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Hunter
In the heart of the desolate industrial wasteland, a massive, decaying warehouse loomed like a titan, its shadow swallowing the surrounding area in darkness. The once-vibrant paint on its exterior had long since been stripped away by time and neglect, leaving behind a skeleton of rusted metal and crumbling concrete.
Tall, overgrown weeds and thistles wrapped themselves around a corroded chain-link fence that was adorned with warning signs—a futile barrier against those who’d breach this warehouse’s boundaries.
It was in there that Luna’s cell phone was omitting its signal.
I had been careful, arriving in the parking lot, watching for any sign of exterior guards as I parked my vehicle near a corner.
Normally, I would’ve parked farther away. But I would not waste any time getting to Luna.
I checked my cell phone one more time to ensure her signal had not moved before jogging to the closest door.
Locked. Shit.
I couldn’t risk trying to shoot it open, not without tipping my hand that I was here.
Twelve feet away, another metal door was also locked.
Damn it.
I could use my lock kit if it became necessary, but I typically targeted my victims on the streets of the city, and my lock-picking skills needed some work.
Could I do it? Sure. But it would take a lot longer than I wanted it to, and Luna might be inside right now, having God knows what being done to her. I needed to hurry.
I ran another thirty feet until I found another door.
This one was ajar.
I grabbed my Smith & Wesson and slowly opened the door.
The thing groaned like it was trying to shout a warning to everyone inside, alerting them to my presence. I stilled for a moment, listening for any sounds of footsteps. But I was met with only silence.
I had no idea what I was walking into. How many men might be positioned throughout this warehouse, standing guard.
I started walking down the hallway, staring down the barrel of my gun. In any of these doorways, a man could be waiting for me, ready to strike. And while my vest was bulletproof, my head was unprotected. If I got ambushed and died, I wouldn’t be able to rescue Luna.
The narrow, disquieting hallway stretched out before me like the throat of a monstrous beast, threatening to swallow me whole before I could even locate her. The air was stale and suffocating, saturated with the faint, acrid odor of mold and dampness that clung to the decaying walls.
Overhead, a single fluorescent light flickered with an ominous, hypnotic pulse that seemed to taunt me—its buzz the only sound in the otherwise silent hallway.
Each hesitant footstep upon the warped, splintered floorboards seemed to echo, betraying my presence to the men who had taken Luna here.
I continued to advance slowly, but there were so many little rooms, such a big space, how would I ever find her?
I swung my weapon to my right, entering a small room that appeared to have once been a supply room. Now, beer cans blanketed the floor as if local teenagers had found this place and used it as a party spot. No Luna. No men.
I returned to the hallway and advanced another twenty feet. This time, the door to my left was closed. As I turned the knob with my left hand, holding the gun with my right, I wondered who was waiting on the other side. I wondered if they could hear the doorknob twisting and if they were lining up their shot right now.
I swung the door open quickly, intending to bash them in the face with it.
Another empty room. No men, no Luna.
What if she wasn’t here? What if someone had tossed Luna’s cell phone here and taken her somewhere else? Or what if her cell phone was being used as bait to lure me into a trap?
What if they knew my identity and knew that I would track her down?
But this was my only lead on where Luna might be, and time was running out.
