Part 38
"The keys are in the ignition, Mom! Get in!" Derek yelled, his hands working furiously to untie the thick ropes.
Julian's men raised their weapons, the red laser sights painting lines across the dark wooden pier toward us.
"Don't shoot the bag!" Julian barked at his men. "I need the ledger intact!"
That command saved our lives, giving me the crucial seconds needed to dive into the shaking boat.
Derek slammed his hand onto the starter button, and the old diesel engine sputtered, coughing up a cloud of black smoke.
It died instantly, the silence returning with a terrifying weight as Julian walked down the pier toward us.
"It’s over, Sarah," Julian said, standing just ten feet away, a cold smile on his face. "Give me the ledger."
"Never," I said, holding the backpack tight against my chest, staring into the eyes of the man who betrayed my family.
Derek didn't say a word; he just hit the starter button again, pouring everything into the old machine.
The engine roared to life with a deafening rattle, the propeller churning the dark ocean water into a white foam.
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Derek slammed the throttle forward, and the boat lunged away from the pier just as Julian reached out to grab the railing.
A spray of cold seawater hit our faces as we sped out into the dark, open harbor, leaving the warehouse behind.
