Chapter 13 - The Harbor Facility
The rusted iron gates of the abandoned industrial shipyard stood half-open, welcoming the battered sedan as Leo crept the vehicle past towering shipping containers covered in peeling paint and rust. The salty tang of ocean air mixed with the heavy scent of diesel fuel hung thick in the damp night fog. Parking the car behind a rusted skeletal crane, Leo slipped out into the shadows, his sneakers crunching softly on the gravel.
Ahead of him stood Warehouse 4, its corrugated metal walls illuminated by a single harsh security light hanging over the loading bay doors. Through a grimy, high-placed window, Leo could see the unmistakable silhouette of Detective Miller tied securely to a wooden chair, with Clara standing over him holding a metal briefcase filled with medical vials.
Leo slipped around to the side entrance, finding a rusted service door slightly ajar. He eased it open just enough to slip inside, squeezing into a narrow catwalk overlooking the cavernous main floor of the warehouse.
Below him, Clara was speaking in her calm, chillingly polite voice, pacing slowly around the bound detective.
"It’s really quite unfortunate that you couldn't mind your own business, Detective," Clara said, adjusting the collar of her pristine mustard yellow top. "You could have lived a long, comfortable life ignoring a few missing persons files."
Miller spat a drop of blood onto the concrete floor, his eyes defiant despite his injuries. "You won't get away with this, Clara. The entire state police department knows I was conducting a welfare check at your house. When I don't check in by morning, a tactical team will tear this harbor apart."
Clara chuckled softly, a sound devoid of any real humor. "Let them look. By morning, this facility will be burned to the ground, and our operations will have safely relocated across international waters."
Leo watched from the catwalk, his hand dipping into his jacket pocket where he had tucked a heavy industrial wrench he found in the garage. He couldn't fight both syndicate guards stationed near the door, but he didn't need to fight them—he just needed a distraction.
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Scanning the control box mounted on the wall beside him, Leo noticed a heavy red master lever labeled CRANE / FIRE SUPPRESSION. Without hesitating, he grabbed the lever with both hands and hauled it down with all his weight.
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