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“It’s Eli.”
“I told you no cops!”
“You need protection, right?” Sienna shouted so her voice carried over the sound of the rain. Her hair was plastered to her head and droplets ran down the back of her coat into her collar. A thick river of water followed the curve of the sidewalk as it raced to the sewer grate at the end of the block. She hurried toward the broken gate surrounding the warehouse. “Eli has connections. He can provide a safe house and make sure no one finds you.”
Jesse didn’t answer. For a heartbeat, Sienna feared he’d hung up on her. Then the sound of his rapid breathing fired in her ear. If he was pretending to be scared, the man was delivering an Oscar-worthy performance.
Eli held open a broken part of the fence, and Sienna slipped through it. Her boots slid on the wet grass. “We’re coming in. Where are you?”
“Second floor.”
Jesse hung up.
Lightning streaked across the sky, followed by a pounding clap of thunder. Fear streaked down Sienna’s spine as she reached an entrance to the warehouse. The door was cocked open, the interior pitch-black. Fighting back her instinct to run away, she waited for Eli to catch up, and then slipped inside.
The door slammed closed behind them.
The stench of sweat, decades of fish, and saltwater smacked her in the face. The far side of the warehouse was exposed to the ocean. Boats would bring their catch straight inside and unload. Ancient equipment, rusted from disuse, hunched like goblins in the darkness. The only light came from a fire burning in a metal trash can. Sleeping bags rested nearby, but there was no sign of their owners.
Still… someone had been here. And recently, otherwise the fire would’ve burned out.
The whisper of a boot scraping against the concrete floor sent Sienna’s heart rate stuttering. She whipped off her raincoat. It dropped to the ground in a puddle of plastic. Sienna removed her handgun from its holster, but kept it pointed at the ground. These warehouses were prime real estate for the homeless. Most of them were harmless.
Then again, they could be friends of Jesse’s.
Eli had also removed his weapon from its holster. His gaze swept their surroundings. “Lead the way. I’ll cover you.”
She nodded and then headed for the staircase on the right. Her footsteps were silent. Sienna adjusted the hold on her weapon. It felt slightly foreign in her hand after days of not carrying. Since the murder charges against her were dropped, she was no longer required to adhere to the bond requirements. Her Glock was still in evidence since it’d been used to kill Albert, but her father carried the same weapon. She’d borrowed his before leaving the house and was thankful for the extra protection.
The staircase was cement. Sienna raised her weapon and traversed the first few steps, going slowly enough that if someone took a shot at her from above, she’d have time to react. Eli stayed close. His constant and solid presence was reassuring. There was no one she trusted more to keep her safe.
The second floor was darker than the first. A shadow moved along the far side of the wall. Sienna swallowed back a gasp and whirled toward it.
A match fired up, illuminating Jesse’s face for a second, before a kerosene lamp flared to life. “Don’t shoot me.”
She lowered her weapon but didn’t holster it. Icy air whipped through the building from the exposed wall below and goosebumps broke out across her skin. The upstairs space must’ve been used as an office when the warehouse was in operation, based on the dirty desk in the corner.
Eli joined her on the landing. As one, they moved farther into space, closer to Jesse who was leaning against the far wall. A sleeping bag, a portable camp stove, and a pile of alcohol bottles crowded the small room. In his hand, he held a pistol but kept the weapon loosely positioned at his side. Judging from his filthy jeans and sweat-stained shirt, he hadn’t showered in days. Dark circles hung under his eyes.
“My grandfather used to own this building.” Jesse’s voice was hollow. He crossed the room toward the window on the other side of the office. Sienna moved to keep him in full view while still maintaining access to the stairs. “We had money back then. Lots of it. But then business started going south and when my dad took over, he lost everything. He started drinking. Using drugs. That’s how I started.” He laughed, but there was no mirth. “My dad was my first dealer.”
Sienna didn’t understand where Jesse was going with the story, but she sympathized with him. “My sister was an addict. My parents tried to help her but couldn’t. It was devastating. I can’t imagine what it’s like to be pushed into it by someone who’s supposed to protect you.”
He turned to study her in the dim light. “So you understand. I’m an addict, but I’m not a bad person.”
He broke into an elderly woman’s home and attacked her, but now was not the time to debate morals. Sienna kept her tone even and hushed. “Where’s Ruby, Jesse?”
He gestured for her to come closer. She didn’t dare glance at Eli but trusted that he’d stand back. Dust and grime coated the floor. Sienna’s heart pounded as she took a few steps toward Jesse. The stench of alcohol poured from him, and she almost gagged. His pupils were dilated. He was drunk and high.
He pointed out of the window at the warehouse next door. “She was there, but I’ve been watching for the last hour, and there’s been a lot of movement. I think Gideon is packing up the operation to move it somewhere else. I don’t know if Ruby’s still alive.”
Sienna’s breath caught. “Gideon? He’s behind this?” It made sense. As the director of Fresh Start, Gideon had access to the donations and the invoices, and could launder the money that came from drug sales. “He hired you to break into Ruby’s house.”
“Yes, but I wasn’t the one who attacked you in the marina. And I didn’t kill Albert.” He moved around her, quick as a rabbit, and blocked the stairs. He raised his weapon and pointed it at her. “I was going to turn you into Gideon. He wants you dead, but I figured it wouldn’t save me. He’d kill me after he killed you.”
Eli already had his weapon pointed at Jesse. “Put down the gun.”
Jesse ignored him. He locked eyes with Sienna. Resolve was etched on his features. “Save Ruby if you can and tell my mom that I did the right thing in the end.”
