Chapter 45 - The Wolf's Den
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The Narrows dockyard was a desolate, rust-covered industrial wasteland, reeking of salt water, diesel fuel, and decay. The massive, towering cranes looked like skeletal sentinels guarding the black water. I parked the SUV a half-mile away, approaching Pier 9 on foot, utilizing the deep shadows cast by the stacks of empty shipping containers.
The rain worked to my advantage, masking the sound of my boots on the wet concrete. Through my thermal optics, I surveyed Warehouse 44. It was a massive, corrugated steel structure. Vance hadn't lied; the security was incredibly tight. Guards armed with automatic rifles patrolled the catwalks and the main loading bays.
At exactly 2:45 AM, a massive freighter drifted slowly into the pier, its engines humming a low, mournful note. The loading bay doors of the warehouse shrieked open, revealing a fleet of unmarked transport trucks waiting inside. The sheer scale of the human trafficking operation made my blood boil with a violent, unrestrained rage.
I moved to the side entrance, a heavy steel door guarded by two smoking mercenaries. I didn't hesitate. I stepped out of the shadows, double-tapping my suppressed pistol with brutal precision. Both men dropped instantly, their cigarettes hissing as they hit the wet pavement.
I caught the heavy door before it could slam shut, slipping inside the massive warehouse. The interior was a cavernous, echoing nightmare of industrial noise and harsh floodlights. Down on the main floor, men were barking orders as the first shipping container was lowered from the freighter by a crane.
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I ignored the floor level. My target was the elevated, glass-fronted overseer's office jutting out from the second-story wall. Through the glass, I could see Silas. He was older, grayer, but he still carried the same arrogant, cruel posture. He was sipping coffee, watching his twisted empire operate.
I slung my rifle over my shoulder and began the silent, lethal climb up the metal maintenance stairs. I dispatched three more guards on the catwalk, leaving a quiet trail of bodies in my wake. The wolf was entirely unaware that a much more terrifying predator had just entered his den.
