Page 45 of Erase Me
Flickering bulbs on wooden poles marked the perimeter of the lot.Their dim beams barely reached the ground, leaving large black gaps of darkness to divide the sporadic pools of light.Two or three old security cameras had been mounted into the posts.But judging from the dangling cables beneath them, it was obvious they hadn’t been functional for quite some time.
Cautiously, I navigated through the maze of road equipment, stacks of steel on pallets, barrels, and discarded junk.My shoes scuffed on the uneven gravel and broken pavement.Approaching the yard office, I shined my flashlight in through the broken window.The office was empty, except for a battered file cabinet, a scarred wooden desk, an ancient swivel chair held together with duct tape, and a cardboard box overflowing with takeout containers and coffee cups.
No one was living in there.
Pocketing my flashlight, I ran my eyes over the enclosed yard, which wasn’t that large.There was no tent or makeshift shack that I could see.In a shadowy back corner of the property, an old hulk of a sailboat on blocks sat near a pair of rusted shipping containers.The outsides of them were covered with graffiti, and scrap wood and weeds surrounded them.
Standing amid the chaos, I wasn’t exactly sure where I was supposed to meet my contact.Perhaps because of the fog, an eerie silence enveloped the space, sharpening my sense of awareness.I didn’t think I was early.There was no one around as far as I could see.
My gaze came to rest on the shipping containers again.The two doors at the end swung outward, and one of them stood partially open.Moving as quietly as possible, I crossed the yard to them.
Ten feet from the open door, I saw a flash of light inside.
I wasn’t here to catch anyone by surprise.I had no interest in causing a disturbance.My information indicated that I was expected.
“Hello,” I called out as I approached.“You’re expecting me.”
Silence.
“I saw a light.I know you’re in there.”
I pulled out my flashlight and shined it in.There was a shopping cart and a lot of junk stacked up like a barricade halfway down.Beyond it, I caught a glimpse of piles of clothes and blankets near the far end.
I didn’t want to trap the guy in there.
“I can just wait out here if you want,” I called out.
Suddenly, a loud bang came from the back of the container.It sounded like something knocking hard against a wall.
Without thinking, I stepped in, flashing my light toward the sound.
The attacker was waiting behind the other door and came at me fast, but I managed to get a quick look at the face.I reached out to fend off the assault.
“Avalie?”I blurted out, stunned by the unexpected encounter.But before I could fully process it, I felt a grip like iron take hold of my wrist.In a split second, I was being flipped.After first hitting the wall, I landed in a heap, the breath knocked out of me.
I lay there for only a moment, trying to breathe and make some sense of it.Before I could move, I felt the press of her immobilizer against my neck.
After that...nothing.
ChapterTwelve
Avalie
I stared down at Reed.His flashlight lay on the floor, casting a weird light on his motionless body.
Shit.Shit.Shit.
Well, that was unexpected.His arrival caught me completely off guard.
I’d only arrived a couple of minutes ahead of him.If I had known he was in the scrap yard, I would have made a run for it.As soon as I heard him near the container, though, my options for escape dried up.And I had nowhere to hide.
I’d thrown a discarded shoe at the back wall, hoping to draw Reed in and immobilize him before he laid eyes on me.That plan had gone nowhere.He spotted me and recognized me immediately.
Crouching beside him, I aimed my light at Reed’s face.He was unconscious.I couldn’t remember how long the immobilizer’s effect lasted with just one hit.
“Payam, I need you,” I whispered under my breath, fumbling for the phone in my pocket.
That’s when the heavy metal door swung on its rusted hinges.As it slammed shut, I lunged toward it, but too late.A latch squealed and clanked into place from the outside.I pushed and kicked at the door, but it was too late.
