Chapter 14 - High Stakes on the Grand Lotus
Z
The Grand Lotus was a colossal, five-story floating casino anchored six miles off the coast of Macau in international waters. Lit up by tens of thousands of gold and magenta neon lights, it glittered against the dark, churning waters of the South China Sea like a palace of decadent greed.
To the wealthy high-rollers gambling millions at the baccarat tables on the upper decks, it was a paradise of luxury. To the criminal underworld, the lower subterranean decks beneath the water line were a lawless sanctuary where human trafficking, weapons sales, and illegal biological auctions took place with complete impunity.
At 11:00 PM, a sleek private yacht cut through the heavy swells, docking at the casino's VIP lower marina.
I stepped off the yacht wearing a striking crimson silk evening gown, a high slit running up my leg, my dark hair falling in loose waves over my shoulders. Heavy gold jewelry adorned my wrists and neck—each piece custom-built by my tech division with micro-EMP emitters and encrypted tracking beacons.
Behind me walked Marcus, dressed in a sharp black tuxedo that barely concealed his concealed shoulder holster, alongside two operatives posing as my private bodyguards.
We passed through the gold-plated security checkpoints without incident. Madam Chen wanted me to come. She had invited me.
A tall, silent hostess in a traditional silk cheongsam guided us through the bustling, noisy gaming halls, leading us down a hidden spiral staircase into the deep belly of the vessel, below the water line. The air became noticeably cooler, smelling of sea salt, metallic ozone, and expensive cigars.
Double steel doors opened into a private, soundproofed sunken lounge surrounded by floor-to-ceiling reinforced glass walls overlooking the pitch-black depths of the ocean outside.
Sitting on a velvet sofa at the center of the room was Madam Chen.
She looked to be in her late fifties, possessed of an effortless, terrifying elegance. She wore a tailored black silk pantsuit with intricate gold dragon embroidery along the collar. In her hand, she held a long, vintage cigarette holder, thin wisps of gray smoke curling around her head.
Standing behind her were six heavily armed mercenaries clad in unmarked black tactical gear, their submachine guns held at low-ready. On the glass table in front of her sat a silver cryogenic transport case, its digital temperature gauge glowing a icy blue: -80°C.
My children's stem cell samples were inside that case.
"Victoria Vanguard," Madam Chen greeted me, her voice as smooth as velvet, pointing her cigarette holder toward an empty chair across from her. "Or should I say, the Queen of Wall Street. You look remarkably radiant for a woman whose family is falling apart."
I didn't sit down. I stood five feet from the glass table, my eyes locked onto the cryogenic case.
"Return the case, Madam Chen," I said softly, my tone devoid of emotion. "And I might let you keep your ship."
Madam Chen let out a melodious, ringing laugh that echoed off the glass walls. "Oh, the famous Vanguard arrogance! You really are Julian's niece, aren't you? Always believing your money and corporate power make you invincible."
She reached down, tapping her manicured nail against the silver case. "Do you know what is inside here, Victoria? The purest biological key to the US military's autonomous drone fleet. With these stem cells, my engineers will synthesize the biometric authorization sequence within forty-eight hours. Vanguard-Sterling will belong to us, and you will be utterly obsolete."
"You're making a catastrophic mistake," I warned, taking a single step forward.
Madam Chen's expression instantly hardened into pure ice. She snapped her fingers.
Instantly, the six tactical guards raised their weapons, training laser sights directly on my heart and Marcus's forehead.
"No, Victoria," Madam Chen purred, taking a long drag from her cigarette. "The mistake was coming to my ship. Did you really think you could walk into international waters and threaten me? Here, there are no police, no FBI, no Wall Street board of directors. Here, you are just a corpse waiting to sink to the bottom of the sea."
I looked at the six laser dots on my dress. Then I looked into Madam Chen's triumphant eyes.
A slow, cold smile spread across my face.
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"You're right about one thing, Madam Chen," I said softly, reaching up to touch the heavy gold bracelet on my right wrist. "There are no police out here."
I pressed the hidden micro-switch on my bracelet.
