Chapter 34 - The Breach at Berth 24
It was not a text message from our attorneys. It was an automated alarm alert from the central command hub of Morrison Maritime Berth 24.
ZONE 1 SECURITY BREACH: UNAUTHORIZED VESSEL ENGAGEMENT.
I handed the phone to Liam. "The port."
Liam tapped into the live camera stream.
Under the dreary gray skies of Newark Bay, our massive automated container cranes stood idle. But flanking the deep-water berth was not a corporate salvage crew or customs marshals.
Three unmarked commercial tugboats were forcing an ancient, rust-streaked cargo barge against the concrete pylons of our primary docking slip. Men in black maritime jumpsuits were running across the barge's steel deck, welding heavy steel cables directly onto our structural support trusses.
"They aren't trying to claim the pier," Liam said, his face pale as he watched the tactical feed. "They're attempting a structural sabotage. If they pull those support pylons into the channel, the entire deep-water berth collapses into the mud. It will take three years and two hundred million dollars to dredge the bay and rebuild."
"Who controls those tugboats?" I asked, dialing our head of security, Vance.
Vance’s voice answered through static and screaming diesel engines. "Mrs. Vance! We are under siege at the south dock! These aren't Sterling’s men!"
"Who are they, Vance?!"
"It's a private military maritime contractor out of Delaware!" Vance shouted over the deafening crack of snapping metal. "They have foreign registration papers! They claim they were hired by the executor of a secondary probate filing unsealed an hour ago in Philadelphia!"
My stomach dropped. "What probate filing?"
"Brendan Morrison," Vance gasped. "The paperwork claims Brendan died in an auto accident in Arizona at dawn, and his estranged wife just filed for emergency administrative control of his remaining corporate shares!"
May you like
I nearly dropped the phone onto the carpet.
Brendan was dead.
