I wait while everything loads. The silence stretches on. I see that he’s opened the pictures.
The silence lasts so long that I force myself not to say anything.
Finally Ennio speaks, his voice calm and low.
"Thank you for the photos. I’ll take care of it."
"Wait, do you know who these people are? One of them said they’re going to warehouse C34."
Another short pause.
"I’ll take care of it," Ennio replies in the exact same tone.
And he hangs up.
For fuck’s sake!
He could at least tell me something.
What a guy.
I’m still sitting on the curb, having no idea what to do next.
With a little hesitation, I try calling Bay again, but he still doesn’t answer. Finally I think to check his Instagram, and only then do I realize what’s going on.
Bay is live streaming from his studio. He’s sitting with his band, playing some kind of jam session or rehearsal. No wonder he didn’t answer. But as I watch the livestream, I see Eric approach him, lean down, and whisper something into his ear. Bay listens for a moment, then suddenly says toward the camera:
"Guys, I’m really sorry, we need to take a break from the live. Something came up that I need to take care of. Sorry, loves, we’ll see each other next time!"
He waves at the camera with a smile, and the stream cuts off.
Immediately I try calling him again, tapping my foot nervously on the curb, but the line is busy now.
Is it possible Ennio did something smarter than I did, which is call Eric, who then cut the session short, and now they’re talking on the phone? Maybe. It’s just a guess, but I can’t sit here doing nothing.
I pull up the coastal map and type in warehouse 34.
Bad luck. There are several in the city, still, only one of them is near the shoreline. It turns out that I’m relatively close to the port district where a warehouse with that exact number is located. That’s also the direction those people were driving.
Yes, there are more warehouses with that number elsewhere in the city, but I decide to check the closest one first.
Of course I know I shouldn’t be walking into a place like this, but I at least want to make sure this is where that car stopped. Iorder an Uber, and it drops me off pretty quickly, it turns out to be a five-minute ride. The Uber driver lets me out at the edge of the port district.
It’s a pretty damn bad idea, but I simply cannot help myself.
Moving carefully between the warehouses and following the map on my phone, I head toward the one I think is number 34.
The area is a maze of warehouses in all shapes and sizes, scattered in a loose, chaotic grid across a wide stretch of land.
My stomach twists from stress because this place is obviously not safe, especially if part of it belongs to the mafia.
If someone catches me here, I could get in serious trouble. Even if I could defend myself with my special… ability, it would not be pleasant and it could definitely jeopardize Lake’s rescue.
Eventually I reach the warehouse I am aiming for. I know I need to find a vantage point.
About seventy yards away there is another long warehouse with a big stack of wooden pallets leaning against one of its walls, in a deep shadow. I manage to hide behind it, shifting a few pallets so I am covered from the side and the back. Then I crouch there and watch the entrance.
This has to be it, because the car I saw before the railroad crossing is parked right next to it. I am almost sure I found the right place. Lake must be kept inside, if… it really is him. After all, he is not the only person in the world with a long platinum braid.
