Chapter 13 - The Board That Buried a Ship
The emergency board meeting began at nine.
Clara sat in the penthouse library with Captain Moreau and Naomi beside her. Sienna remained near the medical center.
Nine faces appeared on the screen.
Malcolm Voss occupied the center.
He was seventy-two, with silver-rimmed glasses and a voice polished by decades of legal caution.
“Ms. Sterling,” he began, “allow me to express the board’s relief at your safe identification.”
“You have known my identity for eleven years.”
Voss’s expression did not change.
“We knew you were a possible beneficiary.”
“My grandfather named me directly.”
“The trust had not been activated.”
“So you allowed my father to represent the family?”
“We permitted no such thing.”
“He used corporate loyalty certificates, submitted authorization requests and accessed internal information.”
“Those matters are under review.”
Clara leaned forward.
“They remained under review until I arrived aboard the ship.”
One director cleared his throat.
“Our immediate concern is market stability.”
“Of course it is.”
Voss continued.
“News of a controlling ownership dispute could damage employees, investors and passengers. We propose a temporary confidentiality agreement while the board supervises the transition.”
“You want me silent.”
“We want continuity.”
“Richard also used that word.”
Voss’s eyes cooled.
“Your father’s actions should not be confused with responsible governance.”
“Then release the employee pension records.”
Several directors reacted.
Naomi watched quietly.
Voss folded his hands.
“Those records require legal review.”
“They have been reviewed for eleven years.”
“Ms. Sterling, you have held authority for less than twelve hours.”
“And the board has held it long enough to hide the same theft.”
The Silent Partner seat activated.
Thomas Reed appeared.
He was an elderly Black man wearing a plain gray sweater. A faded burn scar covered one side of his neck.
“Good morning, Clara,” he said.
The use of her first name felt warmer than anything the board had offered.
“Mr. Reed.”
“Your grandfather spoke about you.”
Voss interrupted.
“This election has not been independently certified.”
“The trust certified it,” Naomi said.
Voss ignored her.
Clara looked at Thomas.
“You warned me about the fire.”
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
Thomas glanced toward the other directors.
“They know.”
One board member disconnected immediately.
Another lowered his camera.
Thomas continued.
“The Augusta carried a sealed research container during its final commercial voyage. The manifest described navigation equipment. It was not navigation equipment.”
“What was it?”
“I never saw inside. But armed men boarded at sea. Victor Vale discovered the transfer and informed August.”
“And the fire?”
“Started in the compartment holding the records.”
Clara looked at Voss.
“You were legal director.”
Voss remained calm.
“I advised the company based on information available at the time.”
“Did you authorize the false manifest?”
“No.”
“Did you help remove the damaged hull section?”
Silence.
Thomas answered for him.
“Yes.”
Voss removed his glasses.
“The company was facing collapse. Governments were involved. August chose survival.”
“Then why create Harborlight?” Clara asked.
Thomas’s eyes narrowed.
“How do you know that name?”
“The file was removed from the archive.”
Voss spoke quickly.
“Harborlight was an internal compliance project that never became operational.”
Adrian had said it contained the reason August did not send Richard to prison.
Clara looked from Voss to Thomas.
“Did my father know about the unauthorized cargo?”
Thomas nodded.
“He arranged access to the ship.”
Voss said, “That allegation is unproven.”
“Victor has documents.”
“Victor Vale is a fugitive.”
“He is also alive.”
Several directors reacted.
Voss finally lost his composure.
“Where is he?”
“Under medical protection.”
Voss looked away from the camera, perhaps toward someone in the room with him.
Clara noticed.
“Who are you speaking to?”
“No one.”
A message appeared on Naomi’s tablet.
EXTERNAL NETWORK INTRUSION DETECTED.
The board feed flickered.
Thomas Reed’s image froze.
Then all screens turned black except Voss’s.
He leaned closer.
“You should have accepted confidentiality.”
“Is that a threat?”
“It is advice your grandfather ignored too late.”
The connection terminated.
Captain Moreau contacted the bridge.
“Trace the intrusion.”
Naomi opened the emergency corporate controls.
“Someone is attempting to remove Clara as beneficiary.”
“On what basis?” Moreau asked.
Naomi read the filing.
“Death.”
Clara stared.
“My death?”
“A certificate was submitted four minutes ago.”
The lights in the penthouse went out.
A gunshot sounded from the corridor.
Moreau pushed Clara behind the desk.
The library doors opened slowly.
A man entered wearing a ship security uniform.
He raised his weapon.
Before he could fire, Sienna struck him from behind with a metal champagne bucket.
The gun fell.
Moreau tackled him.
Sienna stood in the doorway, breathing hard.
“I thought you might need me.”
Clara stared at her sister.
For the first time in their lives, Sienna had entered danger without expecting Clara to stand in front.
Naomi examined the attacker’s identification.
“It’s fake.”
Clara looked at the unconscious man.
“Who hired him?”
His phone vibrated.
A message appeared on the screen.
May you like
CONFIRM THE BODY BEFORE MIDNIGHT.
The sender was listed only as HARBORMASTER.
