THIRTY-EIGHT
ELLIS
My phone ringswith an incoming call from Silasas I turn ontothenarrow, unmarkedswitchback roadthat leads me up the mountain to my girl. “I’m fifteen minutes out.”
“Igot in touch with a friend in the area. It’s an abandoned storage unit.”
“Fucking hell, man.” I’m tempted to punch the gas, but speed would be detrimental on this treacherous road.
“I can see your tail lights. Keep it steady, Wilder. We’re nearly there.”
“Ten-four,” I say, coughing to hide the tremor in my voice as I end the call.
The climb up the mountain is slow—painfully slow—but I do as Silas said and keep it steady. My eye on the prize, so to speak.
Finally, after what feels like a goddamn eternity,the ground levels out, and the road widens.The area seems abandoned. Nothing for miles in either direction, but I keep going, following the little flashing dot on my screen.
I breathe a sigh of relief when a few miles later, a chain-link fence wrapped in barbed wire comes into view.I squint to make out the faded letters on the sign—Downey & Co.Storage.This is it.
I park at the gate waiting on Silas and crew to roll upso we can discuss our plan of attack.
Herolls upnext to me, four other guys filing in behind him, all simultaneously killing their enginesas I roll down my window.
“You sure this is it?” he asks.
I glancedownatthe little blinking dot onmy phone; we’re practically on top of her now. “Positive.”
“How you want to play this?”
“Get my girl by any means necessary.”
Silas nods thoughtfully. “We going in guns blazing and hoping for the best or what?”
“Nah. We go in quiet.”Mypolice training kicks in.“The last thing we want is for him to know we’re coming.”
Another nod. “First thing’s first—this lock.” He points to the chain wrapped around the gate, secured with a padlock.Silver, you’re up.”
Silver drops his kickstand and springs into action, approaching the gate with acompact manual cutter. He forgoes the lock and instead cuts through the chain, allowinghim to unravel it and open the gates.
Job done, he nods and waits for further instruction.
“We move in by foot,” I begin laying out my plan.“I’m tip of the spear so I’m the first face Scarlet sees, but...”
“No buts,” Silas says. “We’ve got your six.”
I nodas Iturn off my truck andhop down, slipping through the gate. It’s a little awe-inspiring as Silas and his men—men whose names I still don’t know—wordlessly fall into step behind me, ready and willing to face down whatever waits for us inside these gates.
We make ourwayin on silent feet, winding through row after row of borderline decrepit storage units.
“This place gives me the creeps,” Smoke murmurs as we turn down the last row, stopping in front of theroll-downdoor of unitfifty-seven.
I nod in agreement.
“This it?” Silas asks.
“This is it.”The sound of Scarlet’s muffled screams filter through the door, sending dual waves of hope and despair crashing through me. Hope, because she’s alive, but despair, because in what state?
“Silver.”
