Nothing. The dockyard is deserted.
With the door fully rolled up, we’re free to peer around at the drizzly landscape. Greyscale buildings labelled with directions towards the docks proper, the odd discarded pallet, an array of ancient-looking CCTV cameras that I highly doubt still function.
No assailants.
“Stay alert,” Warner orders curtly.
“You’re all clear,” Kyle informs via the comms. “No movement.”
“This doesn’t feel right,” I mumble.
“They’re running a clandestine trafficking operation from a legal port,” Blaine replies quietly. “Hardly going to roll out the welcome mat and have flashing signs.”
Checking my hip holster for the fifteenth time, I glare at the know-it-all dickhead then follow Warner and Hyland out of the vehicle. We have to jump down onto the rough tarmac, in sight of a nearby building equipped with professional signage.
INTERNATIONAL FREIGHT TERMINAL.
Everyone tenses at the approach of footsteps, the muscles in my shoulders unclenching when Josh greets us with a grin.
“Those were some decent forged documents. They didn’t even blink.”
Holding a finger to his lips, Hyland shushes the excited recruit. We gather at the rear of the vehicle, naturally falling into a tight formation to protect one another in case we’ve been spotted.
“Dominic’s intel placed Luis’s operations in this quadrant.” Hyland nods towards a nearby lorry. “There are your fake plates.”
Sure enough, Rayna’s observation checks out. Only one of the rear doors is now gaping open to reveal an abandoned interior. Completely empty. The sense of unease pooling in my stomach grows, twisting into a knot.
Blaine tentatively circles the empty lorry, crouching to check beneath it before completing a full circuit. He returns, seemingly satisfied it isn’t going to explode.
“We still need to check that building,” Hyland suggests.
Blaine rolls his lip ring between his teeth. “We don’t have the numbers for a fight. Now, if you’d allowed me to involve my people…”
“A bunch of untrained criminals infiltrating an active crime scene? Excellent idea.”
“Just a suggestion,” he clips out. “No need to use that tone.”
“Rayna, can we get a heat scan?” Warner trains his sight on the building. “I want to know what we’re sneaking into.”
After a couple tense minutes, Rayna’s voice crackles down the line.
“Nothing detected, but those concrete walls have to be three feet thick. The drone’s infrared camera can’t capture accurate readings through that.”
“Copy. Thanks.”
My head tilts upwards so I can locate the faint black dot of her drone in the air. “We’ll have to do this the old-fashioned way. If anyone’s left inside, we’ll deal with it.”
“Quietly,” Warner adds.
“Still could be a trap,” Josh mutters.
Blaine provides a derisive snort. “Likely.”
Cursing, Warner scans over the multiple-story structure. “We move fast and silent. Clear each floor, watch each other’s backs and look for any signs of Luis’s operation.”
“Backup?” Hyland suggests.
Warner adjusts the piece tucked into his ear. “Kyle, I want you to remain above. Stay sharp in case anyone is watching. I need Axel and Archer to come down to follow us.”
