They played for a while, the categories growing more absurd as the night stretched on. Dog breeds. Things that were yellow. Words that rhymed with "orange." Kim won some and lost more, and she found herself sitting up straighter, her exhaustion receding with every stupid category."How do you even come up with any of this?" she asked after she lost a round about types of screws."I told you, There's a lot of waiting around to be done during the job and the guys I worked with, we had to find ways to pass the time." He was quiet for a moment, his gaze drifting toward the house across the street. Cross's living room lights had been turned off by their fifth game and the woman had gone to the back of the house. But there was no sign of her doing anything note worthy "There was this one guy, Ervin. He was terrible at this game. Every category, he would just say the first word that popped into his head, even if it made no sense. 'Things you find in a toolbox.' 'Elephant.' Every single tim

But going further, they saw it wasn’t over. There was another fence in front of them, this one set further back from the first, closer to the warehouse itself. It was made of concrete segments, topped with more wire, but the wall itself was shorter, maybe seven feet. Beyond it, the warehouse stood.It was a black shape against the slightly lighter black of the sky. It was exactly as Leo's schematics had shown.A massive, sprawling structure of corrugated metal and rust-streaked walls, its windows boarded over or painted black. But there was light coming from somewhere inside, a faint, flickering glow that seeped through a crack in one of the upper windows, and Kim felt her stomach tighten at the sight of it.They watched from a distance, taking cover behind a thick tree that had somehow survived the industrial blight. Cross was already at the wall. She paused, assessed it, then placed her hands on the top edge and vaulted up and over with a fluid motion that sent a small shower

Pushing the light to Saul for him to hold and pocketing her gun in her waistband, she worked the tool in the keyhole with quick, precise movements. After one intense minute of tension, there was a soft click, and then the door swung inward on silent hinges.Reclaiming her light and pulling out her gun again, Cross slipped through first, her weapon raised, her flashlight cutting a narrow beam through the darkness. Kim followed, then Saul, pulling the door shut behind them with a soft, careful click.The interior of the warehouse was exactly what Saul had expected, vast and cavernous, with a ceiling that disappeared into shadow above them. The space was empty.Dust piles marked where heavy machinery had once stood, their outlines preserved in the grime on the floor. Rust stains bled across the concrete like old wounds. Faded paint showed where lines had been drawn, zones marked out, workstations delineated.Disconnected wires hung from the ceiling like dead vines, their ends frayed an

Saul's head snapped toward the detective at that, his eyes widening. He couldn't help the incredulity that was practically painted over his face and honestly no one in this situation could blame him! What was the detective playing at really?First she let them follow her here, next she gave Kim a gun, and now she wanted Kim to shoot at people?He had totally misjudged the woman. He thought she was pretty uptight….. and was the kind of person who liked to control things around her and who followed the rules to the ‘T, with expectations that everyone else would do the same. But he was wrong. The woman was clearly uptight and crazy, a combination that boggled his mind."What?" he hissed, keeping his voice low. "You can't be serious. She's never fired a gun in her life.""Then she's about to learn," Cross replied, not even looking at him. "Unless you'd rather take your chances with six armed men and a van."Saul opened his mouth to argue, but Kim's hand on his arm stopped him. She was

Saul reached for the door handle, his body protesting every movement, when Kim spoke. Her voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper, and it cracked on the first word."We should split up. Go to a hospital, get patched up, and meet back later. It'll be faster that way."Cross didn't even look at her. She killed the engine and opened her door, her movements fluid despite the exhaustion that was clearly visible in the lines around her eyes."No."Kim blinked, her brow furrowing with confusion. "What?""No," Cross repeated, stepping out of the car. She slammed the door behind her and walked around to the back, her footsteps echoing in the quiet morning. "A hospital will take too much time. We don't have that kind of time. I'll patch you up here."Saul felt his brow furrow. The idea of letting this woman, this detective who had been so hostile just hours ago, treat his injuries in her own home seemed wrong somehow. Almost…. Dangerous."Detective, that's not-""I said no." Cross's voice wa