Chapter 2 - The Flight

The side mirror of Artie’s SUV exploded into a thousand pieces of glass. Artie flinched, dropping to a crouch as his men drew their weapons.

“Drop the gun, Artie!” Sarah’s voice boomed through a megaphone from the shadows of the boatyard. “The police are already on their way. You have three minutes before this place is swarming with SWAT.”

Artie’s face twisted into pure, unfiltered rage. “Kill them!” he roared to his men.

Gunfire erupted. Bullets splintered the wooden beams around me. I dove behind a rusted shipping container, dropping the briefcase. I could hear my dad yelling, struggling against his captors.

I peeked around the corner. One of the thugs was advancing toward my position, his gun raised. Without thinking, I grabbed a heavy iron wrench off a nearby barrel and threw it as hard as I could. It caught the man square in the jaw. He collapsed backward into the dark water with a heavy splash.

But Artie had used the distraction to grab my father by the collar, dragging him toward the edge of the pier. He pressed the barrel of his gun against my dad’s temple.

“Come out, Ethan!” Artie screamed, his polished demeanor completely gone. “Come out and bring the case, or I blow his brains out right now! Tell your sister to stand down!”

I stepped out from behind the container, my hands raised. “Okay! Okay, I’m coming.”

I kicked the briefcase across the wooden planks. It slid to a halt at Artie’s feet.

Artie smiled. He stepped on the briefcase, keeping the gun trained on my father. “Good boy. Just like your dad. Always doing what you’re told to protect your family. It’s a tragic weakness.”

He raised the gun, aiming it straight at my chest.

“No!” my father roared.

With a surge of adrenaline, my dad threw his entire body weight backward, slamming his skull into Artie’s face. The gun went off, the bullet whizzing inches past my ear.

Artie stumbled, dropping the gun. My dad tackled him, and both men went over the edge of the pier, plummeting into the freezing, black water below.