Stolen Shadows

10 - Trigger

The first location was empty. It was still littered with trash, needles, plastic wrappings. But the cartel had cleared out. Mike had warned her that they move fast. This seemed to be the latest abandoned pop-up lab.

The second place was still active. When Addison arrived she found a semi-comfy spot on the fire escape across from the building, four stories up. Men were leaving every few minutes with wooden crates. She could guess what was in them. She scanned every face but didn't see Axel. There were a few lights on inside, and people were moving around, rushing to get the job done. There was someone standing outside, overseeing the operation, but it wasn't Axel, either. After watching for another ten minutes, furious that she couldn't arrest any of them, she forced herself to leave. If Axel had been there he would've been up front, supervising the whole thing. He always needed to be visible, in charge, a figure of power. He couldn't resist.

When Addison got to the third place (a tiny, whole-in-the-wall seafood restaurant) and all the lights were off, she assumed there was no one home. She vaulted over the counter of the outside stall and found a key for the door taped on the underside of the work table. She replaced it carefully and made her way inside. The door led from the seafood shack to the indoor kitchen area. She pulled out a flashlight and clicked it on.

It looked like a normal kitchen. Stoves, ovens, massive dishwashers and sinks, pots and pans and utensils hanging from the ceiling. The entire place smelled like fish. Addison sighed, knowing her mask would retain the smell for days. She made her way through to the back wall, where there were three doors. The first one was a pantry, and the second led to a freezer that smelled even more like fish. The third opened onto a staircase that descended into darkness.

She shined her flashlight down there to find that the stairwell curved into a spiral. Glancing once over her shoulder, she descended the stairs.

They seemed to go on forever, but it could only have been a few minutes. Finally, the stairs turned and Addison saw light. She immediately turned off her flashlight, plunging her immediate surroundings into darkness. The light from below was stark white, the harsh brightness of LEDs. As she got closer she squinted into the sudden light.

She heard voices. She stopped at the bottom of the staircase and flattened herself against the wall. The stairs were at the corner of the room, and whoever was speaking was at the other end. It was a man's voice, but she didn't recognize it. But then someone else responded, and she knew right away that it was Axel.

"I want him dead," Axel hissed. "I want him out of my way."

Addy's hands curled into fists. You're not killing anyone else, she thought. In her anger, she forgot her plan. She forgot she was supposed to wait. Axel was right there, only one other person with him. He was an easy target. Her gun was heavy in her hand, though she didn't remember drawing it. One shot was all it took.

She stepped out of the shadows and lifted her gun.

She instantly regretted her choice. Axel wasn't with just one other person. There were five other men around the room, standing guard, silently watching. And as soon as she raised her gun, she had five more trained on her.

Axel caught her eye and smiled. "Ah, we have a guest."

She didn't say anything. Her voice modulator was off, and she couldn't lower her gun now.

"We were just talking about you, actually," Axel said.

Addison realized with a jolt that she was the one Axel wanted dead. At the moment, it looked likely he would get his wish.

"I've been meaning to speak with you," he continued, walking closer. His partner hung back, curious but on edge. All the other men still held their weapons up. "You see, you've been interrupting my operation. And that's, well." He grinned. "That's just bad for business."