Chapter 11 - The Abandoned Warehouse
The rusted iron gates of the old textile mill at 742 Elm Street stood half-open, groaning softly in the midnight wind like the jaws of a sleeping beast.
The sprawling brick complex loomed against the dark, starless sky, its broken windows reflecting the pale moonlight like hollow, vacant eyes. Weeds choked the cracked asphalt of the loading dock, and the air smelled heavily of damp earth and decaying timber.
Leo killed the engine of his older brother's rusted sedan half a block away, coasting the car into the deep shadow of an overgrown oak tree.
"Keep your phone on silent," Leo whispered, cutting the headlights as they stepped out onto the cold asphalt.
Sofia pulled the collar of her jacket tight against the biting wind, her dark hair tied back in a messy ponytail. She clutched a heavy metal tire iron she had found in the trunk, holding it close to her side as they crept toward the main loading bay doors.
"The note said midnight," Sofia murmured, checking the glowing digital display on her wristwatch. "We're right on time."
A single sliver of yellow light cut across the darkness from beneath the rusted sliding door of the warehouse's primary shipping bay.
Leo motioned for Sofia to stay behind a concrete pillar while he crept forward, pressing his ear against the corrugated metal. Faint sounds drifted from inside—the low hum of an idling generator and the distinct clicking of a computer keyboard.
With a slow, agonizing push, Leo slid the heavy metal door open just enough for them to slip inside the cavernous, freezing interior.
Rows of rusted machinery stood like ancient monuments under the cavernous ceiling. In the center of the vast open floor, a single folding table had been set up beneath a halogen work light.
Resting on the table was a battered military-grade laptop, its screen glowing brightly in the gloom.
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And standing directly beside the table, staring out into the dark shadows of the warehouse with his hands casually tucked into his pockets, was Superintendent Harrison.
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