Chapter 16 - The Hangar at Runway Four
Newport Municipal Airport was shrouded in a heavy pre-dawn mist that swallowed the runway lights, turning the tarmac into an endless sea of grey vapor. Hangar Four sat isolated at the perimeter, its corrugated metal doors rolled half-open to reveal the sleek white fuselage of a Gulfstream G550.
Outside, two black town cars with tinted windows idle quietly, their exhausts curling into the freezing morning air.
Daniel stepped out of the lead vehicle fifty yards away, flanked by Marcus and three armed private security operators. Leo remained inside the reinforced cabin with an operative, watching through the one-way ballistic glass.
“Surround the perimeter,” Daniel ordered Marcus in a low whisper. “Cut their power to the auxiliary generators. If that bird spins its turbines, take out the landing gear.”
“Understood, sir.”
Daniel walked straight toward the open hangar door, the rhythmic click of his shoes on the concrete echoing against the metal walls. He didn't bother taking cover. His presence was an open declaration of war.
Inside the brightly lit hangar, Evelyn was pacing near the mobile boarding stairs. She had stripped off the ruined wedding gown, now wearing a high-collared cashmere coat and dark trousers, but her face was pale, smeared with leftover bridal makeup, her eyes wild with anxiety. Two men in private tactical gear stood near the baggage lift, guarding a sealed carbon-fiber transport case.
When Daniel’s shadow fell across the concrete threshold, Evelyn froze.
“Daniel,” she gasped, taking an involuntary step back toward the stairs. “You… how did you find this flight? Victor said the roadblock would keep you detained until daybreak!”
“Victor’s sitting in a cellar with a shattered shoulder,” Daniel said coldly, advancing toward her with slow, deliberate steps. “His upload never made it past the local grid. Your game ended the second Leo spoke up at the altar.”
Evelyn swallowed hard, her chest heaving as she glanced at the two armed guards. “You don't understand what this is, Daniel! You think I wanted this? My father owed fifty million to Vance’s European syndicate! They owned our family estates, our shipping licenses, everything! Victor told me if I married you, brought the boy to the cathedral, and secured the Sterling trustee signatures, the debt would be wiped clean!”
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“Where is he, Evelyn?” Daniel’s voice was deathly quiet.
She pointed a trembling hand toward the sealed carbon-fiber case sitting on the hydraulic lift. “He’s inside. But you can’t open it. The locking mechanism is tied to Victor’s biometric key!”
