Page 56 of Critical Mass
When all of that was done, she’d climbed into Hudson’s car, and he’d taken her back to her house. Her car would need to be towed. His would eventually need to be repaired from where he’d rammed the other vehicle. But it was still drivable for now.
All of this seemed like such a nightmare, and her head was still spinning.
Who had run her off the road? They could have killed her!
She rubbed her arms, suddenly chilled.
One question remained on her mind, one she hadn’t wanted to voice aloud. But she needed to.
She turned to Hudson. “There’s one thing I can’t figure out.”
“What’s that?’
“Why? Why would my dad do something like this?”
“Honestly? We don’t know for certain,” Hudson admitted. “It could be money—arms dealing is incredibly lucrative. It could even be ideology—Sigma recruits people by convincing them they’re patriots working for a secret government program. Maybe your father thought he was helping his country and didn’trealize until too late what Sigma really was. Or maybe he knew exactly what he was doing and didn’t care as long as the price was right.” He paused. “What matters right now isn’t why he’s involved. It’s stopping the attack before thousands of innocent people die.”
Silence passed as she let those words settle.
“Who are your father’s enemies?” Hudson finally asked. “Certainly he’s made some.”
“More than I can count,” Natalie said. “Shipping is a cutthroat business. There’s Meridian Global, TransAtlantic Freight, half a dozen Chinese firms trying to break into East Coast markets. My father has spent decades building relationships, securing contracts, protecting territory.”
Hudson glanced at her. “Anyone else?”
She blew out a breath. “There’s one name that comes up more than others—Alexei Volkov. He’s a Russian shipping magnate based in Baltimore. They’ve been in a turf war for years—stolen contracts, corporate espionage, legal battles. My father once told me Volkov would do anything to destroy him, that he took competition personally in a way that went beyond business. If someone wanted to frame my father for terrorism, Volkov would have both the motive and the resources to do it.”
“That’s very helpful. Thank you.”
Back at her house, she quickly changed and got ready.
Then she met Hudson downstairs, and they climbed into his car to head into the office.
Ravenscroft International’s headquarters was located in downtown Norfolk.
Natalie pushed down her nerves as she walked from the parking lot to the building.
The Blackout team had assured her that Hudson’s cover would hold up, that they’d been thorough.
She hoped they were right. Because her dad was sharp and could read people.
And it wouldn’t be pretty if her dad discovered what was really going on.
“You okay?” Hudson gently touched her arm before they moved toward the building.
Her gaze darkened. “I’m fine. Let’s just get this over with.”
They stepped onto the elevator, and Natalie used her keycard to take them to the executive floor. Only people with clearance could get off on this level.
They rode the elevator in silence.
The Ravenscroft International offices were impressive—floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Elizabeth River, expensive art on the walls, and the quiet hum of serious money and power.
This was her father’s kingdom. And she was about to find out if that kingdom was built on blood.
She steeled herself for whatever was waiting ahead for her.
Her father’s assistant, Margaret, called out a greeting as she approached.
