Chapter 7 - SHADOWS AT THE DOCKS
Despite the legal victory over Marcus Sterling, the harbor empire was far from completely peaceful.
A month after Marcus’s arrest, a rogue faction of dockworkers and smugglers—men who had been secretly funded by Marcus’s illegal operations—began launching coordinated strikes at Berth 4. They burned shipping crates, threatened legitimate contractors, and attempted to regain control of the illicit smuggling routes Marcus had established.
At 11:00 PM on a rainy Thursday, Caleb stood in the security control room at Berth 4, watching dozens of live CCTV feeds displaying the rainy docks. He wore a heavy black trench coat, leaning on his mahogany cane.
Standing beside him was Viktor and several union representatives.
"Boss," Viktor reported, pointing to a flickering screen showing Terminal B. "It’s a crew led by 'Iron' Mickey O'Rourke. He was Marcus’s chief enforcer on the waterfront. He’s got twenty armed men blocking the cargo cranes. They claim if you don't pay them three million dollars in back-wages, they’ll blow the fuel lines."
"Mickey thinks because I was in a wheelchair for eight years, I forgot how to govern my own harbor," Caleb said quietly. His voice was laced with a chilling, dangerous calm.
"Should I call the tactical police unit, Mr. Marino?" the union representative asked nervously.
"No," Caleb replied, settling his leather gloves over his hands. "The police will turn this into a three-day standoff that halts commercial shipping. The harbor belongs to me. I will handle it myself."
"Boss," Viktor cautioned gently. "Your leg strength is only at seventy percent. You shouldn't be engaging in direct physical confrontations."
Caleb looked at Viktor, a cold, sharp smile breaking across his features. "I spent eight years trapped in a steel chair, Viktor. I have a lot of built-up energy to burn."
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Caleb grabbed his silver cane, unscrewing the heavy silver pommel with a sharp counter-clockwise twist. With a soft SHWING, he drew a twenty-four-inch polished steel blade from the hollow center of the wooden shaft. A concealed sword-cane—a custom weapon crafted for him years ago.
"Cover the perimeter," Caleb ordered his security team. "Leave Mickey to me."
