Even if it killed him.
He took the Wild Prairie exit.Eyeing the map on the screen, he followed the path that was highlighted to reach their destination.When they were within a few miles, he could see the top of a tall crane.
“Looks like it’s to the right.”Bryn had her face near the passenger-side window.“I can see a huge building with mounds of dirt around it.
“Yeah.It looks exactly the way it did in the newspaper article.”He recalled the construction had been halted five weeks ago.“I’m going to drive past it first, make sure there aren’t any police nearby.”
“Good idea.”She glanced over at him, her expression grateful.“Not just the police, but the gunmen too.”
She had a point, the gunmen had been sitting and waiting for them outside the Madison North police precinct.If the data center was somehow involved, it would make sense they’d be out here too.
As he grew closer, he was surprised by how large and expansive the new building was.Seeing it in a photo didn’t do it justice.The size of the structure was close to a square mile in length and was only a single story high.It was easy to imagine rows and rows of computers running throughout the massive structure.
There was a large parking lot out front, but he didn’t see any vehicles nearby.Still, he continued going all the way past the building until he reached the next intersection.Then he made a U-turn to go back the way they’d come.
“Do you think it’s locked?”She glanced at him.“It would be a shame to come all this way without getting inside.”
“I don’t think there are any doors yet to lock.”He slowed to make the turn into the parking lot.“I’m surprised there isn’t a wire mesh fence and a gate to keep people out.Maybe there isn’t much inside to see.”
“You might be right about that.”She frowned.“I was really hoping we’d find something to steer us in the right direction.”
Nothing was ever that easy.He drove up to the front of the building but then turned around to head back out.
“Wait!”Bryn reached over to grasp his arm.“We came all this way, aren’t we going to at least look around inside?”
“Yeah, but I don’t think it’s smart to park out front, do you?”He grimaced.“If we’re going to snoop on private property, we need to hide the SUV behind some of the large equipment and go exploring on foot.”
“Good idea.”Her grip relaxed on his arm.
He drove around the large crane, looking for a good place to park.He had to make a wide turn to avoid the large mounds of dirt and gravel that were haphazardly dumped around the building’s perimeter.He had to stop and back up to get around a particularly large dump pile, then he abruptly stopped.
“Are we leaving the car here?”Bryn asked.
“No, look over there.”He gestured to a narrow gap between the large dirt pile and the backhoe.“Is that a vehicle back there?”
“I don’t know.I can’t see anything.”Bryn straightened in her seat, craning her neck.“Why would someone be back there?”
“To stay out of sight, the same way we are.”He backed up and angled his SUV between the larger dirt pile and the crane, then he killed the engine.“You need to stay here while I go check it out.”
“I want to come with you.”She was already pushing her door open.He grabbed her arm to keep her from bailing out.
“Bryn, listen to me.If that vehicle belongs to the gunmen, the last thing we need is for them to see you.”He tugged her back into the seat.“I’m asking you to trust me.Let me get a little closer to check it out.It could be nothing, like a delivery of some sort.”
“On a Sunday?”She narrowed her gaze.“Fat chance.”
“Please.”He didn’t want her anywhere near the vehicle he’d spotted.Their current location of being crammed between the dirt pile and the crane would hide their car from anyone driving into the parking lot.
“Maybe it’s a security vehicle.”She sat back and closed her passenger-side door.“Since there aren’t any fences or gates to keep us out, it makes sense that they’d have a roving security guard on the premises.”
He was impressed she’d come up with that idea.“You’re probably right.Sit tight for a few minutes while I check it out.”
“Fine.”She crossed her arms over her chest.“But if you’re not back in fifteen minutes, I’m coming to find you.”
He paused, considering that.“If I’m not back in fifteen minutes, you need to drive out of here and call Di.”He passed his phone to her, then dug the key fob from his pocket and dropped it into the center console.“She’ll help you get in touch with Rex or someone else from the team.”He didn’t add that none of the Grayson’s Guardians teammates were close by.Rex was the closest, and he was in Chicago.
“Okay.”She reluctantly took his phone.“Come back soon, okay?”
“That’s the goal.”He slid out of the driver’s seat and softly closed the car door behind him.Then keeping his head low, he made his way around the dirt pile toward the location of the vehicle he’d spotted.
