Chapter 13 - The Poisoned Gavel
The heavy iron service door of the dry dock creaked open, admitting Arthur Sterling into the cavernous hangar.
The clerk was sixty years old, bald, with gold-rimmed spectacles fogged by the cold October dampness.
He stood trembling beneath the glare of the halogen lights, his expensive shoes stained with shipyard oil.
Luca stood five feet away, his Kimber forty-five pointed directly at Sterling’s chest.
Sophia stood on the clerk’s flank, her Glock leveled at his temple, her eyes devoid of mercy.
"Speak quickly, Mister Sterling," Luca said, his voice flat and lethal.
"I am an officer of the court," Sterling stammered, clutching the leather briefcase against his ribs.
"You are a courier for a murderer," Sophia countered, her barrel not wavering an inch.
"His Honor, Judge Raymond Vance, wishes to avoid unnecessary municipal bloodshed," Sterling said, swallowing hard.
"His Honor ordered an RPG strike on the Brooklyn Bridge four hours ago," Luca roared.
"That was a private security firm acting on outdated contingencies," Sterling lied, his hands shaking violently.
"What is in the envelope?" Sophia demanded.
Sterling placed the white document envelope on the wooden workbench with extreme caution.
"Full executive pardons signed by the Governor's office for Anthony Moretti and Luca Moretti."
Luca stared at the paper in cold disbelief.
"The Governor doesn't sign mafia pardons on a Tuesday afternoon."
"Judge Vance controls three members of the state judicial ethics board," Sterling explained in a hushed whisper.
"He has extraordinary leverage over the executive mansion."
"And what does the judge want in exchange for our freedom?" Anthony asked from the shadows behind the table.
Sterling turned toward the elderly patriarch, adjusting his fogged spectacles.
"The original ledger."
"The carbon deposit slip from Zurich."
"And the immediate, permanent retirement of Detective Sophia Bennett from all public records."
Sophia let out a dry, venomous laugh that made the clerk flinch.
"Permanent retirement?" Sophia mocked.
"Does that include a shallow grave in the Pine Barrens, Mister Sterling?"
"The judge is prepared to transfer five million dollars to an offshore account in your name, Detective."
"Five million dollars of blood money washed through Moretti shipping containers," Sophia spat.
"You have no case, Detective Bennett," Sterling warned, regaining a sliver of bureaucratic arrogance.
"Captain Kane is dead."
"Lieutenant Mason suffered a massive stroke during surgery at Bellevue Hospital and cannot speak."
"All physical evidence seized at Saint Jude’s Depository was incinerated during the explosion on the bridge."
Sophia smiled, a slow, terrifying smile that caused the clerk’s knees to weaken.
"Is that what the news told you, Sterling?"
Sterling frowned, looking between Sophia and Luca.
"We saw the lead federal vehicle detonate."
Sophia reached into her trench coat and pulled out the fireproof titanium evidence box.
She set it on the workbench with a heavy, metallic clang that echoed through the hangar.
She unlatched the dual security clasps and flipped the lid open.
Inside lay the intact leather ledger, the three micro-cassettes, and the backup digital flash drives.
Sterling’s face turned the color of chalk.
"You... you pulled it from the wreckage?"
"I don't leave evidence behind, Mister Sterling," Sophia said coldly.
"And unlike your corrupt department commanders, I made four encrypted digital clones before we left the bank."
"Where are the clones?" Sterling gasped.
"One is with the United States Attorney General in Washington," Luca stated.
"One is with the chief investigative reporter at the New York Times," Sophia continued.
"And the third is currently uploading to the state legislative ethics committee server."
Sterling staggered backward against the concrete wall, clutching his chest as if suffering a coronary.
"The judge will execute everyone in this room," Sterling whispered in sheer horror.
"The judge won't have the chance," Luca said, stepping forward until the muzzle of his pistol pressed against Sterling’s nose.
"You are going to take your little town car, drive back to Manhattan, and tell Judge Vance one thing."
Sterling’s teeth chattered against each other.
"What... what do I tell him?"
"Tell him Luca Moretti and Sophia Bennett are coming to his penthouse tonight."
"To negotiate?" Sterling asked desperately.
"To deliver an arrest warrant," Sophia corrected.
Luca took the white envelope containing the corrupt pardons from the bench and struck a match.
He watched the official judicial seal curl into ash before dropping the burning paper into Sterling’s leather briefcase.
"Get out of my shipyard before I put you in a shipping container bound for Rotterdam," Luca growled.
Sterling grabbed his smoking briefcase, turned on his heels, and sprinted into the storm as fast as his legs could carry him.
The heavy hangar doors slammed shut behind him, leaving only the sound of the wind.
Anthony walked over to the workbench, his face lined with ancient sorrow.
"Vance won't wait for you to reach his penthouse, children."
"We know, Dad," Luca said, checking the magazine of his Kimber.
"He has a personal executioner," Anthony warned.
"Viktor Cross," Sophia identified, her tactical training instantly kicking in.
"The former state police tactical commander who vanished five years ago."
"Cross doesn't use dirty cops," Anthony said.
"He uses heavy ordnance and professional killers."
"He will come here," Luca realized.
"He tracked Sterling’s vehicle," Sophia deduced, looking at the ceiling monitors.
"Sterling was never sent to negotiate," Sophia said, her eyes widening in realization.
"Sterling was sent as a homing beacon to pinpoint our exact location."
Outside in the dark waters of the harbor, the muffled thrum of high-powered marine diesel engines cut through the storm.
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Two high-speed tactical assault boats cut through the waves, their bows aimed directly at the Moretti dry docks.
The siege had begun.
