Chapter 5 - NIGHT ON THE LAKE
The cold night air hit them like a splash of ice water as Andrew, Sarah, and the three children emerged from the hidden door behind the boathouse.
The estate on the hill above was partially engulfed in thick black smoke, red emergency strobes cutting through the dark autumn sky. The muffled sound of gunfire echoed from the high walls as the trapped syndicate mercenaries tried to blast their way through the heavy security shutters.
Sarah led the family down the wooden dock to a sleek, dark-hulled boat hidden under a heavy camouflage tarp.
"You had a escape boat ready?" Andrew asked, amazed as Sarah pulled back the tarp, revealing a high-powered offshore interceptor.
"I spent six months preparing for tonight, Andrew," Sarah replied, flipping the concealed battery switches inside the cockpit. "If my identity was exposed before I could secure the evidence, this was my only way to get the children out of the country."
The heavy V8 engines roared to life with a low, powerful rumble.
Andrew helped the three children into the lower enclosed cabin, wrapping them in warm thermal blankets and locking the safety hatch. He returned to the deck, stepping beside Sarah at the helm.
"Where are we going?" Andrew asked as Sarah eased the boat away from the dock, heading out into the black, misty expanse of the lake.
"My safe house across the border in Ontario," Sarah said, her eyes scanning the dark shore. "I have a encrypted satellite terminal there. We transmit the ledger directly to the Federal Task Force and the International Maritime Board. Once the evidence is live, Viktor Solokov’s empire collapses worldwide within hours."
"And Evelyn?" Andrew asked.
"If she survives the fire, the authorities will pick her up at the main gate," Sarah said coldly. "She has nowhere left to run."
Suddenly, a loud searchlight cut through the fog behind them.
A massive black motor yacht broke through the mist, its powerful twin engines churning the water into white foam as it accelerated directly toward their smaller craft. Standing on the upper deck was a tall, imposing man in a pristine charcoal coat, holding a heavy satellite phone to his ear.
Viktor Solokov himself had arrived.
"They anticipated the lake route!" Andrew shouted over the engine roar, taking the steering wheel as Sarah reached for her sidearm.
A heavy mounted automatic weapon on the yacht began to chatter, bullets splashing violently into the water mere feet behind their stern.
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"Hold on!" Sarah yelled, slamming the dual throttles all the way forward.
The interceptor surged forward, its bow lifting out of the water as it cut through the waves at seventy knots, racing into the heart of the foggy night with the syndicate’s flagship giving chase.
