Chapter 3 - The Industrial Laundry
The smuggling tunnel led them to a hidden garage three blocks away from the estate.
Camilo grabbed the keys to an untraceable black sedan.
Gabriel loaded two heavy tactical rifles from the trunk cache.
They drove through the morning traffic with terrifying speed.
Camilo's mind raced as he thought about Joanna's ruined hands bound to a chair.
He knew the industrial laundry in Cicero was a fortress disguised as a legitimate business.
They parked two streets away to avoid triggering the perimeter cameras.
The air smelled strongly of bleach and burnt cotton.
Gabriel pointed to the heavily guarded loading dock at the rear of the building.
Four armed men were pacing in front of the rolling steel doors.
Camilo signaled Gabriel to circle around to the ventilation intake.
Camilo walked straight toward the guards with his hands empty.
The guards raised their weapons and shouted at him to stop.
Camilo did not slow his pace.
He knew these men were mercenaries, not loyal family soldiers.
He loudly offered them double whatever Silas was paying them to walk away right now.
Three of the men hesitated, lowering their barrels slightly.
The fourth man sneered and raised his gun to Camilo's chest.
Before the man could pull the trigger, a suppressed shot dropped him to the pavement.
Gabriel had found a sniper position on the adjacent roof.
The remaining three guards immediately dropped their weapons and ran down the alley.
Camilo stepped over the body and hit the override switch for the loading doors.
The heavy metal screeched as it rolled upward.
The factory floor was massive, filled with steaming vats of chemical wash.
Camilo moved through the maze of industrial machines with his weapon raised.
He found Joanna in the center of the room, tied to a metal chair.
Her face was bruised, and her splinted hands were bleeding through the bandages.
Camilo rushed forward to untie the thick ropes.
Joanna looked up at him with wide, panicked eyes.
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She screamed at him that it was a trap.
The steel doors slammed shut behind them, plunging the factory floor into total darkness.
