Chapter 8 - The Cliffside Terminal
The wind off the bay was brutal, whipping our hair across our faces as we burst through the glass doors onto the rain-slicked stone terrace.
Below us, the dark ocean crashed violently against the jagged rocks fifty feet down. Above us, the steady, rhythmic thump-thump-thump of heavy rotor blades cut through the storm—not an enemy chopper, but a federal tactical bird descending rapidly out of the clouds with its searchlights blazing.
Rat-tat-tat-tat!
Bullets pinged off the stone balustrade behind us.
Two of Vescari’s men had followed us out onto the terrace, their rifles raised in the blinding glare of the federal searchlight sweeping across the cliffs.
Gabriel didn't flinch. He raised his SIG Sauer, took a steady breath, and fired twice.
The first enforcer dropped his weapon and stumbled backward over the low stone wall, disappearing into the dark waves below. The second man dived behind a marble planter, returning fire that shattered the stone urn into a thousand pieces.
“Get to the terminal!” Gabriel yelled, pushing me toward the weather-proof exterior console built into the stone pillar near the helipad.
I threw myself against the console, slamming the matte-black USB drive into the secure port. My fingers flew across the mechanical keyboard with frantic speed, executing the final command script to upload the decrypted financial ledgers directly to the U.S. Attorney’s secure server.
UPLOAD IN PROGRESS... 45%... 70%... 90%...
A sharp pain grazed my shoulder as a stray bullet clipped the metal casing of the console, showering sparks over my hands.
“Nora!” Gabriel shouted, diving in front of me to use his own body as a shield against the incoming fire.
100% COMPLETE. SECURE RELAY ESTABLISHED.
The screen flashed a brilliant, blinding green.
FEDERAL WARRANTS ISSUED. ASSETS SEIZED.
From the sky above, the federal coast guard helicopter dropped floodlights that illuminated the entire estate in daylight-bright intensity. Through the roaring wind, a bullhorn blasted from the sky:
“FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT! DROP YOUR WEAPONS! YOU ARE SURROUNDED!”
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The remaining enforcer near the terrace door dropped his rifle to the wet stone and raised his hands over his head, blinking blindly in the harsh white light.
Inside the house, the gunfire abruptly stopped.
