Chapter 7 - The Frozen Docks
The morning of the meeting was bitterly cold. The old shipping docks at the edge of the city were abandoned, the dark water of the lake partially frozen, large sheets of ice grinding against the wooden pilings.
A thick fog hung over the water, swallowing the sunrise. Daniel and Emily stood at the end of the main pier, their breath rising in white plumes. Daniel held a silver USB drive in his hand.
A dark sedan rolled slowly onto the dock, its headlights cutting through the gray mist. Julian stepped out, flanked by his two thugs.
"You're on time," Julian said, his coat collar turned up against the freezing wind. "Do you have the key?"
"Do you have the documents?" Daniel countered, holding up the USB drive.
Julian waved a hand, and one of his men held up a thick manila folder. "Everything we compiled to frame Emily. It’s the only copy, along with the hard drives."
"Let's do this at the same time," Emily said, her voice steady despite the biting cold. "We walk to the middle. We exchange."
May you like
Julian smirked. "Always the brave little bird, Emily. Let's do it."
Daniel and Julian walked toward each other, meeting in the center of the frosted pier. The sound of the ice cracking below them was a constant, ominous reminder of the fragile ground they stood on.
