Chapter 7 - Into the Dark
Detective Vance immediately pulled out his radio. “I’m calling in SWAT. We’ll surround the foundry, set up snipers, and—”
“No,” I snapped, grabbing Vance’s wrist. “Rostov has lookouts everywhere. The second he sees a police cruiser or a tactical unit, he’ll put a bullet in Sarah’s head and disappear.”
“Mark, going in alone is suicide!” Vance urged. “You aren't trained for this!”
“I don't need tactical training,” I said, looking over at my sleeping kids. “I have nothing left to lose.”
I made a copy of the encrypted files from the micro-SD card onto my phone, handed the original card to Vance, and kept the micro-SD duplicate in my pocket. Then, I called my mother to come to the hospital immediately to sit with Lily and Tommy under armed police guard.
By 3:30 AM, the rain was pouring down in sheets over the industrial district of the city.
The old iron foundry was a massive, decaying shadow rising against the dark sky, surrounded by rusting machinery and high chain-link fences. I pulled my SUV up to the main gate, killed the headlights, and sat in the dark for a moment.
My heart was hammering like a war drum against my ribs.
I reached into the glove box and pulled out my heavy steel framing hammer—a tool I had used for ten years in construction work before transitioning to architecture. It was heavy, perfectly balanced, and lethal in close quarters.
I tucked it into the waistband of my coat, opened the door, and stepped out into the freezing rain.
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I pushed through the rusted side door of the foundry. The smell of grease, damp earth, and ozone filled the air. Yellow construction lights hung from the high rafters, casting long, grotesque shadows across the concrete floor.
“I’m here, Rostov!” my voice echoed through the massive, hollow cavern. “Show yourself!”
