Chapter 7 - The Raid at South Dock
The South Dock Cold Storage Facility sat like a rusting metal monolith amidst the ice-choked salt marshes of Brierport’s southern coastline. The wind howled through the dilapidated corrugated steel walls, whipping dark ocean spray against the dark windows.
At 3:30 AM, three black tactical SUVs and four state police cruisers silently surrounded the perimeter, their headlights cut off, moving like shadows across the snow.
Cade stood near the command SUV, wearing a tactical bulletproof vest over his dark sweater, flanked by Nico and six heavily armed Whitlock security operatives.
"State police are in position at the rear exits, boss," Nico whispered, checking his night-vision goggles. "Thermal imaging shows three guard signatures inside the office block, and one signature in the basement refrigeration vault."
"The basement vault," Cade said, his heart tightening. "Is the refrigeration active?"
"Sub-zero," Nico replied grimly. "If she's been down there since Friday..."
"We go now," Cade commanded.
Without waiting for the state police captain to finish his tactical briefing, Cade, Nico, and their team breached the heavy side doors of the facility. The sharp bang of a breaching charge shattered the night silence, followed instantly by the shouting of confused guards.
"Federal warrants! Stay down! Drop your weapons!" Nico’s voice echoed like thunder through the cavernous metal warehouse.
Sterling’s private guards, caught completely off-guard and facing overwhelming force, surrendered within seconds, dropping their weapons onto the concrete floor as state police swarmed the upper level.
Cade didn't care about the guards. He sprinted past the tactical team, taking the metal stairs down into the dark, freezing basement three at a time.
The basement air hit his lungs like liquid nitrogen. Frosted pipes ran along the ceiling, humming with the mechanical whine of heavy refrigeration units.
At the far end of the corridor stood a heavy steel vault door, secured with a digital keypad.
"Nico! Get this door open!" Cade shouted, his breath blooming in thick white clouds in the freezing air.
Nico rushed down the stairs, pulled out a portable electronic bypass tool, and slapped it against the digital lock. Sparks flew as the tool fried the circuit board. The heavy steel latches clanked open.
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Cade grabbed the frosted handle, throwing his full weight against the heavy steel door.
The vault creaked open.
