Chapter 4 - THE LOCKED STORAGE ROOM
The workshop went silent.
Nathan stared at Tyler.
“Where?”
Tyler looked toward the rear wall.
“There’s a storage room behind the paint booth.”
Jason’s face twisted.
“You stupid little—”
Cole struck Jason across the mouth.
“Enough.”
The blow surprised everyone.
Jason wiped blood from his lip.
“You work for me.”
Cole looked at his son.
“No. I worked for the money.”
Nathan lowered his hands.
“Chief, release her and cooperate.”
Cole did not answer.
The chain dropped another inch.
My shoes nearly touched the vapor.
I began coughing.
Nathan moved toward the controls.
One officer blocked him.
Tyler took the officer’s radio and struck him across the jaw.
Michael rushed the second officer.
The phone fell but kept recording from the floor.
Chaos exploded.
Nathan tackled Jason.
Cole fired into the ceiling.
Everyone froze.
“Stop!”
His gun moved toward me.
“Open the storage room,” Nathan said.
Cole’s hand trembled.
“You don’t understand what’s inside.”
“I understand a pregnant woman is hanging over a chemical tank.”
Cole looked at Jason.
Then at Tyler.
Something changed.
He lowered the gun.
“Give me the key.”
Jason laughed.
“You think I carry it?”
Tyler reached into his pocket.
He placed a small brass key on the floor.
“I copied it.”
Jason’s confidence broke completely.
Nathan kicked the key toward Michael.
“Open the room.”
Michael ran behind the paint booth.
A metal door stood hidden behind stacked tires.
The lock opened.
A smell of bleach and rust filled the workshop.
Nathan entered first.
I could not see inside.
I only heard him stop.
Then he whispered,
“Daniel.”
A man lay chained to a radiator.
Thin.
Bearded.
Barely conscious.
But alive.
Nathan dropped beside him.
Daniel opened his eyes.
“Sarah?”
My chest tightened.
Jason looked toward me.
“You knew he would come back.”
“I thought he was dead.”
“You were supposed to.”
Nathan cut Daniel’s restraints.
Daniel tried to stand and collapsed.
He lifted one shaking hand toward the tank.
“Don’t let them lower her.”
Nathan looked toward Jason.
“What did she discover?”
Daniel’s eyes filled with fear.
“The children.”
Michael stared at him.
“What children?”
Daniel pointed toward the chemical tank.
“Under it.”
A heavy knock sounded from beneath the steel lid.
Then another.
May you like
Not pipes.
Human fists.
