Chapter 4 - The Strike at Calumet Harbor
At 6:00 AM on Monday morning, the Calumet River port was blanketed in a thick, sulfurous fog.
Four massive cargo ships carrying imported automotive parts, Italian marble, and uninspected crates were scheduled to dock at Terminal 4.
Alexander’s lieutenant, a brutal enforcer named Marco, stood on the wet concrete dock sipping coffee while his men waited with flatbed trucks.
Suddenly, the harbor sirens blared across the water, flashing bright amber emergency lights into the mist.
Two blue-and-white Coast Guard cutters swept around the breakwater, while four black federal sedans blocked the main commercial gate.
Marco dropped his coffee cup onto the gravel, reaching for his concealed holster as an official vehicle stopped directly in front of him.
Stepping out of the lead sedan was not a federal agent, but Mr. Henderson, the chief counsel for the Rossi Maritime Trust.
Behind him, I stepped onto the wet pavement wearing a tailored charcoal suit and dark leather gloves.
"What is the meaning of this bullshit, Claire?" Marco demanded, his hand lingering near his jacket lapel.
"Where is the boss?"
"Your boss has no legal jurisdiction on this parcel, Marco," I said, handing a laminated court injunction to the port commander.
"Terminal 4 is private property held by the estate of Elena Rossi, which transferred to my sole ownership at midnight."
"All commercial docking privileges for Moretti Enterprises have been revoked immediately for breach of environmental and maritime covenants."
Marco laughed nervously, pulling out his cell phone to dial Alexander’s private line.
"You're out of your mind, lady. Alexander owns this entire river corridor!"
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"Tell him to check his corporate bank accounts while you have him on the line, Marco," I replied coolly.
"Because the daily impound fee for those four freighters is two hundred and fifty thousand dollars an hour."
