Chapter 13 Shadows At The Pier

• The rain-slicked planks of Pier 47 groaned under Scarlett’s heels as she approached the meeting point, the flickering sodium lamp above casting jagged shadows across her face. The night air was thick with the stench of salt and diesel, the harbor’s restless energy humming beneath the surface. Each breath tasted of dread, metallic and cold, like the barrel of a gun pressed to her temple.
• Her phone buzzed once in her pocket—no name displayed.
• Ethan: I’m here. Come alone.