Chapter 16 - Into the Industrial Labyrinth
The old shipping warehouse was a hulking mass of rusted corrugated metal and broken windows, looming dark and menacing against the gray St. Louis skyline. I killed the sedan's headlights a block away, coasting the vehicle into the shadows behind a row of abandoned delivery trucks.
"Stay in the car," I told my parents and Sophia, my hand resting firmly on my concealed sidearm. "Lock the doors. If you hear gunfire, do not move—call Agent Vance directly."
Sophia reached across the console, her fingers trembling as she grabbed my sleeve. "Lena... please be careful. I'm... I'm so sorry. For everything."
I looked down at her hand, then met her tear-filled eyes. I didn't say words of forgiveness, nor did I offer false comfort. I simply pulled my sleeve free, opened the car door, and stepped out into the freezing rain.
The loading dock entrance was shadowed and dark. I drew my service weapon, holding it close to my chest as I slipped through a side access door that had been forced open with a crowbar. Inside, the warehouse smelled of damp concrete, motor oil, and old dust. Shafts of gray light cut through the high windows, illuminating dust motes dancing in the humid air.
Footsteps echoed softly from the upper gantry level. Someone was moving quietly along the metal catwalks overhead.
May you like
I checked my secure tablet. The GPS tracker embedded in the digital file Sophia had handed over was pinging directly from the central office on the second floor. Marcus was up there, trying to scrub the final drives before federal teams breached the perimeter.
I took a deep, steady breath, checked my magazine release, and began silently climbing the metal spiral staircase leading up into the shadows.
