Chapter 6 - THE WAREHOUSE
The warehouse stood on the edge of an abandoned industrial district.
No signs.
No employees.
No cameras visible from the road.
It looked forgotten.
That was what made it terrifying.
Daniel had already called federal authorities.
But they were still waiting on a warrant.
I wasn't.
I entered through a side door.
Mike followed.
The air smelled of dust and oil.
Rows of empty pallets stretched into darkness.
Then my flashlight caught something.
A child's bicycle.
Why would a warehouse hold a child's bicycle?
I moved closer.
Then I saw dozens of boxes.
Medical labels.
Shipping codes.
Dates.
I recognized one.
The same contractor involved in the payments to my mother.
Mike swore under his breath.
"This is it."
We opened a box.
Inside were old computers.
Hard drives.
Paper files.
Photographs.
And a second set of ledgers.
My name appeared on page after page.
But none of the transactions were mine.
Someone had created fake authorizations using my identity.
I felt sick.
Then Gwen found something.
She had followed us.
I turned.
"What are you doing here?"
She looked angry.
"You told me to stay at the hotel."
"You should have."
"I was never good at listening when you were being stupid."
Despite everything, I almost smiled.
Then she handed me a folder.
"I found this."
Inside were medical records.
Not mine.
Not hers.
Another woman's.
Name:
Lena Vaughn.
Mike went pale.
"Eric's wife."
"What happened to her?"
"She died."
"When?"
"Two years ago."
I looked at the medical records.
The diagnosis was unusual.
Exposure to toxic chemicals.
Long-term respiratory damage.
I looked around the warehouse.
"What was she exposed to?"
Mike stared at the shipping crates.
"Whatever was inside those containers."
A noise came from the other side of the building.
Footsteps.
We froze.
Then the warehouse lights came on.
Every single one.
At the far end stood Paige.
She was wearing a black coat.
Beside her were three men.
And Eric Vaughn.
Paige looked at me.
She wasn't crying.
She wasn't afraid.
She looked relieved.
"Caleb," she said.
"What are you doing here?"
I stepped forward.
"That's my question."
She laughed.
"Still playing hero."
Gwen moved beside me.
Paige looked at her shaved head.
Then smiled.
"I really didn't think you'd bring her."
My fists clenched.
"Why did you do this?"
Paige shook her head.
"Why did you leave me?"
I stared.
"What?"
"You always got everything."
"What are you talking about?"
"Mom was obsessed with you."
She stepped closer.
"Every decision revolved around you."
I shook my head.
"So you stole from me?"
"I didn't steal."
She pointed around the warehouse.
"I moved assets."
"You're calling this moving assets?"
"You weren't using the money."
I almost laughed.
"My wife was starving."
Paige's face hardened.
"She was always manipulating you."
Gwen whispered, "Why did you cancel my insurance?"
Paige looked at her.
"Because you were going to ruin everything."
Everything went silent.
I looked at my sister.
"What does that mean?"
She realized too late that she had said too much.
Eric moved toward her.
"Enough."
I stepped forward.
"Don't."
Eric stopped.
Then sirens sounded outside.
Paige looked toward the door.
Panic flashed across her face.
Daniel had arrived.
Federal agents followed.
Eric backed away.
Paige screamed, "You don't understand!"
I shouted over her.
"Then explain!"
She pointed at me.
"You think this is about your money?"
"What is it about?"
She started crying.
"Mom was trying to protect you!"
"By stealing from me?"
"No!"
She reached into her coat.
Eric grabbed her wrist.
Something fell to the floor.
A small metal drive.
I bent down.
Picked it up.
Paige whispered:
"Don't open it."
I looked at her.
"Why?"
Her voice broke.
"Because it contains the video of what happened to the last soldier who figured it out."
The agents entered.
Eric was arrested.
Paige was taken into custody.
And Margaret wasn't there.
She was gone.
Daniel came running toward me.
"Where's your mother?"
I looked around the warehouse.
She had disappeared.
Then my phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
A video file appeared.
No text.
No explanation.
I opened it.
The screen showed a dark room.
A chair.
A man tied to it.
The camera moved closer.
The man lifted his head.
I recognized him.
Michael Reed.
But the video wasn't old.
May you like
The timestamp was from that morning.
And behind him stood Margaret.
