LOGINChapter 80: The Golden GalaThe ballroom of the Belvedere Hotel in upstate New York was really fancy. There were a lot of crystal lights, champagne and rich people talking quietly. This was not like the yard where Avery worked or a boring office. This was a party to celebrate the merger of the Thorne and Sterling companies and all the important people in the shipping business were there to see Avery, the woman who had changed everything.Avery stood near the balcony holding a glass of champagne that she had not touched. She was wearing a gold dress that showed her back but she still had her work boots on under the dress. She did not want to change who she was even when she was with rich people."People are staring at me like they think I am going to fix the air conditioning, " Avery said quietly, looking at the crowd of people."Let them stare, " a deep voice said from behind the curtain.Silas came out. I stood next to Avery. He was wearing a suit that made him look strong and handso
Chapter 79: The Freightline BlockadeThe rain that had poured through the rail junction followed them all the way to the secondary staging lanes. It turned the earth beside the concrete aprons into a thick dark sea of mud. Avery stood at the edge of the secondary loading platform. She narrowed her eyes as she watched a line of trucks idling under the floodlights. Their exhaust pipes were belching white vapor into the cold night air.The trucks weren't moving. For the time since the Thorne-Sterling trust took over the Montreal loop the automated gates were flashing a deep amber color."The digital papers are processing fine, " Avery said. Her voice was cold and angry. She pulled up the terminal's plans on her waterproof slate. Her denim overalls were splattered with rain. Her leather work boots dug firmly into the concrete platform. ". The physical locking mechanisms at the exit gates have been disabled. Someone cut the data cables near the state line. It's an override."Silas emerged
Chapter 78: The Intermodal JunctionThe storm that had been building over the northern ridge finally broke, pouring rain over the steel tracks of the Montreal rail spur. Avery stood under the metal overhang of the control tower, her hands in her denim overalls pockets. The cold rain blew across her face. Her eyes stayed fixed on the huge intermodal train rolling onto the Thorne-Sterling mainline.Every railcar was locked in place with clamps and their transponders flashing green through the rain."The weight distribution on the container beds is perfect, " Avery said, her voice clear and confident. She looked at her diagnostic slate. "The old operators used to lose three days checking customs manifests. Leo's automated manifests broadcast weights directly to the border database while the train is moving."Silas came out of the control station, his frame cutting off the wind. He wore a tactical jacket and a charcoal work shirt with his long fingers in his pockets. His gray eyes ignored
Chapter 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 19: The Rising OutlineThe dawn that broke over the upstate estate was really beautiful. The light filtered through the old oak trees in soft golden beams. It burned away the thick fog that clung to the hills.Avery sat in her studio in the western wing. Her bare feet were tucked under her
Chapter 18: The First Draft of ForeverThe tires of the black sedan hummed smoothly against the highway asphalt as the Brooklyn skyline finally faded into the rearview mirror. Avery sat in the passenger seat, her hands resting quietly over the leather bag that had her pieces of past stuff. Beside h
Chapter 17: The New EditionThe morning sun shone through the windows of the Brooklyn apartment making the floorboards glow with a light. Avery stood in the middle of the room looking at the boxes stacked up by the door. This was the apartment where she had spent years trying to make ends meet writ
Chapter 14: The Final Edit The sound of police sirens was really loud as a lot of police cars with flashing lights surrounded the pier, trapping the flatbed truck and stopping Alistair from getting in. Marcus's team moved quickly and quietly pointing their guns at the man who had been hiding in th







