Aidan Pierce walked through the city like a ghost, unnoticed by anyone. The busy streets, formerly homey and comfortable, looked odd and dangerous all of a sudden. Every look could be used to identify him, and every shadow seemed to hide pain. His heart's pounding in his chest served as a continual reminder of how swiftly everything had collapsed. The man he had trusted most had stolen his identity, his life, and his ancestry.
With a purpose that had been lacking for hours, he continued down the narrow alleys, remaining in the shadowiest spots. Pier 17, a remote, little used shipping wharf on the outskirts of the city, was his target. The communication from the unknown sender, which was full of questions, kept coming to mind. Who had made the call? And more importantly, why?
He had no choice except to trust no one, despite his senses telling him not to. Victor wouldn't stay still; his soldiers would have been looking for him nonstop, and he would have been taken. Before they trapped him once more, he needed to get up and do something.
Aidan rounded another corner and reached the enormous rusted gates of Pier 17. It was a relic of the pier's former life as a commercial center, an industrial area long since forgotten by the busy metropolis. It was a desolate landscape, with cargo containers and abandoned warehouses strewn around like the remnants of a long-deceased animal. He was frightened, knowing that anyone who see him here would surely recognize him with confidence.
The smell of iron and salt permeated the chilly breeze that swept through the docks. With a shudder, Aidan drew his jacket tighter. As he got closer to the gate, his breath created clouds in the air. It appeared to be empty. This is better; he thought. No ambush in sight.
He paused and looked around for a moment. No one else was there, and there was no movement. The distant crash of the waves against the pier was the only sound that broke the terrible silence.
Aidan looked at his watch. Midnight. the precise time that was mentioned in the letter.
The person who had called him here was either observing him from the shadows or was attempting to test his tolerance. When he felt the cool steel of the knife he had stolen from the flat before leaving, his hand automatically went to his pocket. He detested carrying a gun, but he had no choice but to do it out of desperation. He needed to protect himself.
There was nothing for several minutes. Aidan became impatient. Perhaps this had actually been a trap. He could have been wrong to come here. As he turned to depart, the faintest sound—slow, deliberate footfall—came from behind the containers placed close to the coast.
With his palm on the knife's hilt, he turned toward the sound, his muscles tensing. Out of the shadows came a figure dressed in dark attire. A tall figure with a heavy cowl over his face walking calmly, and Aidan felt uneasy.
The man whispered in a low, gravelly voice, "Calm down." He made a small peace sign with his hands. "I would have killed you by now if that was my intention."
"Who are you?" Aidan narrowed his eyes and demanded. "What brought you here?"
The man moved forward, his face partially illuminated by the faint glow of a lamppost in the distance. "I am someone who can assist you and who is aware of the true problem. But you must pay close attention."
Even though Aidan's hand was still on the knife, his curiosity overpowered his suspicion. "Why should I believe you? I have no idea who you are."
The man laughed in a tone that was humorless and icy. "Trust? No, Aidan. The issue here is not trust. The goal is to live. Plus, you now have fewer choices."
Anger swept through Aidan, but he suppressed it. "I'm paying attention."
With a nod, the man moved forward. "Victor's guys are searching for you across the city. You're not aware of how quickly he's tightened his hold. These days, it's not just about the business. Victor wants you permanently removed from the face of the earth.
With his jaws clenched, Aidan remarked, "I figured that much. What I'm curious is to why you care."
The man took a while to respond. Instead, he produced a little packet from within his coat pocket. And he threw it at Aidan's feet. "Because I've been waiting for years for someone to take him down."
With a furrowed brow, Aidan took up the envelope and looked it over. The blurry images showed Victor interacting with a variety of men, including politicians, businesspeople, and members of Aidan's illicit underground network. These gatherings were held in quiet, dimly lit locations far from the general public.
"What is this?" As he looked at the images, Aidan inquired.
"Look closely," he said. It's clear that Victor's empire isn't as well organized as it seems. For many years, he has been engaged in the illicit trafficking of people, drugs, and firearms. He finances some of the most terrible activities in the city by using the corporation as a front and disguising himself as a respectable company.
Aidan felt nauseous. He was aware of Victor's viciousness, but this? It was more than he could have imagined.
"What do you gain from showing me this?" Aidan inquired. "Why give me this?"
He replied, "Because you alone have the ability to defeat him."The board is still recognizing you as Pierce's successor. You stil have leverage. However, you must utilize it quickly.
Aidan's thoughts were racing as he re-examined the pictures. He needed this escape, even though it wouldn't be simple. Victor had already begun to destroy him. He would have to be more intelligent than before if he intended to put this information to use.
"And how much do you charge?" Aidan asked, his face wrinkled. "No one provides free assistance."
The man remained quiet for a while. Then an old, familiar face appeared as he drew back his cowl. Sharp cheekbones, eyes that had seen too much, and dark hair tinged with gray. Aidan's breath tightened in his throat.
"Jacob?"
Pierce, Jacob. The family's black sheep, his father's younger brother, vanished years ago after a family scandal upended them. Everyone thought he was dead, or worse, that Victor had killed him in one of his many bloody power struggles. However, he was residing in this shadowy place.
"You..." Aidan was so shocked that he could hardly speak. "you're still alive?"
Jacob nodded hardfaced. "I have been visited here and there. Victor wants to ruin you the way he destroyed me. For me to survive, I had to vanish. However, I believe the moment has arrived to reclaim what is rightfully ours.
Aidan's head whirled. This exceeded his expectations. Now there in front of Victor with the key to destroying his business was his uncle, who had disappeared from the family's history. Too soon, too much.
"Why now?" With his suspicions still very much alive, Aidan asked. "What prevented you from coming forward earlier?"
Jacob's eyes darkened as he released his breath. "Because I waited for the ideal opportunity. You weren't prepared. You're the only thing I have left. Despite Victor's destruction of the Pierce name, it still retains significance. Only by cooperating will we be able to save it."
The weight of the words hung heavily in the air between them. Aidan wanted to believe him, but he was wary after years of deceit and treachery. For the moment, he could not trust anyone. However, the only genuine opportunity he had to defend himself was Jacob's offer.
"What are our next steps?" With a slight drop in his defenses, Aidan asked.
Jacob's mouth twisted into a melancholy smile. "First, you must vanish entirely. Victor's soldiers will keep searching until they locate you. However, I am aware of locations they will not consider searching for. I've lived in the shadows long enough to understand what it's like.
Aidan paused. He had never thought about disappearing before. He had been the center of attention, the family's leader, and the king of the empire all of his life. But now everything was different. He had to adapt if he was going to live.
"How can I be sure you won't betray me too?" Aidan asked in a quiet voice, clearly unsure.
A serious smile took the place of Jacob's. "You don't. But consider it. I wouldn't have assisted you at all if I wanted you dead. Victor has already won this game. I'm just providing you with an opportunity to level the playing field.
Aidan examined his face for any sign of dishonesty. Jacob's eyes, however, were unblinking and focused. The weight of their shared past was troubling Aidan. Who could he trust if not Jacob?
Aidan nodded at last. "All right. I'll accompany you. But I don't trust you because of this. Not quite yet."
The response did not appear to surprise Jacob. "Fine by me. Trust cannot be bestowed; it must be earned. However, I need you to follow me for the time being. The evening is going to be long."
Without saying another word, Jacob turned and scuttled between the cargo containers, running out into the night. As he followed, Aidan's thoughts were whirling with doubts, bewilderment, and a glimmer of hope that he would be able to defend himself.
At the far end of the gloomy pier, they approached a run-down warehouse. With the agility of someone who has done this innumerable times before, Jacob led the way through the labyrinth of cartons and damaged equipment. The metal doors of the warehouse stood partially open and rusted in front of them.
There was only one faint illumination in the tiny room that Jacob saw when he pulled the door open. A cot, a tiny table, and a few documents and maps attached to the walls made up the temporary living space. Jacob had obviously been living off the grid for a while.
"This is where we start." Jacob's words reverberated around the empty room. For years, I've been following Victor around, waiting for the ideal opportunity to attack. Now that you're on board, we can finally take action.
As he entered, Aidan could feel the pressure of the moment mounting. He had no idea that he would end up hiding in a warehouse and plotting retaliation against the man who had stolen everything from him. But if this was necessary to bring his legacy back, then so be it.
Jacob approached the table and grabbed a pile of documents. Aidan grabbed them from him. These are the specifics of Victor's behavior, including his financial dealings, extramarital affairs, and everything he has attempted to conceal. That's a start, but it won't be enough to defeat him entirely.
As he turned the pages, Aidan's gaze swept over the names and numbers. All of the corruption was connected to Victor. Its scope was astounding. Victor would be destroyed if this information spread, but only if they could exploit it.
"What do we do next?" In spite of his internal conflict, Aidan asked calmly.
Jacob responded, "We need to get in touch with someone who can assist us internally." For years, one of the board members has publicly opposed Victor. They have been waiting for someone like you. We will have the necessary leverage if we can persuade them.
As the strategy began to take shape, Aidan nodded. It was perilous and risky, but there was nothing else they could do.
Aidan's phone buzzed in his pocket once more, and Jacob looked back at the table. As he took it out, he scowled.
One more message. from an unidentified number this time. The small message, "They're closer than you think," made Aidan feel extremely cold. Never put your confidence in anyone."
Jacob was still concentrating on the papers in front of him when Aidan's gaze suddenly lifted to him.
His thoughts were racing. Was this only another ruse? Did the threads emerge from the darkness because someone else saw them?
It was obvious that Aidan had other foes besides Victor. Other forces, perhaps far more powerful than he had thought, were at work.