Chapter 6 - Blood on the Ocean
The battle for Calloway Manor raged for twenty brutal minutes.
Damian moved through the ground floor of his estate like a force of nature. Supported by Silas and three surviving loyal guards, Damian used his absolute knowledge of the mansion's layout to dismantle the invading force piece by piece.
He cut down three men in the dining room, caught two more in a crossfire along the east gallery, and cornered Vincent Hale, the corrupt shipping broker, in the grand foyer.
Hale dropped his weapon, throwing his hands in the air as Damian stepped over the ruined marble threshold, his gun pointed straight at Hale’s chest.
"Damian! Wait!" Hale screamed, his voice high and terrified. "It was Julian! He told me you were going to turn the shipping records over to the feds! He said you were going to ruin all of us!"
"Where is Julian?" Damian demanded, his voice chillingly calm.
"He went down to the cove!" Hale blabbered, trembling violently. "He knew you had a launch hidden in the sea cave! He took three men to intercept the housekeeper before she reached the boat!"
Damian’s heart stopped.
Without a second thought, Damian pulled the trigger, shooting Hale in the leg to immobilize him, then turned and sprinted toward the hidden basement hatch.
Deep inside the cliffside tunnel, Maya was carrying Lily down the wet, winding stone steps toward the sea cave. The thunder of the crashing ocean grew louder with every step, mixing with the howl of the wind blowing through the sea portal ahead.
They reached the bottom landing—a narrow wooden dock hidden inside a massive granite cavern. The tide was high, black ocean water surging into the cave and slamming against the wooden pilings with terrifying force.
Tied to the pier was a high-powered, black aluminum motorboat, its engine idling quietly. Standing on the deck was Hector, Silas’s guard, holding a flashlight.
"Miss Reyes!" Hector called out over the roar of the water. "Hurry! Get in!"
Maya hurried down the slippery steps, holding Lily tightly against her chest.
Suddenly, a gunshot echoed inside the cavernous stone space.
Hector collapsed onto the deck of the boat, his flashlight rolling into the black water below.
Maya gasped, freezing on the steps.
Out of the shadows of the cave entrance stepped Julian Calloway, flanked by two heavily armed mercenaries. Julian’s suit was drenched in rain, his face smeared with blood and dirt, his eyes wild with unhinged desperation.
"Well, well," Julian mocked, stepping onto the wooden pier, raising a heavy silver revolver toward Maya. "The little maid and her little girl. You really caused a lot of trouble for me tonight, Maya."
Maya slowly backed up against the cold stone wall of the cave, shielding Lily with her body. "Julian... please. Take whatever money you want. Just let my daughter go."
"Money?" Julian laughed insanely, the sound echoing off the wet granite walls. "Damian burned my accounts tonight! He destroyed my reputation! The only thing I have left is making sure my dear cousin loses everything he tried so hard to save!"
Julian leveled the gun directly at Maya’s chest.
"Say goodbye to your boss, Maya," Julian sneered.
"Drop the weapon, Julian!" a roar echoed from the top of the stone stairs.
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Julian spun around.
Damian stood at the top of the landing, drenched in rain, blood dripping from a cut on his forehead, his gun locked onto his cousin.
