Chapter 101
Jonathan’s POV
Living Room – Raymond’s Townhouse – A few moments later
The map was still spread across the table as we all sat in our chairs around the table.
No one spoke for several moments.
“I think the hidden dock can give us some tangible link to Charles,” I said.
“And right now,” I continued. “I think this is what we need p>
What I just suggested was not just a theory,
Nor was it a suspicion.
It was a location.
I had already studied the route,
The dock sat far beyond the limit of the town making it a safe haven for work, especially one that you want to keep out of the government’s view.
The dock was not only off the maps, but was well hidden behind some dense woodland and the roads were also never maintained so traffic was next to none.
If Charles is really using that dock for his work p>
I’m sure we can find some evidence against him down there.
“I’ll go,” Daniel immediately volunteered to go.
Daniel participating was obvious, but not suggested.
I wasn’t sure what we would find or what we wouldn’t,
But I knew telling him to stay back would be wrong as well.
I saw Raymond was hesitant after all he knew what or who awaited us there.
“I think we should head out tonight,” I said.
“Daniel is with me,” I continued. “Raymond, I do hope you can come along too p>
As darkness settled over Livelane, I drove off with Daniel and Raymond and we headed out towards the hidden dock.
Daniel was quiet and Raymond was growing increasingly nervous as we got closer and closer.
The closer we got, Raymond became quieter.
Eventually he spoke what was in his heart.
“I knew he was here,” Raymond said.
“I knew I could come and confront him here anytime p>
“But p>
He trailed off a bit.
“I avoided this place for fifteen years p>
“Not because I didn’t know what I would face here p>
“But because I was afraid of what I would find here p>
“I was afraid,” he continued. “I would find out my mother died hiding something bigger than I could ever imagine p>
“Raymond,” I said as I placed my hand on his shoulder.
“Before you were alone, but now you’re not p>
“We all are with you p>
Raymond nodded.
“Okay, let’s go.” Raymond said, agreeing.
We kept driving into the dark.
The black car blended perfectly in the darkness making it easy for us to dodge any suspicion of being noticed.
I slowed down as the road was becoming narrower down the road.
The trees became denser, even the air felt different from before.
It felt more rich.
I turned to look back p>
I could no longer see the lights of the town.
As I turned my gaze back to the front, I could see the river through the trees up ahead.
The forest was evidently pure wildlife p>
Yet it strangely looked…maintained.
From the car tracks, it was evident the road was used, and recently on that.
“Jonathan, slow down,” Raymond said as I slowed down a bit. “The dock facility will be up ahead. Let’s park back a bit p>
I nodded.
As suggested we left the car and walked from there on.
After a thirty minute walk, we finally reached the warehouse.
Raymond raised his hand meant we had to stop walking any further.
I was expecting to see a small warehouse with a large gate and probably a truck or two standing outside and maybe a small office wooden lodge on the side.
What stood in front of me were four warehouses, several trucks, and a luxury caravan which I think he was using for his stay and office.
The warehouse looked old and weathered but was fully functional.
I noticed several sections, especially one of the warehouses clearly had been repaired recently.
From the tracks on the ground p>
It was evident there was recent activity.
There were rectangle marks on the ground, probably from crates kept on the ground while loading or unloading them.
The footprints were fresh as well.
Someone or a group of people had been here.
“Jonathan,” Daniel called out.
“Look,” he said. “The warehouses are locked with coded locks p>
“Must be something important p>
I nodded as I understood what he meant.
We looked around to make sure the area was clear of any human presence.
Once, we made sure we were the only ones around, so we walked over.
As we walked over breathing was a bit hard as the dust had filled the air.
Thankfully I had brought along my satellite phone.
John managed to hack in and got one of the warehouses unlocked.
We saw rows of shelves that filled the walls of the warehouse.
At first they seemed to be normal crates,
But I soon noticed the labels on them.
Each one had a shipping code with inventory markings.
Delivery dates with some from a decade ago.
“It seems Charles has been in business for a long time p>
“Look at this,” Daniel pointed out.
“None of them have dock marks,” he said.
“Means these warehouses and docks are not registered for use by the government p>
The deeper we opened the crates, the more disturbing evidence met our eyes.
We found records that spanned not years but over a decade and a half.
The records belonged to multiple illegal businesses p>
And multiple business names.
All dealing with one name: Charles Freeway.
Every business,
Be it illegal winery, illegal medicines, or illegal weapons p>
All were dealing with Charles Freeway.
One thing I knew by now p>
Was p>
He was a self-made millionaire and considering the types of businesses he’s into, he must be having connections to keep himself afloat.
He not only built a fortress,
He expanded it,
Protected it and maintained it for more than fifteen years.
“Guys,” Daniel called out.
“Look, I found some ledgers here under this fake panel p>
I continued to search the other boxes that were within my reach.
I realized Charles had done his best to make these warehouses look abandoned.
But the fresh tire marks,
Recently repaired warehouse, new fuel tankers, footprints p>
All blew his cover miles away.
“Don’t go by the dates,” Raymond said.
“Charles found this dock about three-four years back p>
“The old stock?” he said. “You may ask? He had it all moved from the other dock when the city cops began patrolling around p>
After Raymond’s confirmation, one thing was for sure,
This dock wasn’t old and the warehouses probably were used for some other purpose before he took over them.
It means he’s actively using this as his base,
And the ones who were using it before him might be knowing or might not be.
As we were busy checking around and noting anything important.
Just then we all froze as we heard a sound.
“Vehicle!” Daniel prompted us.
“Sounds like it’s still away from us,” I said.
Then we heard another sound.
This time it was the sound of a motor boat coming close to the dock.
“Take cover,” I said as we hid behind a shelf.
Daniel and Raymond turned off their flashlights.
Silence fell in the warehouse.
My heart was beating fast as I kept wondering if we had triggered attention that they came over at this time.
It almost felt like eternity as we waited silently practically holding onto our breaths.
But eventually p>
The sounds disappeared,
but the fear remained as we had no idea if anyone stayed back or not.
After making sure no one was around, we went back to checking the remaining boxes.
As I was searching, I came across another section of records.
This time we stumbled upon security notes.
There were some delivery schedules, access logs, and codes.
It was clear, the operation was carefully planned and protected by Charles.
Far more for a legal business, unless he wasn’t all black and white as he shows himself to be.
One thing I understood p>
Lori was paranoid for no reason.
She knew whatever Charels was doing would implicate Livelane and her son in a dangerous way.
Everything she had written in her notebooks…made sense.
It was clear p>
The more she found out…the more danger she realized was lurking around her.
Now I was convinced she didn’t choose staying in jail for herself, she was made to stay inside.
I went over to open the ledger Daniel had found.
I found the ledger had shipment records.
Payment logs, and payment transfers records.
There were names of businessmen.
There were codes and transactions.
All of this Charles had been hiding for the past fifteen years.
The evidence was so overwhelming,
If handed over to the authorities p>
Could put him in jail for life instantly.
I paused as a familiar name came across more than once.
I studied the records over and over again.
I shook my head in disbelief.
“This can’t be a coincidence,” I said on seeing the name again.
It appeared over and over again.
Not only in payment records,
But transport records and coded shipments.
Both Daniel and Raymond leaned over.
It wasn’t a coincidence p>
The doctor’s name did appear again and again.
My stomach dropped on the realization.
I turned page after page.
The communication was undeniable and the waterway operation was undeniable as well.
The records and the waterway were related.
The operation was not entirely illegal as the dock was used to transport couples who wanted to use the donor collection the doctor had.
There were clinical records as well.
Payments, delivery dates, transfers, storage records.
Everything was connected to the clinic.
The only difference was the local town clinic was called a fertility center in the records.
A fraudulent donor fertility center that gave hope but in an illegal way.
This was what Lori was really investigating,
This was the main reason she confronted Charles.
This is the reason Charles made sure she stayed behind bars.
Daniel stared in disbelief at the records.
While, Raymond p>
He was shocked to find out his mother knew so much yet she couldn’t tell anyone a word.
She had uncovered an enormous illegal operation, one that might be international.
I slowly closed the ledger.
For seven years I believed Adrian was a natural pregnancy and was born by the bond between his mother and his father.
I knew he was delivered in a clinic,
But to think he was conceived in a clinic p>
It was the least impossible thing I could ever think of.
Now I realized how low Imelda could go just to continue being the heir of Harmon Designs.
And how after meeting Charles Freeway, she might have found the way to this.
After uncovering the clinic and doctor’s name from the records and confirming it was the doctor for whom Lori had worked for p>
One thing was for sure.
Lori hadn’t uncovered an illegal racket.
She had uncovered an illegal empire.