Chapter 13: Secrets Behind the Door...

The key felt heavier in my pocket than it should have.

Unit 413.

I traced my fingers over the numbers engraved into the metal, my pulse steady but my thoughts restless.

It could be nothing. A few old papers. Useless trinkets.

Or it could be everything.

Adrian hadn't said much since we got in the car, his gaze fixed on the road as if he expected someone to jump out and ambush us. The tension in his posture told me he was just as on edge as I was.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked finally.

I nodded, gripping the key tighter. "John left this behind for a reason. I need to know why."

Adrian didn't argue. He simply pressed the gas pedal a little harder.

We pulled up in front of Newcrest Storage.

The facility was eerily quiet, the kind of place where people stored the things they didn't want to think about anymore. The single security light flickered overhead, barely illuminating the empty parking lot.

Adrian scanned the area, always the soldier, always alert. "Doesn't look like anyone's here."

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "That doesn't mean we're alone."

He didn't deny it.

Inside, the air was thick with the scent of dust and old metal. The hallway stretched long and empty, rows of storage units standing like silent sentinels.

Our footsteps echoed as we moved deeper inside, searching for the right number.

409… 410… 411…

Adrian suddenly stopped.

I nearly bumped into him. "What is it?"

He pointed to the floor.

A faint scuff mark near the door of Unit 413.

Someone had been here recently.

My pulse kicked up. "We're not alone, are we?"

Adrian didn't answer. He simply drew his gun.

I turned the key in the lock.

The door creaked open.

The unit was small—bare concrete walls, metal shelves, and stacks of dusty boxes.

But my eyes went straight to the filing cabinet in the back.

Unlike the rest of the unit, it was clean.

Someone had been using it.

Adrian moved forward cautiously, checking behind the shelves, making sure we weren't walking into a trap.

I barely heard him. My entire focus was on the cabinet.

Kneeling, I pulled open the top drawer.

Inside, there was a sealed envelope and a small black notebook.

I picked up the envelope first.

One word was scrawled across it in John's handwriting.

Everly.

My throat tightened.

I hadn't seen his writing in so long. The sight of it alone made my chest ache.

With trembling fingers, I tore it open.

A single sheet of paper.

I started reading.

Everly, if you're reading this, then I'm already gone. And that means you're in danger.

Don't trust anyone. Not even the ones who claim to be helping you.

There's something I never told you. Something that could get you killed.

Look inside the notebook.

A chill ran down my spine.

Adrian read over my shoulder, his expression hardening.

I grabbed the notebook next, flipping it open.

Inside were names.

Dozens of them. Some I recognized—businessmen, politicians, powerful figures. Others were strangers.

Next to each name were dates.

And notes.

Bribes. Deals. Deaths.

John had been keeping records of people he wasn't supposed to know about.

I suddenly felt sick.

This wasn't just about John's past.

It was about me.

If John had left this behind, it meant he knew someone would come looking for it.

And now… I had it.

Before I could process it further, I heard it.

A faint, almost imperceptible click.

The door.

I froze.

Adrian turned sharply, gun raised.

The soft shuffle of footsteps echoed just outside.

Then, a voice.

Low, amused.

"Funny how people always think they can outrun the past."

My blood turned to ice.

I knew that voice.

Adrian moved fast, yanking me behind him as he pressed his back to the wall beside the door.

I swallowed hard, my heartbeat thundering in my ears.

"Who is it?" Adrian asked, his voice low, dangerous.

A slow chuckle. "Come now, Adrian. You haven't figured it out yet?"

The voice was familiar, too familiar.

I felt like I was drowning. The recognition clawed at the edges of my memory, but I didn't want to believe it.

I didn't want it to be him.

Adrian's grip on his gun tightened. "You have five seconds to walk away."

Silence.

Then—

The lights cut out.

The storage unit was plunged into total darkness.

My breath caught in my throat.

Adrian didn't hesitate. He grabbed me, pushing me against the far wall, shielding me with his body.

"Stay low," he whispered.

A metallic clang echoed from outside.

Then—footsteps.

Multiple.

My stomach clenched. We weren't dealing with one person.

They had planned this.

Adrian moved, swift and silent. His gun cocked as he pressed his back against the wall near the door.

I fumbled for the notebook, clutching it to my chest.

This was what they wanted.

This was why they were here.

Outside, a voice murmured something I couldn't hear.

Then—

BOOM!

The door shook violently.

Someone was trying to break in.

Adrian moved fast, grabbing the nearest metal shelf and shoving it in front of the door.

"We need to move," he hissed.

I swallowed hard. "How? They're blocking the entrance."

His eyes flicked to the air vent in the back of the unit.

I followed his gaze. It was small, barely big enough for me to squeeze through.

But it was our only way out.

Adrian didn't hesitate. He boosted me up.

My fingers scraped against the cold metal as I hoisted myself inside, forcing my body into the cramped space.

Adrian was right behind me, his movements quick and precise.

Below us, the door crashed open.

Boots stomped inside.

"Where is she?" a voice snarled.

Adrian grabbed my wrist, his breath warm against my ear.

"Keep moving," he whispered.

We crawled forward.

Away from the voices.

Away from danger.

But as we moved deeper into the air ducts, one thought screamed in my mind.

They weren't here to scare me.

They were here to kill me.

And I was running out of places to hide.