Part 9
Julian’s eyes darted wildly,
searching the shadows for a sign that I was lying,
his confidence shattering into a thousand pieces.
That split second of hesitation was all the opening I required,
the final mistake of an amateur who had stepped into a professional’s world.
I lunged forward,
staying low to avoid any panicked shot,
and slammed my shoulder into his midsection.
The gun went off,
the sound deafening inside the wooden boathouse,
the bullet embedding itself into the roof above.
We crashed onto the wooden planks of the dock,
Julian fighting with the frantic strength of a trapped animal,
screaming curses into the night.
He tried to bring the pistol down toward my head,
but I grabbed his wrist,
forcing his arm against the rough timber.
I twisted his hand with a sharp,
downward pressure,
applying a joint lock that forced his fingers to open,
and the silver gun clattered into the dark water below.
He gasped in pain,
his face pressed against the wet wood,
as I pinned his shoulders down with my knee.
"It's over,
Julian,"
I whispered,
my face just inches from his,
"You lost the moment you touched my daughter."
I didn't waste any more time on him,
leaving him groaning on the dock,
and jumped back into the boat beside Lily.
I turned the key in the ignition,
and the powerful engine roared to life,
its deep hum vibrating through the hull.
I slammed the throttle forward,
and the boat surged out of the slip,
tearing through the wooden doors of the boathouse,
and bursting onto the open river.
The cold wind whipped around us,
the rain stinging my eyes,
as I steered the vessel into the center of the dark channel.
Behind us,
the lights of Haven Crest faded into the distance,
disappearing behind the thick curtain of the storm.
Lily leaned against my side,
holding onto the dashboard,
her eyes fixed on the dark water ahead.
"Where does this river lead?"
she asked,
her voice raised against the roar of the engine.
"It connects to the main state channel,
about ten miles downstream,"
I shouted back,
keeping my eyes glued to the dark shoreline.
"There’s a small town with a federal marina,
where my old colleagues are already waiting for us."
I watched the digital display on the dashboard,
noticing that the fuel tank was completely full,
giving us more than enough range to reach safety.
But as I looked back at the receding shoreline,
I saw a pair of bright lights appear on the water,
moving fast,
and closing the distance between us.
Victor wasn't giving up,
May you like
he had launched his own pursuit craft,
and the final chase had begun on the black river.
