When they neared the criminals’ shack, heavy footfalls and frantic chatter echoed across the water. Spotting silhouettes scrambling in the darkness, the police cut engines and shone beams of light. The criminals, likely suspecting Marcus had alerted law enforcement, appeared to be hastily packing supplies into a battered boat.
Lights flooded the rickety platform, revealing wide-eyed thieves clutching bags and stolen items. One policeman shouted for them to freeze, hand hovering over his holster. The criminals paused, scanning for an escape. In that tense stillness, Marcus’s gaze darted among them, desperate to find Luna.