Mag-log inChapter 77: The Midnight AuditThe air at the Montreal terminal was sharp and cool at midnight. It did not have the heat of the tarmac anymore. The air had the scent of static and incoming rain from the northern ridge.Avery sat in the driver's seat of a rig parked at the edge of the inspection bay. Her laptop was on the steering wheel. The light in the cab cast a glow over her denim overalls and the grease on her hands. Avery was looking at the GPS on her laptop. She was tracking the ships, trains and trucks moving across the border map."The fuel logs from the Montreal rail just came in, " Avery said. She did not look at the passenger door. A big shadow blocked out the yard lights. "The other companies are using our line Silas. They are not using the Exchange network. We have most of the transport now."Silas did not get in the cab. He leaned against the door frame. He was a man with broad shoulders. He made the big truck feel small. He had taken off his tie. Opened his shirt. His s
Chapter 76: The Freight CorridorThe river mist of the St. Lawrence River gave way to the asphalt of the international freight terminal just outside Montreal after forty eight hours.Avery stood on the concrete loading bay of Terminal 4. She had on overalls that were unzipped just enough at the collar to let the hot wind cool her skin. Avery had a digital torque wrench balanced over her shoulder. Her eyes were fixed on the line of cargo containers being lifted off the maritime barges and placed onto the steel chassis of the Thorne Sterling long haul flatbeds.The transition from water to asphalt is usually where a logistics company loses money. Because of documents wrong customs codes and mechanical delays.. In Avery's yard the transition was a well oiled machine."The locking pins on the chassis arrays are registering perfect alignment, " Avery said. Her voice was calm and calculated. She tapped the screen of her slate with a thumb that had grease on it. Avery locked the security seq
Chapter 75: The Deep-Water LineThe heavy iron hull of the carrier cleared the final concrete gate of the Massena lock with a low vibrating groan that echoed deep into the riverbed. The massive vessel settled into the shipping channel, its internal engines roaring back to life as it picked up speed toward the open waters of the St. Lawrence Seaway.Avery stepped back from the catwalk railing. She was checking the live engine load diagnostics on her tablet. The damp river wind was blowing her hair. She was totally focused on the mechanical reality of the fleet."The engines are doing great now, " Avery said. Her voice was quiet but sharp. She had finally perfected a design. "The thermal variance on the primary propeller shafts has leveled out to zero." She tapped the screen locking the telemetry sequence into the database. "The old board was using fuel filters. They were systematically warping the fuel injectors every six months. Now that Leo’s high-precision filtration arrays are onli
Chapter 74: The Concrete SovereigntyThe sound of Manhattan's district was gone thirty-six hours later. Now Avery heard the rumble of the St. Lawrence Seaway.Avery stood on the iron catwalk of the Massena deep-water lock. She wore her denim overalls, not her fancy suit. Her big work boots were back on the ground. A huge ship with the Thorne-Sterling sign on it was moving into the lock.The air from the river was cold and smelled like algae and grease.. Avery did not zip up her coat. She was watching the water levels on her device. The numbers were perfect just like she wanted."The water is moving in and out of the lock right, " Avery said. Her voice was clear and strong. "The old board was not letting the ships go through enough. They did not want to spend money on technology.. We are making it happen. We are getting the ships through twenty-two minutes faster."Silas came out of the shadow of the lock masters tower. He was a man with broad shoulders. He was not wearing his jacket.
Chapter 73: The Sovereign SeizureThe fountain pen scraped against the paper with a harsh sound that did not belong in the quiet boardroom. The oldest director signed the paper with a signature. This showed that the legacy maritime board had lost all its power. He pushed the paper back across the table. His hand dropped to his side. It was like the paper had taken all his strength."It's done, " the old man said quietly. His eyes were empty as he looked at his laptop screen. "The St. Lawrence titles, the docking rights, the auxiliary transit leases. Everything is gone. There is nothing left for you to take from the Sterling treasury."Avery did not move. She stood still. Her leather boots kept her grounded on the high-rise floor. Her blue suit looked sharp under the lights. She looked at the screen on the wall. The global logistics maps were changing. The Thorne-Sterling grid was taking over the shipping lanes."I did not come here to take what was left in your treasury, " Avery said.
Chapter 72: The Default ClauseThe silence in the boardroom on the floor was suffocating. It was broken by the hum of the big plasma screens on the mahogany walls. The three remaining directors of the shipping board sat frozen, their hands hovering over their unlit laptops. They stared at the glowing data streams on the screens.These screens didn't show stock changes. They showed digital signatures, hidden offshore account numbers along the St. Lawrence Seaway and exact lists of assets pulled from the iron vault."This isn't allowed " the oldest director stammered, his voice shaking. He looked up, his face gray and sickly. His eyes darted from the screens to the doorway. "These records are private under a charter. You can't share them on the Exchange network."Avery didn't sit down. She stood at the end of the oak conference table, her hands flat on the polished wood. She wore a midnight- silk suit. Her leather boots were firmly on the carpet."The private charter ended when your she
Chapter 12: The Midnight MeridianThe glass walls of the boardroom shook as thunder rolled over Manhattan. Avery did not look back at the board members she had just shocked into silence. Her eyes were fixed on her phone's clock: 11:59 PM."Marcus!" she yelled into her earpiece already running to th
Chapter 10: The Rewrite BeginsThe flashing red lights of the police cars bounced off the penthouse ceiling. They cast shadows on the walls. Avery stood by the glass window watching the police take Silas away into the Manhattan night. The silence that was left behind was really loud.She turned her
Chapter 7: The Satellite’s ChoiceThe elevator made a noise, its metal cables screaming as it went up to the penthouse. Inside the space the air was getting thick and the vents started to give off a sweet smell. The first sign that the Halon gas was being let into the lower parts of the building.S
Chapter 6: The Ghost in the Machine The big leather chair at the head of the Sterling boardroom did not feel like a seat to Avery. It felt like a chair that could hurt her. Avery sat still, her eyes fixed on the caller ID on the monitor. Alistair Sterling. The name of her father was on the scree







