Chapter 3 - The Gray Door
I ripped the tracking device from its magnetic mount and threw it into the nearest storm drain.
I had no idea how they managed to plant it, but I knew I only had minutes before they pinpointed this garage.
I strapped the little girl to my chest using a torn jacket and abandoned my car entirely.
We slipped out the back exit of the garage just as the black SUV roared down the entrance ramp.
I walked for miles through the sweltering city streets, keeping my head down and avoiding every security camera in sight.
The address on the parchment led us to a decaying industrial district on the edge of the city limits.
The buildings were hollowed-out shells of rusted metal and broken glass, surrounded by overgrown weeds.
I found the specific warehouse and circled to the back, searching frantically for a sign.
Tucked behind a massive pile of discarded shipping pallets was a heavy, unmarked gray door.
I knocked three times, exactly as the note had instructed in a small postscript at the bottom.
The door swung open instantly, and the cold barrel of a shotgun was shoved directly into my face.
An elderly man with wild gray hair stared intensely at me, his finger hovering over the trigger.
He looked down at the little girl, his hard expression softening for a fraction of a second.
He yanked us inside by my collar and slammed the heavy steel door shut, locking a series of deadbolts.
He introduced himself as Arthur and told me the woman in the parking lot was named Chloe.
Arthur explained that Chloe had uncovered a massive, city-wide trafficking ring run by the Mayor himself.
The little girl, Lily, had accidentally witnessed something at the Mayor's estate that made her a loose end.
Arthur walked over to a safe, claiming he had the encrypted hard drive that could bring the entire corrupt empire down.
Before he could open it, the warehouse power abruptly cut out, plunging us into total darkness.
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A distinct hissing sound echoed through the ventilation shafts above our heads.
Thick, yellow smoke began pouring into the room, burning my eyes and scorching my throat with every breath.
