Unwanted Blood (Harper) novel Chapter 44

Chapter 44

12:00 p.m. Dock 7.

The warehouse loomed in front of me like a dead thing.

Concrete walls, rusted metal doors, corrugated roof patched with tar and time. The Vancouver harbor stretched out behind it, grey water slapping against the pilings, seagulls circling overhead The air smelled like diesel and salt and rot.

I walked through the open side door alone.

My collar carried the tracker. My waistband carried the wire. My jacket pocket carried the USB drive-a copy, the original sitting encrypted on Colton’s hard drive back at the apartment.

The interior was cavernous and dim. Light filtered through cracked skylights in thin, dusty beams Shipping containers were stacked three high on both sides, creating a narrow corridor that led to the center of the building.

Marcus was waiting.

He stood in the middle of the space, flanked by two men I didn’t recognize-tall, broad.

Behind him, suspended from a steel beam by a thick rope, was Ethan.

My breath caught.

He was dangling maybe eight feet above the ground. Beneath him, scattered across the concrete like a bed of nails, were dozens of rusted spikes-old construction rebar, sharpened, pointing up.

Ethan’s wrists were bound. His face was bruised. But his eyes were open, and when he saw me,

he tried to shake his head.

Marcus smiled.

“You actually came.” He spread his arms slightly, like he was welcoming a guest to his home. “Brave. Or stupid. I haven’t decided which.”

“Let him down,” I said.

Marcus held out his hand. “The drive first.”

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11:34

Chapter 44

I pulled the USB from my pocket. It caught the thin light between my fingers.

“Let him down first.” I repeated.

Marcus’s smile didn’t change. “Drive first.”

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Before I could answer, footsteps echoed from outside. Fast. Urgent. Multiple people running.

Marcus’s radio crackled on the belt of one of his men. A voice burst through-panicked, shouting in broken English:

“Police! Outside! Multiple units!”

Marcus’s face changed instantly. The smile vanished. His eyes snapped toward me.

“Did you call the cops?”

I stared at him. “No.” I hadn’t. I had no idea who had.

The warehouse doors exploded inward.

The rusted metal hinges gave way with a deafening crash, and a dozen figures poured through the opening. Tactical gear. Rifles. Flashlights cutting through the dim like blades.

But these weren’t regular police. These were different-suits behind the tactical team, briefcases in hand, badges that caught the light with federal authority.

The lead agent stepped forward. Mid-forties, sharp features, grey hair cut close. He held up a badge and a document in one smooth motion.

“Marcus Kane. You’re under arrest for conspiracy to commit murder, kidnapping, money laundering, and obstruction of federal investigation. The Westbrook family’s assets have been frozen by Supreme Court order.”

The tactical team moved fast. Two of them grabbed Marcus’s arms and forced him to the ground. His knee hit the concrete with a sickening crack. He didn’t scream-he just thrashed, his eyes wild, scanning the room until they landed on me.

“You!” he snarled, his face pressed against the floor. “You did this! You-”

I took a step back. My heart was pounding so hard I could feel it in my teeth.

I hadn’t called anyone.

Then I heard the rope creak.

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11.34

Chapter 44

I looked up. The beam above Ethan shifted.

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