Chapter 21: Ghosts and Gold

Lulu's breath hitched as the footsteps grew closer. Every nerve in her body screamed at her to move. Without a second thought, she crept toward the storage unit door, wincing at every tiny sound she made.

Slow. Careful. Silent.

Her fingers curled around the edge of the metal door, and she pulled it shut as silently as possible. The dull clink of the latch falling into place sounded deafening in the still air. She pressed her back against the cold metal and shot Amelia a furious glare.

"I thought you said there was no security," she hissed under her breath.

Amelia stood beside her, looking only mildly guilty. "Technically, there is. But they usually just sleep through their shift. I've never seen them patrolling like this."

Lulu clenched her jaw. "That is not the same thing as not having any security!"

A fresh wave of panic rose in her chest. If the facility caught her on camera and connected her to this break-in, she'd have way bigger problems than just explaining herself.

Even if she was only here to retrieve what belonged to Amelia, she doubted the police would see it that way.

Before Lulu could continue to berate Amelia, the ghost went toward the door—and stuck her head right through it to peek outside.

Lulu barely swallowed a scream as the lower half of Amelia's body remained in the storage locker but was now missing her head, neck, and upper chest.

Her heart nearly leaped out of her throat at the disturbing sight. 'You could have warned me!' Lulu internally screeched.

Amelia, completely oblivious to the near heart attack she had just caused, pulled her head back in. "Good news!" she announced cheerfully. "It's just another customer."

Lulu glared at her, still recovering. "Fantastic. Next time, maybe don't traumatize me in the process."

Amelia shrugged bashfully, only now realizing how traumatic the sight of her headless body may have been.

The footsteps faded down the hall, and Lulu exhaled slowly. "Weird time to be here. Who shows up at a storage facility at one in the morning?"

Amelia's eyes lit up. "Ooooh, what if they're up to something suspicious too? Maybe we're not the only criminals here tonight!"

Lulu gave her a sidelong glance. "First of all, we aren't criminals. I am just reclaiming what's rightfully yours so that I may, in turn, receive the payment for my services. Second, even if they are, it's none of our business."

Amelia pouted but didn't argue. "Fine, fine. You're no fun."

Ignoring her, Lulu turned back to the safe, shaking off her unease. They had wasted enough time already. Carefully, she unfolded the slip of paper and punched in the numbers. The lock clicked open, and Lulu pulled the heavy door wide.

Inside, neatly stacked rows of gold and silver bars gleamed under the dim storage light. Lulu let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

'Although Amelia wasn't the most reliable, at least it appeared she was telling the truth about this…'

She grabbed her suitcase, flipped it open, and carefully transferred the bars inside. The moment she lifted the first one, she knew she had made the right choice bringing luggage with wheels. No way was she going to haul this much weight on her back.

Once the last bar was inside, she zipped the suitcase shut and wiped her palms against her hoodie. Her pulse pounded in her ears. Time to get out of here.

She gripped the handle and carefully rolled the suitcase toward the door, pausing to listen for any sign of movement outside. Nothing.

Cracking the door open just a sliver, she peeked out. The hallway was empty.

With slow, measured steps, Lulu slipped out, keeping her head low in case any cameras or people she couldn't see were watching.

The wheels of her suitcase rolled over the concrete floor, and every tiny sound felt magnified in the silence. She glanced around furtively at every corner, at every shadow, checking for movement.

Nothing.

Still, the air felt thick with an unshakable tension. The hallway seemed darker than before, the flickering overhead light casting strange, stretched-out shadows along the walls, creating a haunting atmosphere.

'It's just in your head, Lulu'

She breathed deeply to calm herself and made her way to the exit. One foot in front of the other. Just a little farther.

As she reached the final gate outside of the building, she threw one last look over her shoulder.

The storage facility building was still.

But something felt… off.

For a brief second, she could have sworn she saw movement in one of the windows of the building. A shadow, shifting unnaturally, just beyond where the last row of units would be on the first floor.

She blinked, and it was gone.

A chill ran down her spine. Maybe it was just her nerves. Maybe it was nothing.

But for some reason, she couldn't shake the feeling that someone—somewhere—was watching her.