Chapter 2 - The Sanctuary of Rust
They ran through the muddy brush until the shouts of Marco's men faded into the rustling wind of the marshland.
Delaney led Vincent down a narrow, hidden embankment into the hull of The Sea Siren—the derelict cabin cruiser tucked beneath a collapsed wooden pier.
Inside, the smell of damp salt water, old oil, and dry blankets filled the air. Delaney slammed the hatch shut, bolted the rusted latch, and collapsed onto an overturned crate, her chest heaving.
Vincent stood in the low-ceilinged cabin, his tall frame nearly touching the exposed wooden beams. He looked around the tiny space—the kerosene lamp, the stack of scavenged books, the cans of unlabelled soup, and the worn photograph of Delaney's mother taped to the aluminum bulkhead.
"You have a flare gun and good reflexes," Vincent said, his deep voice carrying a rough rasp from the earth he had inhaled. "Who taught you to move like that?"
"Hunger," Delaney said plainly, wiping damp mud from her forehead. "And four months of dodging police patrols on Larkin Row."
Vincent's sharp grey eyes narrowed slightly as he caught the name. "Larkin Row?"
"Don't act like you don't know it," Delaney snapped, her fear giving way to a cold, simmering resentment. "Your company bought the block, doubled the rent overnight, and sent private security guards with sledgehammers before the eviction notices even expired. My mother spent her last weeks living out of a sedan because of Raldi Enterprises."
Vincent was quiet for a long moment. He adjusted his torn cuffs, revealing a heavy silver signet ring engraved with a crest.
"I didn't authorize the early demolitions on Larkin Row," Vincent said softly. "That was my younger brother, Julian. He wanted the land cleared for a casino complex before the city council voted on zoning."
"Does it matter?" Delaney glared at him. "Your name was on the bulldozer."
"It matters," Vincent said, leaning his back against the hull, "because Julian is the reason I was lying in a ditch ten minutes ago. He wants the syndicate, he wants the corporate board, and he’s wiping out anyone who remembers what the Raldi family used to stand for."
He reached into his inner pocket and pulled out a soot-stained leather notebook tied with a string.
"Julian thinks I'm dead," Vincent said. "And as long as he thinks I'm buried at Cold Water Bend, he will make his move at the City Centenary Gala tomorrow night. He’s going to announce the total buyout of the waterfront."
May you like
Delaney looked at the notebook, then back at Vincent's face. "Why are you telling me this?"
"Because," Vincent said, pulling his signet ring off his finger and tossing it onto her lap, "you saved my life when you had every reason to watch me die. And tomorrow night, you’re going to help me take my city back."
