Part 39
The city skyline quickly shrank into a distant line of glittering lights as we pushed deeper into the dark waters.
The wind cut through our damp clothes, but the adrenaline running through our veins kept the freezing cold at bay.
Derek steered the boat with a steady hand, navigating through the shipping channels toward the opposite side of the bay.
"Where are we going, Mom?" he asked, his eyes scanning the dark water for any signs of pursuit.
"There’s an old fishing cabin your father owned near the northern cliffs," I said, checking the backpack to ensure the ledger was dry.
"It’s isolated, accessible only by water. We can hide there until morning and figure out how to use this data."
I pulled the USB drive out, holding it up to the faint light of the boat's dashboard display.
This tiny piece of plastic held the power to destroy an empire, but only if we could unlock its secrets.
Behind us, the dark expanse of the harbor remained quiet; it seemed Julian hadn't expected us to escape by sea.
We reached the northern cliffs an hour later, the black rocky walls towering over us like ancient giants.
Nestled in a small, hidden cove was a dilapidated wooden shack, its pier half-submerged in the rising tide.
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Derek brought the boat alongside the listing structure, securing the lines to a rusted iron cleat.
We climbed onto the slippery wood, our bodies aching from the brutal physical toll of the night.
