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Viktor and his three men had guns drawn, their silencers pointed at the ground. In contrast, Adrian was in a fevered frenzy. The lawyer now stepped eagerly forward, bloodshot eyes focused on the open loading bays. I followed him, swallowing the lump in my throat.
The Bratva soldiers fanned out, approaching the building with tactical precision. It wasn’t until Viktor paused, eyes searching the exterior, that I too hesitated. There were no cameras and no alarm in place to keep teens and vagabonds out...or sadistic murderers.
“Adrian—stop!” Viktor shouted.
Ice filled my veins, and I whipped my gaze to my cousin-in-law. There was nothing suspicious about the entrance, and Claude was dead. What had the Russian seen? I scanned the entrance, a horrid realization taking shape in my mind at the same time Viktor said aloud, “Booby traps.”
The Russian jogged to the open bay area and stared down. He gestured at the ground. “Trip wire. There was a glint when the sun hit it just right.”
My heart hammered in my chest. Claude didn’t want anyone coming into his workspace, which meant my brother had been here before. He wouldn’t have taken such care to rig the joint if it wasn’t a place he frequented.
“I can’t believe he was smart enough,” I breathed, watching as one of the Bratva soldiers sprayed silly string onto the wires.
“Is it possible he had one of your father’s associates do this?” Viktor asked, watching his soldier now follow the explosive back to its base.
“To my knowledge, my father didn’t have a group of gangsters working for him. He was more of a solo act and only outsourced to other parties interested in making money.” I rubbed my arms, warding off the chill despite the California heat. “This could very well have been Claude’s secret talent.”
“Indeed,” Viktor hummed.
The soldier gave a curt nod, signifying the wire had been dismantled, and we stepped over it, proceeding toward the entrance. On entering, strong chemical smells wafted through the air. The sunlight was patchy, making the room dull.
“There are likely more trip wires,” Viktor mused, taking out a flashlight. His soldiers were waiting for his next command, but he turned to Adrian and me. “If this place explodes, there’s no getting out. Is that something you want to risk?”
“Yes,” I declared, fisting my hands at my sides.
“I’m going in,” Adrian agreed, haggard features set in grim determination.
Viktor barked something in Russian, which I interpreted as: “Advance with caution, and shout if there are more traps.”
I pressed forward, my own flashlight scanning the walls and floor. Chlorine was the predominant scent, but there was also formaldehyde. No wonder my brutish brother had held few brain cells; this would only have accelerated his stupidity. One trio, led by the Bratva boss, took to the stairs to explore the work rooms on the upper levels of the warehouse. Adrian, a soldier, and I took the rooms below. No more explosives were encountered.
Every room we swept was empty. One room stank of a burnt chemical, and the charred remains of plastic lay on the floor, Along with pooling bleach that also soaked the walls. In the janitor’s closet in the back of the warehouse, there were countless supplies and toolboxes with suspicious stains on them. Gingerly, I poked at one and gagged at the unwashed saws, plyers, and other tools. There wasn’t running water in the break room, but Claude could have at least washed his torture devices, or maybe the ape didn’t mind bits of flesh and bone contaminating his victims?
How many people has he brought here?I wanted to run screaming from this chamber of horrors, but there was one last office space that needed checking.
Even though old oil canisters lined the walls, this room stank of cadavers. The scent brought me back to my high school education when I’d attended anatomy lessons at university. It had been a private lesson, a one-on-one with the instructor. And instead of learning the average biological lessons, I’d been shown the insides of a human and how the organs could be damaged to destroy the whole.
“Go fetch Viktor, please,” I said to the soldier.
With a tight nod, the soldier was only too happy to leave. I looked around the room and found a crowbar hanging on a wall.
“Hold the light so it hits there,” I said to Adrian.
His gaze was glued on the spot, but he obeyed my request. Starting with the barrel closest to the door, I finagled the lid. It came off with little effort. At first, the sting of chemicals made my eyes water, and I blinked. Adrian stepped closer, and the light glinted off the murky liquid. It was enough to see inside. Although I turned away quickly, gut churning and chest heaving, I knew that small glimpse of the barrel’s contents would haunt me forever. I’d seen Iryna’s fair features staring sightlessly up at ceiling.
I stifled a shriek, bile at the back of my throat.
Viktor stepped inside the room and peered into the barrel. “Ivan, go get a body bag from the trunk.”
Adrian was frozen beside me, staring down at the remains of his kin. His gloved hand reached out, and I wrapped my fingers around his arm and pulled him back.
“Don’t,” I begged. “Don’t do this to yourself.”
His head lifted, those bloodshot eyes raw with pain. “I’m never touching another drop of liquor again,” he rasped.
I wasn’t sure how to address this broken man’s declaration. “That’s probably a good thing, Adrian. But is that really what you want to be focusing on right now?” I cut a look to the Russian, hoping he might have something useful to add.
His somber countenance stared back at me. “Make a vow over her body, and then move so we can collect her remains and get the hell out of here,” Viktor said in a low voice.
