“Adrian,” Julian said, his voice suddenly sounding much sharper, much more awake. “Are you sure about this?”

“I have the blueprint right here,” Adrian said. “And my chauffeur was assaulted by the men loading it.”

“Give me the name of the vessel,” Julian said.

“I don’t have the name,” Adrian said. “Just the slip number. Slip 14. You need to call the harbor master and halt all departures.”

“I’ll look into it,” Julian said. “Where are you now?”

“We’re near the warehouse district,” Adrian said, looking at me. “We’re heading to the marina.”

“No,” Julian said quickly. “Don’t go there. It’s dangerous. Let the authorities handle it.”

“We don’t have time to wait,” Adrian said. “The departure is scheduled for 2:30 AM.”

“Adrian, listen to me,” Julian said, his voice turning stern. “Stay where you are.”

Adrian didn’t answer. He lowered the phone slightly, his thumb hovering over the end-call button.

Across the street, the dark SUV turned its headlights on.

The bright high-beams blinded me for a second, casting long, stark shadows behind us.

The engine roared to life.