Chapter 16
The massive Port Newark warehouse was a cavernous, imposing structure of corrugated steel and damp concrete, thoroughly reeking of salt water and decaying rust. Inside, stacked precariously on rotting wooden pallets, were heavy crates stamped with the Lumina Tech logo—the very crates Katherine had desperately hidden to protect her vanity projects and illegal profits. Jocelyn stood confidently in the absolute center of the vast space, securely wearing a kevlar vest beneath her tailored designer trench coat. She held Julian Vance’s encrypted burner phone firmly in her hand. It rang precisely at 2:00 AM. She answered instantly, putting the call directly on speaker. "Have you adequately reviewed the strict terms of our arrangement, Jocelyn?" Julian’s remarkably smooth, detached voice echoed from the tiny speaker. "I possess the entire shipment, Julian," Jocelyn replied, her tone projecting absolute, unbreakable authority. "Ten thousand vials of the neuro-drug. Fully synthesized. No pediatric toxicity. I easily bypassed Katherine’s locked accounts and took full possession." There was a brief, incredibly telling pause on the secure line. "You work exceptionally fast. Your sister was a bumbling amateur who couldn't even successfully manage a simple board vote. You are proving to be much more efficient." "I am nothing like my sister," Jocelyn said sharply. "I don't care about the patents, and I don't care about your shadow wars. Bring my husband to the Newark logistics hub immediately. We make the exchange tonight." "You are in no position to issue demands," Julian countered softly. "I own the building, the highly classified drug, and the thermite charges wired to every single pallet in this facility," Jocelyn lied flawlessly, though Nathan’s men were still wiring the final structural columns. "If I don't see David in exactly twenty minutes, I press a single button, and Katherine’s life's work violently goes up in smoke. You’ll have absolutely nothing to show your superiors." Another tense pause. The sound of a heavy vehicle engine revving in the background bled through the phone. "Twenty minutes," Julian finally agreed.
