Page 33 of Killaney Blood
He hesitates. "Look, we're just trying to do our job."
"Then do it," I snap. "Put the fucking fire out."
He backs off, returning to his crew.
I walk farther down the dock, needing space to think. The ship groans as its structure begins to fail.
I've never been hit for this much. Never lost four million. Son of a bitch.
Whoever did this knew exactly what they were hitting. They knew the schedule, the cargo, the lack of security cameras on this particular stretch of dock.
They weren't strangers to us.
And that damn black feather connects it all.
Someone is making a play. Picking us apart, piece by piece, and they're leaving their signature to make sure we know it's not a random act.
My phone vibrates in my pocket. Callum.
"Declan." His voice is razor-sharp. "I heard. How bad?"
"Total loss," I answer, watching as part of the ship's superstructure collapses inward with a shower of sparks.
"FUCK!" he yells.
"The Bonventis. The Kastaris."
"I know."
"We need to talk," Callum says. "Not over the phone. Family meeting, first thing tomorrow morning."
"I'll be there."
"You better fucking find whoever did this."
The line goes dead. I stare at the phone for a moment before slipping it back into my pocket.
A massive section of the ship buckles and the firefighters scramble backward as the deck gives way, sending a column of flame shooting up.
Shane approaches cautiously. "Should we start damage control?"
I shake my head. "Not yet. Let's see what the cameras tell us first."
But I already know they'll show nothing. Whoever did this was too careful to get caught on camera. The feather wasn't just a signature, it was a taunt. They want us to know they can reach us anywhere, anytime.
And they're just getting started.
I turn away from the inferno, back toward my car. "I need the name of every person who knew about that shipment. Every. Single. One."
"Boss, that's dozens of people across three organizations."
"Then you better get started," I say aggressively.
As I walk away, the reflection of the flames dances across the puddles at my feet. Four million dollars burning behind me, and all I can think about is a black feather.
Someone is coming for my family.
And I'm going to find them before they strike again.
