Chapter 11 - Shipyard Four
Shipyard Four had belonged to Damian's family for thirty-two years.
He knew every entrance.
Every roofline.
Every blind corner.
That was exactly why Crane chose it.
"She thinks familiarity makes me predictable."
he told Noelle.
They stood over a paper map in the estate library.
Reyes had returned from the hospital.
The bomb had been disarmed with eleven minutes remaining.
Hale was in custody.
Crane had escaped during the evacuation.
One guard dead.
Another critically wounded.
Noelle had stopped being surprised by how deep the conspiracy reached.
Dr. Bell sat across the table with oxygen beside him.
He looked worse.
"You shouldn't go."
Noelle said.
Bell smiled faintly.
"I was ordered to."
"That's not what I mean."
"I know."
He coughed.
"I owe too many people too much."
"Getting killed doesn't repay them."
"No."
Bell looked at her.
"But helping might."
Damian placed Sofia's drives inside a case.
Copies.
The originals remained elsewhere.
Crane didn't know that.
Noelle studied the map.
"Where would she keep the children?"
Damian pointed.
"Old customs office."
"Why?"
"One entrance."
"Second-floor windows."
"Clear view of the yard."
"Defensible."
Noelle nodded.
"And she knows you know that."
Damian looked at her.
"So maybe not there."
They both stared at the map.
Bell spoke.
"Refrigerated warehouse."
Damian turned.
"Why?"
"Medical transport."
Bell tapped the northern building.
"Crane thinks like a clinician."
"Controlled access."
"Backup power."
"Insulated walls."
Noelle's skin crawled.
"Children aren't samples."
Bell's face tightened.
"I know."
Damian called Reyes.
"Thermal scan north warehouse."
Reyes nodded.
Ten minutes later.
"Three small heat signatures."
Noelle stopped breathing.
"Together?"
"Yes."
"And adults?"
"Four."
Damian looked at her.
"We found them."
Noelle closed her eyes.
Not safe yet.
Found.
Midnight.
The shipyard gates opened.
Damian drove.
No convoy.
No visible backup.
Noelle sat beside him.
Bell rode in the back.
Case on his lap.
Noelle's heart beat so hard it hurt.
"Scared?"
Damian asked.
"Terrified."
"Good."
She looked at him.
"Good?"
"Fear keeps stupid people alive."
"And brave people?"
"It reminds them they're not bulletproof."
Noelle almost smiled.
"You practice these lines?"
"Only for waitresses."
"Former waitress."
His mouth tightened.
"Denny fired you."
"Yes."
"I bought Rosalie's this afternoon."
She stared.
"What?"
Damian kept his eyes on the road.
"Technically Reyes bought it."
"Why?"
"Denny annoyed me."
Noelle stared at him.
"You cannot buy businesses because people annoy you."
"Apparently I can."
"Damian."
"I won't interfere with operations."
"You literally bought operations."
He glanced at her.
"You're distracting yourself."
"So are you."
A tiny silence.
He smiled.
Then it disappeared as Shipyard Four came into view.
They parked beneath a floodlight.
Crane stood on the loading platform.
Two armed men beside her.
Victor Hale was not present.
Noelle had expected that.
Crane wore a dark coat.
Her expression was calm.
"Samuel."
Bell opened the rear door.
Damian stopped him.
"Stay behind us."
Bell nodded.
They approached.
Noelle scanned the buildings.
North warehouse.
Her babies were inside.
Every cell in her body screamed to run there.
She forced herself not to.
Crane looked at the case.
"Drives."
Damian held it up.
"Children first."
"You aren't negotiating."
"I always negotiate."
Crane smiled.
"That's why your father loved you."
Damian's face hardened.
"Don't mention him."
"Carlo understood legacy."
"Carlo was a bastard."
"Yes."
Crane seemed amused.
"But an ambitious one."
Noelle stepped forward.
"Let me see my children."
Crane looked at her.
"Your children."
Noelle's fists tightened.
"Yes."
"Interesting how quickly motherhood returns when proof does."
Damian moved.
Noelle blocked him with an arm.
"She wants you angry."
Crane smiled.
"Smart."
Noelle looked at her.
"Bring them out."
Crane lifted a radio.
"One."
A side door opened.
A man carried Matteo.
Noelle's breath shattered.
He was crying.
His face was red.
But alive.
"Matteo!"
His head snapped toward her.
"Mama!"
Noelle almost ran.
Damian caught her hand.
"Wait."
Second man.
Luca.
Third.
Emilia.
All alive.
Noelle sobbed.
Damian's grip became painfully tight.
"Dada!"
Luca cried.
Damian shut his eyes for half a second.
Crane watched them.
"Beautiful."
Noelle wanted to kill her.
"You see why the project mattered."
"No."
Crane frowned.
Noelle wiped her face.
"I see why none of it mattered."
Crane's smile faded.
"They aren't proof of your genius."
Noelle's voice strengthened.
"They're three babies who are scared and need clean diapers."
One guard almost looked away.
Noelle noticed.
Good.
Humanize them.
"They like bananas."
she continued.
"Matteo throws blueberries."
"Luca takes off his left sock."
"Emilia hates sleeping without the yellow blanket."
Crane's jaw tightened.
"You measured genes."
Noelle stepped closer.
"I know people."
The guard holding Emilia shifted.
Damian noticed too.
Crane snapped.
"Enough."
She held out her hand.
"Drives."
Damian raised the case.
"Children."
"Case."
"One child."
"No."
"Then we're done."
Crane's eyes narrowed.
Damian dropped the case onto the ground.
Bell gasped.
Crane stared.
"What's more valuable?"
Damian asked.
"The data or my children?"
Crane's expression changed.
"The data."
"Then you don't shoot them."
Her silence confirmed it.
Damian smiled.
"Thank you."
Crane realized the mistake.
Too late.
Floodlights died.
Reyes.
Gunfire erupted from the far roof.
Not toward children.
Toward Crane's armed men.
One guard dropped his weapon and covered Matteo.
The second ducked.
Noelle ran.
Straight toward the children.
"NOELLE!"
Damian shouted.
She didn't stop.
A bullet hit metal beside her.
Sparks.
She reached Emilia first.
The guard surrendered the child instantly.
"Take her!"
Noelle grabbed her.
Luca screamed.
Damian reached him.
Matteo's guard went down with a shoulder wound.
Bell dropped behind a truck.
Crane ran toward the warehouse.
Noelle looked at Damian.
"Go!"
He stared.
"She's getting away!"
"I'm not leaving you."
"Reyes is here."
Noelle had Emilia.
Damian held Luca.
Matteo crawled toward them.
Reyes appeared and scooped him up.
Noelle screamed.
"GO!"
Damian handed Luca to her.
Then ran after Crane.
Noelle sank behind a concrete barrier with two babies clinging to her.
Reyes crouched beside her with Matteo.
All three.
Alive.
Noelle touched their faces.
Hands.
Feet.
She counted fingers like a madwoman.
Ten.
Ten.
Ten.
"They're okay."
Reyes said.
Noelle cried.
"Where's Damian?"
"Inside."
A gunshot echoed from the warehouse.
Noelle's blood froze.
Then another.
Reyes stood.
"Stay here."
Noelle grabbed his arm.
"Bring him back."
Reyes looked at her.
"I will."
He ran.
Minutes stretched.
The babies cried.
Noelle rocked all three as best she could.
"Mama's here."
The word stopped her.
Mama.
She said it again.
"Mama's here."
For the first time, she let herself claim it without fear.
Then Reyes emerged from the warehouse.
Alone.
Noelle stood.
"Where is he?"
Reyes didn't answer quickly enough.
Her heart stopped.
"Where is Damian?"
A figure appeared behind him.
Damian.
Walking.
One hand pressed to his side.
Blood soaked his shirt.
Noelle screamed his name.
May you like
He took two more steps.
Then collapsed.
