Chapter 123 The Disappearing Act
Chapter 123 The Disappearing Act
Adrian’s POV
The sudden, chaotic burst of gunfire from the lower dock area causes Commander Balogun’s men to scatter into defensive positions behind the stone pillars of the veranda, and during the absolute confusion of the physical scuffle between the marine officers and the remaining deckhands, Silas slips backward into a recessed alcove near the marina generator room where a hidden emergency side tunnel leads directly out to the public coastal highway, completely abandoning the massive leather bags of bearer bonds and the aluminum transport crates on the wooden planks of the pier in his desperate scramble to avoid the federal handcuffs. I hear the distant screech of tires from the public road just beyond the perimeter wall which tells me he had a secondary getaway driver waiting outside the fence line the entire time, but I don't even bother to pursue his trail through the dark concrete opening because my primary focus remains entirely on checking Maya for any hidden injuries as I pull her behind the solid brick wall of the pump house.
"Maya, look at me right now and tell me if any of those stray rounds from the gangway caught your arm or your shoulder because you went completely pale when the sergeant started clearing the deck stairs," I say, my hands moving rapidly over her wet coat sleeves and her face to check for any signs of blood while the loud shouting of Balogun’s men continues to echo across the open water of the marina.
"I am completely fine, Adrian, none of the bullets came anywhere near our side of the brick wall, but your father just ran into that utility corridor and he is getting away with his personal driver while we are standing here in the rain," she answers, her voice shaking slightly from the sheer adrenaline of the confrontation, though her fingers remain locked with an absolute iron grip around the handle of the asset bag we pulled from the subterranean vault floor.
"Let him run into the street, Maya, because he left every single piece of the physical wealth behind on that loading table, and Commander Balogun has already secured the perimeter of the yacht, so Silas is currently a fugitive with frozen international accounts and absolutely no corporate leverage left in this city," I tell her, squeezing her shoulders firmly to get her to stop staring at the dark side tunnel so she can focus entirely on her own safety while the tropical rain continues to soak through my torn suit jacket.
"He abandoned everything he spent thirty years building just to save himself from the local police barracks, Adrian, and he didn't even look back at his own bodyguards when the commander ordered his men to chamber their rifles," she notes, her breathing gradually slowing down as she leans her back against the rough brickwork, her eyes scanning my face with a deep relief that has nothing to do with the millions sitting on the wooden dock planks behind us.
"That is exactly who he is, Maya, he has always been a coward who uses other people as shields when the legal courts close in on his operations, so you don't need to worry about his escape because Sofia’s digital transmission has already ruined his ability to cross any international border under his real name," I explain, reaching down to wipe a mixture of rainwater and sweat from her forehead with the dry corner of my sleeve while Damien walks up the wooden ramp toward our position.
"Adrian, the marine division has officially locked down the vessel, and Sergeant Okoro just verified that the three remaining cash boxes inside the captain's cabin contain the exact serial numbers listed in your grandfather's original Edinburgh registry," Damien reports, his tactical flashlight cutting through the grey morning mist as he stops right next to our structural pillar, his expression looking completely relaxed now that the hired shooters have been disarmed and loaded into the green utility trucks.
"Where is Sofia right now, Damien, because I want her to maintain the digital block on the harbor registry until the high court administrators arrive with the official sealing documents," Maya asks, stepping out from behind my frame and lifting the heavy leather pouch to show him that we still have the core inheritance files completely intact.
"Sofia is inside the main security kiosk supervising the digital inventory with the station clerk, Maya, and she said the federal prosecutor has already signed the emergency asset order based on the audit files she uploaded during the gate protest," Damien answers, nodding toward the front driveway where the flashing lights of two more government sedans are visible through the iron barriers.
"Then the family war is officially over, Adrian, because even if Silas is currently driving toward the mainland border, he doesn't have a single coin left to buy his way back into the maritime credit fund," Maya says softly, turning her head to look down at the white hull of the yacht where the officers are currently pasting the official federal seizure notices across the main cabin windows.
"It is over for Vale Holdings, Maya, but we still need to take these physical bonds to the central bank branch before Minister Ade tries to use his political connections to challenge Balogun's authority in the morning," I tell her, taking the heavy leather bag from her hand to ease the strain on her wrists while I guide her back toward our sedan where the engine is finally idling smoothly again, but just as my fingers touch the rear door handle, a sudden, loud explosion from the estate's main power transformer cuts off the residential lights, plunging the entire driveway into a dark, uncertain shadow that forces me to draw my pistol once again.