thugs stood in the cockpit, aiming to shoot again. Alex let out a belated, anguished cry and fell against the railing. Marina pulled him down to the deck as the thug fired again. Propping Alex up as best as she could, she snatched her gun back and took off in a crouched run. The man driving the boat didn't turn fast enough as she rounded the corner to the cockpit. She took the opportunity and dropped him with a single bullet. He didn’t let out so much as a cry. Instead, he fell on the wheel and the boat careened sideways. Marina threw her weight forward as she was thrown and managed to fall into the dead man, pulling him off the helm. The remaining thug was too busy trying not to crash through the broken glass of the cockpit to stop her. As soon as the man was off the wheel, it went flying backward. Marina was thrown again as the boat splashed back into the water, rocking to find its center. When it finally settled, she let out a sigh of relief. Only to feel something against her temple. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the thug had recovered his balance and now pressed his gun to her head. Her own gun lay useless on the floor, right at the man’s feet. She grit her teeth. "Well? What are you waiting for?" she asked him. "I think the boss might like it if I bring you in with the rest of his goods." He grinned at her, his collection of gold teeth gleaming. Marina's stomach roiled. "Now take us out of the bay," he ordered. For a moment, Marina didn't move. She scrambled to find an alternative. "Now!" the man barked, driving the gun into her temple. Reluctantly, she stood and took the wheel. The water of the bay was inky black, but the city skyscrapers glowed on either side. Out on the horizon, there was a break in the columns of light that signaled the exit of the bay. Marina steered them towards it as she struggled to come up with a plan There had to be a way out of this. "Hey, baldy!" someone called. Marina and the thug both turned to see Alex stumble forward, rip a piece of C4 from a block, and hurl it at the man. It bounced off his head and fell to the floor. Nothing happened. "You idiot!" Marina called over her shoulder, still driving the boat. "C4 doesn't explode unless you detonate it!" "Well how was I supposed to know that?” Alex called back. “I’m a civilian!" The thug let out a deep belly laugh. Then he leaned over and picked up Marina’s gun, all the while keeping his own gun aimed at Marina’s hand. He took aim at Alex next. "Now what?" Marina shouted at him. Alex only put a hand back over his gunshot wound and tried to fight off a new round of dizziness. Marina cursed under her breath. There had to be a way out of this. Her mind raced. She had to get this gun pointed away from her face long enough to do something. If only she had held on to her gun when the ship turned. A bell went off in Marina’s head. That was it. "Is that a police boat?" Marina asked, squinting and pointing into the bay. The thug turned to look, and Marina took her chance. She yanked the helm and sent the entire boat tipping sideways again. Boxes and crates slid down the vertical deck. The thug was flung sideways and his gun hand went flailing. Marina rammed into him with all her weight and slammed him against the wall. She brought her hand down hard on his wrist. He dropped her gun and it went sliding across the deck, as the wheel spun back and the boat collapsed back into the water. "Alex!" she called, stumbling backward. He was still scrambling to his feet, but instantly understood her meaning. He dove for the gun. Marina tried to go after the other weapon, but the thug had a hand free now. He clamped it onto her throat. She struggled, digging her nails into his hand. But his grip was vice-like. She kicked out, only to have him lift her off her feet. Her chest was starting to burn, as she kicked and struggled, scratching at his hand. Her lungs were on fire. Then there was a gunshot. The thug cried out as a bullet ripped through his shoulder. He dropped Marina. As soon as she was on the floor, Alex put another bullet in the thug's chest. The man slumped against the wall, his eyes un-focusing. Marina coughed, fighting to catch her breath. Alex ran in to help her. But the man was still alive and his eyes refocused on them. "Big," he wheezed, "mistake." There was still a gun in his hand. This time he aimed it at the floor. Alex and Marina watched as he began shooting into the cargo hold. "What's he doing?" Marina wheezed. "Trying to hit the dynamite!" Alex realized. Marina's eyes widened. She let Alex help her up and they ran for the side of the boat. The thug continued shooting as they fled. Together they climbed onto the railing. The man found his target. Alex and Marina dove. A horrible crack filled the air. The boat exploded in plumes of fire and smoke. They crashed into the water just as tremendous waves of flame rolled over the surface. Underwater shock waves threw them further into the bay, tumbling them and filling their mouths and noses with water. Alex lost track of Marina. All he could hear was the roar of water and explosion. Finally, he stopped being flung around, opened his eyes enough to see the brightness of the surface and kicked towards the light. He broke from the water coughing and sputtering. His wounded arm had gone entirely numb, which he was partly concerned about, but partly grateful for. Not far off, the wreckage of the ship burned on the water. Noxious smoke swirled into the air and the flicker of flames reflected in the black water of the bay. But there was no sign of Marina. "Marina?" he called to her. Alex turned around, searching frantically by the light of the fire. "Marina?" Not far off, there was a bubbling and Marina burst from the water with an incredible gasp for air. She settled, hacking and wheezing as Alex swam towards her. "Thank god," Alex sighed. Marina nodded as she caught her breath. "I can't believe we survived that," he said, dumbstruck. Marina nodded, looking around the bay. Her eyes settled on the flaming wreckage. "But my evidence didn't," she groaned. "What?" "I needed that evidence on that boat to put your father away. Without the explosives, all I have is an agreement to meet at a dock and some other man holding a case of money. There's no way that will be enough for a conviction!" Alex grew somber as well, then brightened. He felt around in his zipped jacket pockets and pulled out the block of C4 he'd tried to throw at the thug. "Would this be enough?" he asked. Marina's face lit up, studying the waxy wrapping still clinging to the outside. "This is perfect!" she cried, taking it from him. "So, we did it?" Alex asked. "We did it!" The pair grinned at each other as the searchlight from the police helicopter landed on them, and a voice came over the speaker promising to take them home.
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