Emily gasped softly. "He intentionally sabotaged the shipment to force a breach of contract."
Marcus turned to Emily, his eyes flashing with absolute thunder. "He didn't just sabotage a shipment, Emily. He attempted to sabotage this dealership and defraud Arthur Vance."
Marcus pulled out his smartphone, dialing a private number. "Prepare my private transport. Miss Watson and I are taking a drive to Eastport. And call the State Commercial Fraud Division—tell them we have an active corporate extortion in progress."
Chapter 19: Confrontation on the Tarmac
An hour later, a convoy of two sleek black SUVs pulled through the gates of the Eastport Regional Depot, kicking up spray from the wet asphalt as rain began to fall over the industrial complex.
The SUVs came to a sharp halt directly outside the primary hangar doors. Stepping out of the lead vehicle were Marcus Sterling and Emily Watson. Stepping out of the second vehicle were two plainclothes investigators from the State Commercial Fraud Bureau, accompanied by two armed depot security officers.
Inside the hangar, Carl Higgins was sitting at his workbench, drinking coffee and counting a stack of invoice receipts. Near the parked fifteen black sedans stood Julian Vance himself, wearing a heavy raincoat, a smug, vengeful smirk plastered across his face.
Julian had come to the depot in person to watch his handiwork unfold—to ensure the transport haulers remained grounded until the fourteen-day deadline expired.
"I told you, Carl," Julian boasted, leaning against the hood of one of the flagship sedans. "By tomorrow, Sterling will be crying on the news, and that little junior girl will be looking for a job at a used-car lot."
"Hey! Who authorized those vehicles inside?!" Carl shouted suddenly, looking toward the open hangar doors.
Julian turned his head—and his smug smirk vanished into absolute, paralyzing terror.
Striding down the concrete aisle of the hangar were Marcus Sterling and Emily Watson, flanked by federal fraud investigators and uniformed security.
"Julian," Marcus’s voice boomed through the high-ceilinged hangar like a thunderclap. "I see you couldn't resist returning to the scene of your crime."
Julian stumbled back against the car, his face turning a sickly, pale grey. "M-Marcus... what are you doing here?! This is a private logistics facility!"
"A facility owned forty-percent by Sterling Automotive Group and sixty-percent by Vance International," Marcus declared coldly, stopping five feet away.
Carl Higgins scrambled up from his workbench, his hands shaking so violently he dropped his coffee mug onto the concrete floor, shattering it into pieces. "Mr. Sterling! I... I was just conducting a routine audit—"
"Shut your mouth, Higgins," one of the fraud investigators ordered, stepping forward and displaying his official badge. "Carl Higgins and Julian Vance, you are under arrest for commercial extortion, corporate sabotage, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud."
Julian’s eyes went wide with panic. "Extortion?! Wire fraud?! You can't prove anything! I was just visiting an old colleague!"
Emily stepped forward, pulling out her tablet and presenting the digital audit trail to the investigators.
"We traced the ten-thousand-dollar bribe transferred from your holding account to Higgins' spouse last night, Julian," Emily said, her voice clear, steady, and devoid of anger—only factual precision. "We also have the IP logs showing you personally requested Higgins to forge a frame inspection flag on Order #VANCE-908."
Julian looked from Emily to the fraud investigators, his breath coming in shallow, frantic gasps. The trap had closed in on him completely. His desperate attempt at revenge had transformed a civil workplace dispute into a federal felony.
The investigators moved in quickly, grabbing Julian’s arms and forcing them behind his back. The sharp, metallic click of handcuffs echoed loudly through the concrete hangar.
"Get your hands off me!" Julian screamed, struggling helplessly as he was pulled toward the exit. "Sterling! Emily! You ruined me!"
Marcus didn't even look at him as Julian was hauled away into the rain. He turned to Carl Higgins, who was being cuffed by the second investigator.
"Higgins, your employment is terminated immediately," Marcus said flatly. "And you will be facing full criminal charges."
With the conspirators removed, Marcus turned to the remaining depot crew. "Clear the hold on Order #VANCE-908 immediately. Load these fifteen units onto the transport haulers and prepare them for escort."
Chapter 20: The Standard of Excellence