Chapter 54 - The River Chase
When they burst out of the overgrown quarry exit into the cool, rain-washed morning air, the gray clouds were finally beginning to break, letting shafts of pale sunlight filter down through the steep granite cliffs.
"We can't take the Amtrak station in Rhinecliff," Julianna panted, checking her phone, which had regained signal as they cleared the subterranean granite mass. "The station will be staked out by federal proxies working for Arthur Sterling Jr. within ten minutes."
"Then we take the water," Dominic said decisively, scanning the dense thickets of wild ferns along the abandoned quarry slipway where an old, moss-covered wooden boathouse stood rotting near the water's edge.
Casey looked at him in disbelief. "Dom, we don't have a boat."
"We don't need to buy one," Dominic smiled grimly, leading them around the side of the decaying structure to reveal a concealed aluminum utility skiff equipped with a high-performance Yamaha outboard motor, carefully hidden beneath a tarp by local fishermen. "Alistair, do you remember how to start a vintage two-stroke engine without a key?"
Alistair’s eyes lit up with genuine delight. "My dear boy, I taught marine sabotage to the Royal Marines in nineteen-fifty-eight. Step aside."
With a few quick adjustments to the fuel line and a sharp, practiced pull of the starter cord, the outboard motor sputtered once, coughed blue smoke, and then roared into a steady, powerful hum that echoed off the stone quarry walls.
They scrambled into the aluminum skiff, Dominic taking the tiller while Casey and Julianna secured the tactical cases and ledgers in the center well. Alistair sat comfortably in the bow, adjusting his wet fedora with dignified composure.
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As Dominic pushed the skiff away from the muddy bank and slammed the throttle forward, the small boat leaped out of the quarry slipway, surging onto the wide, open waters of the Hudson River just as two sleek, black corporate security speedboats rounded the northern river bend, their engines screaming as they spotted the aluminum skiff cutting across the whitecaps.
"Hold on!" Dominic shouted, banking hard to port as a burst of spray kicked up from a warning shot fired across their bow.
