Chapter 3 - SHADOWS OVER STERLING ATLANTIC
By midnight, the bomb squad had successfully disarmed and retrieved the explosive device from the hull. The investigation shifted rapidly from a tactical emergency to a high-stakes corporate homicide investigation.
At the police precinct, Richard sat across from Detective Marcus Vance of the Major Crimes Division. Marina and Peter were resting in a private lounge down the hall under armed guard, while Luna was wrapped in a blanket in the victim advocate's office, eating her third sandwich of the night.
"The device was sophisticated," Detective Vance explained, sliding photos of the disarmed black case across the steel table. "C-4 explosive, commercial-grade receiver, and a secondary anti-tamper switch. This wasn't built by amateurs, Mr. Sterling. This was a professional hit."
"Who would do this?" Richard asked, rubbing his temples. "I have competitors, sure. Business rivals. But to target my wife? My eight-year-old son?"
"Luna gave us a physical description of the two men," Vance said. "Tall man with a chin scar, bald accomplice in dark blue mechanic overalls. Do those descriptions trigger anything from your workplace?"
Richard shook his head slowly, but then paused. "Wait. The port deal. The East Coast expansion contract I signed today."
"Tell me about it."
"Sterling Atlantic won the primary operating lease for Port Everglades Terminal 4," Richard said, his eyes narrowing as he pieced the timeline together. "It was a three-way bid. The runner-up was Apex Global Logistics, owned by Arthur Vance—no relation to you, I assume—and a silent partner, Victor Kray."
Detective Vance’s pen stopped moving. "Victor Kray?"
"You know him?"
"Kray’s name has surfaced in three separate maritime fraud investigations across the Eastern Seaboard," Vance replied grimly. "He uses legitimate shipping companies as fronts for illegal smuggling networks. If your company won Terminal 4, Kray lost his primary hub for moving illicit cargo into the country."
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"If I die, the contract defaults to the second-place bidder," Richard realized, the blood running cold in his veins. "And if my entire family dies with me, there’s no estate dispute. The business collapses, and Apex takes over the port lease by morning."
Vance stood up. "We need to verify if Kray or his associates match the descriptions Luna gave us. But right now, you and your family are still in danger. Whoever paid for this hit knows the boat didn't go up."
