A few nights later, Maddy was stuck at work. Shehated night shifts. But, criminals seemed to prefer the night. Atleast, they did tonight. Nothing too intense so far. She’d quieteddown a few high school kids out for a late night on the beach.Ticketed a tourist that couldn’t figure out his GPS to get to hishotel, so he’d been swerving all over the road.
Around midnight, things got more interesting.Quinn buzzed through, “We have an alarm going off at McAllisterFisheries. Maddy, Ian, are you two able to respond? You’re allthat’s on tonight.”
Turning her SUV around, Maddy headed straightto the scene. “You got it. I’m about 5 minutes out.” Maddy radioedto her counterpart to confirm.
Ian’s voice echoed back through the radio,“I’m closer to 10 minutes out. Lights blazing or make a subtleentrance?”
“Let’s go for subtle tonight; I’ll scope itout. Hopefully just some birds.” A short drive later, she parkedaround the corner from McAllister’s. For food safety, theygenerally didn’t have bird issues, keeping a tightly sealed systemwith high quality alarms.
She grabbed her gear and hopped out of theSUV. Using caution, she pulled her gun from the glove compartment.Never could be too careful, even in Seaview. Trusting a gutinstinct could keep you safe. Her gut was screaming tonight.
The street was clear, not a soul in sight.Maddy dashed across the street, eyes scanning for activity. Backagainst the wall, she edged along the wall until she reached thenearest window. She subtly leaned around to glance in thewindow.
Nothing.
She silently crept along the wall until shereached the door. Dammit, ajar. Stupidity was really not her thing;she held her position and waited for Ian to join her.
She didn’t have to wait long. Ian’s darksilhouette dashed across the street, his feet silent and movementsswift. Within moments, he joined her, each against the wall oneither side of the door. Silently, Maddy motioned to the slightlyopened door. Nodding in agreement, Ian motionedafter youwith a friendly gesture. Rolling her eyes, but enjoying the silentbanter, Maddy pushed the door open slowly, sidearm drawn andready.
She heard him before she saw him. “Fuck,ouch.” A few feet more, and she caught glimpse of him. A very tall,lanky man, dressed all in black, was behind a refrigerator, pullingat wires and shaking his right hand as if he’d been shocked.
Ian snuck in the far door, armed and blockingthe other exit. Maddy cleared her throat. “Sir, you’re underarrest. I’d appreciate it if you–” he turned and bolted. He made ita few steps before he saw Ian, stopped abruptly and raised his armsin submission.
With a smart alec response, Ian chuckled,“Nice to see you too, asshole. On the ground.” He glanced up toMaddy, “Warehouse secure?”
The illegal electrician laid on the ground asdirected, without hesitance. Too easily. Ian quickly cuffed him.Suspecting more, Maddy kept her eyes moving as he made thearrest.
She’d been through enough drug busts inSeattle, she knew to ensure every hiding place in the building wascleared. One of her first nights out, a guy that had trashed hisbrain cells from years of meth use came running out from under adesk in an abandoned warehouse. Screaming, he hadn’t realized amajor drug deal had been going on that night, he’d simply forgottenwhere he was and took a nap in the wrong place.
“Ian, stay on this guy.” Maddy stepped back,drawing her weapon and listening carefully.
Nothing.
Silently, she crept towards the dark officestairs and listened. Something wasn’t right.
If others were present, they’d be upstairs,and maybe waiting for her at the top of the stairwell. Maddy pulledback out of the building and stealthily raced around to the back ofthe building and unlocked the back door, making her way up theemployee staircase to sneak up from behind.
Tiptoeing in the still darkness, she peekedin the window of the fire door at the top of the stairs. No one insight. Slowly, silently, she opened the fire door and made her wayinto the office. The door creaked quietly at first. Cringing, shehoped she hadn’t given away her position.
The front office was clear, not a soul insight. Gun ready, she cleared the room before moving into the widehallway to the other offices. The dark was almost oppressive, onlya small trickle of moonlight available to light the way. Her earstuned in to the slightest sounds; she thought she heard a shufflingfrom the far end of the hall when she’d come in, but nothingnow.
An arm shot out of the dark supply room andknocked her gun out of her hand. Swiftly, she dove backward,avoiding the lunging attack that followed close behind, a Bowieknife slashing at her. If she’d been slower, or off her guard, he’dhave sliced her neck with a quick flick of his wrist.
She ducked and bobbed, driving a kickstraight into the emerging perp’s gut.
With an “Oof,” he swiftly grabbed her legmid-air and tossed her into a nearby desk.
Furious, she flipped her legs up and nailedhim with a roundhouse kick. His head crashed into the wall as hetumbled.
Bouncing back up, the huge man grinned ather, pulling out a .22 and aiming it between her eyes. Some peoplefelt the .22 was not powerful enough to do much, but those werefolks that hadn’t seen the holes they made in skulls like shehad.
“You have the right to remain silent,” shebegan.
The burly giant grinned, his teeth and eyesglowing in the shadowy room, “Come on sweetheart, I’ve got theupper hand here.”
With a shrug and a smirk of her own, shecountered, “We’ll see. I’m just getting this out of the way; let mefinish, okay?”
Sidestepping around her, he kept the guntrained on her. “Don’t move a fucking muscle; I’m getting out ofhere before your pal starts looking for you.”
