Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22436 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 112(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22436 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 112(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
“It’s odd,” Maxim says as he pulls out a folder. “The last storage building we went to had a box like this. I only glanced at it because it didn’t seem important. There was one file in the entire box and the student was labeled as expelled. This box is the same.”
“So?” I walk over and squat down next to him to see what he’s looking at.
“So don’t you think it’s odd that both places we’ve been to have a box with one file inside? It seems more suspicious to save it at all if they are only keeping one.”
“Then why save it?”
There’s a manilla envelope at the back of the file, and Maxim opens it. When he tips the contents into his hand, my heart stops. There are photos of a young woman in her school uniform and then in her underwear. But the most alarming photos are at the bottom of the pile. In several she’s tied up, and in the last one she’s completely naked. Seeing them makes my stomach clench, and I think I’m going to throw up. Not only because I know that fucker Andrew took these photos but because in every photo she looks absolutely terrified.
“We’ve got to call this in,” Maxim says, and then we both flinch when his phone rings. “Hang on,” he says and puts it on speaker.
“I’ve got the warrant,” Detective Webb says. “Tell me you’ve got something.”
“We’re leaving for the last location now,” Maxim says then puts the photos back in the envelope. “But you need to send some people to both of the locations I pinged for you earlier.”
“What’s going on?” Webb asks, and Maxim fills her in as we leave the building.
He gets in the passenger seat, and when I put it into drive, I hit the gas. All I can think about is getting to Karmen in time. I can’t let her end up like those other girls.
When Maxim is finished telling Webb what we found, there’s a long pause on the other end of the phone.
“Jesus Christ,” she finally whispers. “I should have known this wasn’t his first time. He was too organized.”
“We’re not far from the final storage facility.” Maxim checks the location and then looks at how fast I’m going. “It’s pretty far out and service is spotty, but it won’t take us long to get there.”
“Okay, I’ve got a team and we’re headed that way now.” I hear Webb call out to people in the background before she comes back. “We’ve had a report of two men shot dead in a parking garage. They were driving an SUV that matches the one in the video.”
“Shit,” I hiss and squeeze the steering wheel tighter. The storm is getting worse, and I have to keep control of the vehicle and not hydroplane.
“Be careful,” Webb says. “We are assuming from here on out he’s armed and willing to kill for Karmen.”
“That makes two of us,” I say under my breath, and Maxim glances over at me.
“Will do,” Maxim says, ignoring my comment and then hanging up. “Turn left.” He points up ahead, and it takes us down a back road. “It’s not far now. Turn the lights off.”
We’re getting close when something flashing catches my attention. On the side of the road it looks like a sports car crashed into a tree. The driver's side door is flung open, and there’s no one inside, but the car hit hard enough to make the airbags deploy.
“What the fuck happened to them?” Maxim asks. All the heavy rain earlier caused some of this area to flood. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone went around the curve too fast and that’s what caused them to slide off the road and hit the tree.
“I don’t know, but I don’t see anyone.” We don’t have time to stop and check so I keep driving.
When I make the last turn, I see that it’s lined with trees, and it feels like we’re going somewhere secluded.
“Why would someone put a storage building out here?” Maxim asks the question I’m already thinking.
“Exactly.” I slow the car as we approach, and in the distance I see the metal building with a car parked in front of it.
“Stop here,” Maxim says, and I park the car out of sight from the building entrance. “Let’s go around and see if there’s another way in,” he says and grabs his backpack. “You ready?”
He holds out a handgun, and I take it from him. I pop the clip out and check the chamber before sliding it back in. “Let’s fucking do this.”
The rain is almost gone as we silently get out of the car and split up. We each go down the side of the building and meet up at the rear entrance. There aren’t any windows, but there is a metal door.