Chapter 4 - THE WHISPER IN THE DARK
While Detective Vance cross-referenced maritime employment records with Luna’s descriptions, Richard walked down the quiet hallway to check on the young girl who had changed his destiny.
Luna was sitting on a vinyl sofa, holding a warm cup of cocoa. Her small legs dangled off the edge, her bare feet tucked beneath the oversized sweater Marina had bought for her from a nearby 24-hour store.
"How are you holding up, Luna?" Richard asked gently, sitting on the low chair beside her.
"I’m okay, Mr. Sterling," she whispered, her voice tired. "Is the boat fixed?"
"The boat is safe. Because of you," Richard said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small leather-bound notebook. "The police need a little more help. Do you remember anything else about the men? Anything they wore, or any logos on their clothes?"
Luna stared into her cocoa cup, her eyes clouding over with a painful memory. "The bald man had a picture on his shirt. It looked like a anchor... but with a snake wrapped around it."
Richard froze. The Serpent Anchor was the unofficial patch worn by private contractors working for Apex Harbor Security—a subsidiary owned directly by Victor Kray.
"And..." Luna hesitated, glancing at the open door as if expecting the men to appear. "The tall man took a phone call while they were putting the box under the dock."
"Did you hear what he said?"
"He said, 'It's done, Mr. Kray. The package is attached. They’ll be fish food by seven thirty.' Then he laughed. He said his bonus better be ready at the warehouse on Pier 14."
Richard felt a surge of cold fury. The evidence wasn't just circumstantial; Luna had given them the exact location of the conspirators and the name of the mastermind.
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He immediately called Detective Vance into the room. When Luna repeated her statement word-for-word, Vance signaled to his team.
"Pier 14 is an abandoned cold-storage facility owned by an Apex subsidiary," Vance said quietly. "If Kray’s hitmen are waiting there for their payout, we have a window to catch them red-handed."
