Chapter 4
I said, "There's money in this box.
"The Boss told me to bring it out for the guys in Harbor City to handle some business."
I was lying.
But I had to take a chance.
I was gambling that they still had a bit of respect, and maybe some fear, for The Compound and William.
The guy in the straw hat narrowed his eyes. "Your boss?
"Which boss?"
"William," I said, enunciating each word clearly.
In Sunport and The Compound, William's name was like a golden ticket. Everyone knew it meant business.
It was a reputation built on blood and lives, a symbol of ruthless power.
Sure enough, when they heard that name, the three men's faces darkened.
A flicker of hesitation flashed in the eyes of the guy in the straw hat. "William? I heard The Compound got wiped out last night.
"He's probably dead by now, right?" he added, his voice laced with doubt.
My heart took a hit.
He was dead.
Yeah, he was probably dead for real.
But I couldn't admit that.
I straightened up and let out a cold laugh. "You really think those losers could take down William?
"He used this chaos to pull a disappearing act.
"Otherwise, how do you think I managed to get out with the kids?
"And how do you think I got this whole box stuffed with cash out?"
My words were a mix of truth and lies.
They landed like stones in their hearts, stirring up waves of doubt.
The greed on their faces slowly faded, replaced by suspicion and a hint of fear.
The guy in the straw hat fell silent.
The two crewmen behind him shot each other uneasy looks, not daring to make a move.
The atmosphere in the cabin hung in a weird, tense standoff.
I was gripping the kids so hard my knuckles turned white.
Cold sweat soaked my back.
I knew my gamble was at its most critical moment.
Everything was riding on this.
I slowly crouched down, placing Andrew and Rachel on the floor, letting them rest against my legs.
Then I reached out and put my hand on the suitcase's combination lock. "If you don't believe me, go ahead and check for yourself.
"But let me warn you.
"William's guys in Harbor City have been waiting for this shipment for a while.
"If you so much as touch a single dollar, or make me waste my time..."
I let the threat hang in the air.
But the cold, ruthless look in my eyes was something I'd learned from seven years of living on the edge, surviving by the blade.
It was the kind of look only someone from The Compound could pull off.
Like a cornered wolf.
The guy in the straw hat stared me down, then shot a look at the suitcase in my hand.
His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard.
I could tell he was making his last desperate move.
His greed and fear of the unknown were at war inside him.
Time dragged on, every second stretching out forever.
Every second felt like a century.
The ship was docked.
I could hear the chaos outside on the dock.
It was the sound of a fresh start.
The sound I'd been aching for all these seven years.
When I thought I couldn't hold on any longer, the guy in the straw hat took a sudden step back.
The guy in the straw hat stepped back, his resolve wavering.
He roughly shoved the two crewmen behind him aside.
His voice was hoarse, almost a snarl. "Let her go."
The two crewmen froze for a moment, then reluctantly stepped aside, still looking unhappy about it.
The knot in my chest finally loosened.
I won.
I didn't dare waste a second.
I scooped up the kids, hauled the heavy suitcase, and marched straight off the ship without looking back.
When I finally stepped onto the solid ground of Harbor City, my knees buckled.
I nearly dropped to the ground right then and there.
The sunlight was so blinding I could barely open my eyes.
The air no longer reeked of blood and rot like it did in Sunport.
Instead, there was a clean, fresh breeze off the ocean.
I was alive.
I'd made it out with my kids.
I turned around for one last look at The Sea Serpent.
The guy in the straw hat stood at the bow, watching me from a distance.
His eyes were full of mixed emotions.
I held the kids close, dragged the suitcase, and without looking back, melted into the crowd on the dock.
Everything behind me was none of my business anymore.
From today on, I was no longer Helen.
I was Helen Norris.
I was Andrew and Rachel's mother.
A brand new Helen.
The bustle of Harbor City wrapped around me like a giant net, pulling me in.
Skyscrapers shot up into the clouds, streets were spotless, and people hurried by, all dressed to the nines.
Everything felt so unfamiliar, and I couldn't help but feel a pang of self-consciousness, almost inferior.
I looked down at myself.
My clothes were cheap, bleached from too many washes, stained with mud and full of wrinkles.
My hair was straw-colored and brittle, like a tangled patch of weeds.
My face bore the weariness and numbness left by seven years of hardship.
I was cradling two babies in my arms, each swaddled in a tattered old blanket.
At my side, I dragged a black suitcase that stuck out like a sore thumb in this gleaming city.
I looked like a misfit, as if I'd crawled out of the trash.
People stared. Some with curiosity, others with open disdain.
Without thinking, I pulled the kids close, burying their faces against me.
I couldn't let them see those cold, hostile looks.
I needed a place where the three of us could lay low for a while.
Somewhere safe, where nobody would bother us.