Page 25 of Hollow Trace

Zadie slid over to an electrical box recessed into the wall, sorting through the wires until she found what she needed. A couple clips, and she’d hooked up her tablet, the code reader blinking green a moment later, the cameras recording a twenty-second loop.

Neve remained on the other side, rifle sweeping the shadows until Coulter melted his way through just as Zadie signaled the “all-clear”, then joined them at the doorway. The heavy doors whooshed open, closing tightly behind them once they’d stepped inside.

Quinn blinked against the flash of light as strips of fluorescent bulbs winked on, cascading the length of the building in a nauseating wave, emitting a low hum that seemed to vibrate up through the floor. Ozone thickened the already humid air, a hint of bleach woven through.

Neve grunted as she stepped forward. “I really hope we’re alone in here, because those lights just gave away our position.”

Quinn snorted. “Pretty sure there would be bullets flying if we weren’t, but…”

“Regardless, everyone keeps their damn head on a swivel.” Neve tsked as she scanned the contents. “Who the hell operates a warehouse this size with only a forklift and some barrels as inventory?”

“Someone who’s not really selling anything. At least, nothing legal.” Quinn nodded toward the two, industrial-sized armored mobile trailers positioned near the back. “I know I’m going to regret this, but… What do you think’s inside those trailers?”

Zadie pointed to the first one. “With the number of high voltage cables and cooling systems connected to that first one, I’d say we’ve got ourselves a server hub.”

Wynn shouldered up beside Zadie. “And the other’s got what looks like liquid nitrogen cooling tanks by the hitch and heavy-duty air filtration HVACs on top that likely create positive air pressure inside the unit. I’m betting it’s some kind of bio-containment rig.”

Quinn balked. “Bio-containment? Are we talking chemical warfare?”

Wynn shrugged. “If this is part of Finch’s operation, and based on the AR-15s, the huge increase in security measures when the fence isn’t even electrified in order to make the place look benign, I’d say that’s a pretty safe bet. Which points more towards a supply of TITAN or whatever’s on those patches, but I suppose anything’s possible.”

“Great.” Quinn raked his fingers through his hair. “Am I the only one who thinks this all feels wrong?”

Scout squeezed Quinn’s arm. “You’re just accustomed to being on the legal side of the law. You’ll get used to it.”

“That’s really not comforting.”

Neve moved in front. “We’re on the clock. Who knows how long we’ve got before one of those guards misses a check-in, and I don’t think we want to be anywhere close if reinforcements show up. Let’s recon the bio-containment unit, then let Zadie see if there’s anything worthwhile in the server hub.”

Neve twirled her finger, just like she had outside, and the team moved. Scout led them toward the wall, sticking to the deeper shadows as they quickstepped across the warehouse, the eerie silence prickling the hairs on the back of Quinn’s neck.

He’d searched enough warehouses throughout his career to know how it generally went down, and he had a bad feeling this wouldn’t end any differently. That they’d be fighting their way out before the night was over.

Scout obviously felt the same, constantly scanning every recess for anything that might challenge them, taking the route that provided the most cover. She reached the first trailer, checked underneath then headed for the main doors.

Wynn tried the handle, shaking her head when it wouldn’t budge. “Locked.”

Zadie swapped places, prying off the code reader panel. “Give me a few moments…” She hooked up her tablet with more clips attached to other cables then ran what looked like a decryption program before the light flashed green as the lock disengaged.

Wynn pulled on the handle, again, a blast of cool air rushing past them as the lights flashed on, a sheet of hanging plastic strips fluttering in the breeze. She pushed through them, examining the various equipment inside.

Neve arched a brow when she slipped back out. “Well?”

Wynn whistled softly. “It’s got everything they’d need to store and mix whatever TITAN variant they’re using, along with machines to stamp out the patches and spread the gel on the adhesive. But it’s all been sanitized, which suggests we just missed their last shipment.”

“Damn it. I’m sure Darwin would have appreciated some samples.” Neve blew out a rough breath, still scanning the shadows. “Zadie, you’re up. See if there’s anything on those servers that tell us where all this product’s going.”

They shifted over to the other trailer, slipping inside once Zadie had bypassed the code reader. The interior sprang to life, low-level lights brightening the space as a couple monitors winked on.

Zadie headed straight for a terminal, quickly decrypting the passcode before clicking through the various data bases. Lines of code scrolled across one monitor, a low hum filling the room. “I’ve got folders titled shipping manifests and medical sheets, but they’re encrypted.” She plugged in a thumb drive. “I’ll need a few minutes to transfer it all so I can decrypt it back at the…”

Her voice trailed off as another hard drive spooled to life, booting the main monitor above the door. A red light blinked on in the corner a moment before a woman appeared on the large screen, blonde hair meticulously pulled back into a harsh bun, her white lab coat smeared with what looked like blood. A man stood behind her, arms crossed, the familiar curve of his jaw spiking Quinn’s heart rate. He took a step forward when Scout grabbed his wrist, shaking her head as she held firm.

The woman pushed her glasses back along the bridge of her nose, staring down at them, mouth pursed tight, gaze clearly assessing them. “I’d like to say I’m surprised, but after the assault earlier and my guards not reporting in on time, this all seems apropos.”

Neve stepped forward. “And you are?”

The woman snorted. “Impressed that you were able to connect the night’s events to my warehouse so quickly. Especially, when I paid good money to have any trace of my shell company erased.”