Chapter 18
Raj let out a low, long whistle as he stared down at the case filled with guns and ammunition. The contents were neatly organized—four, no, five pistols, all glistening with a cold, unsettling sheen, and a stack of ammunition that could easily supply a small army. About a thousand rounds, by his estimation. “I wonder why such firepower is needed in a dump like this,” he muttered, his voice laced with curiosity and unease as the others crowded around the case.
Nazir bent down next to him, his expression unreadable as he examined one of the pistols. His finger brushed lightly over the trigger protection loop, and Raj instinctively tensed. Nazir's hands were steady and controlled, the calm of a man used to dealing with dangerous situations. “Perhaps I should bring this case to the police station,” he said thoughtfully, his voice low. “Being hidden away like this, these weapons must have been used for criminal purposes.” He glanced around the room, scanning the dim light and dust-covered corners. “Maybe this place is scheduled for demolition, and these guns were meant to be a part of that process.”
Raj raised an eyebrow, his mind working through the possibilities. “You think they were meant to be buried in the cement that would be poured for a new foundation?”
Nazir nodded, his tone thoughtful, but before Raj could voice his own theories, Helen stepped closer to the group. Raj's attention flickered immediately to her as she moved to the front of the case. She stood with her legs braced wide, a posture that conveyed strength and confidence, and Raj found his mind wandering. He caught himself, irritated at the distraction. There were more important things to focus on. Still, his thoughts lingered on her legs—long and lean, strong but graceful—and the urge to act on his desire, however misplaced, threatened to pull his attention away from the matter at hand. He shook his head, clearing the thoughts from his mind.
Helen’s voice broke through his momentary lapse. “What if those guns had been stored here under all this rubble to stay out of the way of an investigation?” she suggested, her eyes narrowing with sharp focus.
Raj blinked, considering her words. “Possibly. But why would someone destroy a cache of ammunition along with the weapons?” He looked back down at the case, the image of the destroyed ammo gnawing at him. It didn’t make sense. “Why not just hide the guns and leave the ammo behind?”
Dusting off his hands, Raj nudged the case’s lid closed with the tip of his boot. His thoughts were swirling as he turned to Nazir, his mind pivoting toward a solution. “Is there any way to get this container to the police anonymously?” he asked, his voice low and deliberate, keeping the urgency in check.
Nazir’s expression shifted slightly, his normally serious demeanor cracking into a small, amused smile. “That can easily be arranged,” he replied, his tone almost casual now, as if this was another routine task for him.
Helen interjected, her voice thoughtful and cool. “The ammunition probably wasn’t meant to be hidden or destroyed,” she said, her eyes still fixed on the case. “And the weapons...?” She gestured around the room, her brow furrowed with a question. “Why not just throw them into a body of water somewhere?” She shook her head, her chin jerking towards the case. “No one would dispose of ammunition, would they?”
Raj considered this, his eyes flicking to the weapons again. She had a point. It seemed far more logical to dispose of everything in a way that wouldn't raise suspicion. Why not keep the ammunition and get rid of the weapons? He opened his mouth to voice the thought but was interrupted when Nazir spoke up.
“She’s right,” Nazir agreed, nodding slowly. “Weapons can be traced, the barrel markings can be attributed to a crime. Ammunition, though, is only useful to law enforcement if it has fingerprints on it, or once it’s gone through a weapon so that the barrel’s markings can be identified.” Nazir’s lips pressed into a thin line as he processed the implications. “It’s probable someone is using this building as a hiding place for weapons and ammo that they’ll need later.” He scanned the abandoned space around them. “The building doesn’t look like anyone has been here in a long time.”
Raj’s thoughts raced, pieces of the puzzle beginning to fit together. Someone was storing these weapons here—likely anticipating a need for them in the near future. But who? And why this building, of all places?
“And isn’t that odd?” Helen added.
“What do you mean?” Raj asked, moving away from the container.
“I mean,” she started, then paused to look around. “Well, this place doesn’t show any evidence of homeless people sleeping here, or teenagers using the building as a hangout for drunken parties.”
“Good point,” Raj replied. He turned to his bodyguard. “Do you think that has anything to do with the person we saw earlier?”
Nazir nodded slowly. “It’s possible. The men I sent to look for the guy reported back that they weren’t able to find him. Whoever was out there, he disappeared pretty quickly.”
Raj nodded. “The man probably knows all of the hiding places in this dump.” He turned to Helen. “I think we have enough information to determine that, whatever the Grishoms were trying to pull, it must have links to illegal activities.”
“I agree,” Helen replied, looking away so that she could concentrate. “I do most of my best work on a computer. Why don’t I head back to my office and I can–”
“No!” Raj snapped before she could even finish her sentence, shaking his head as he sliced a hand through the air. “No matter what’s going on, you’re not going back to that office.” He moved closer to her, gripping her upper arms with his hands. “Helen, they tried to drug us yesterday. They successfully drugged my accountant and attorney. Both of which are still trying to recover. They have vicious headaches from whatever was in the coffee yesterday so, no. You’re not safe in that office.”
She looked up into his eyes, her heart melting at the concern she saw there.
“You’re right,” she replied, and saw his shoulders relax slightly. “I won’t go to the office.” She smiled at him and took a step closer, then stopped, remembering her confusion over the future. “I’ll go to my condo and pick up my laptop. I can do my research on my personal computer.”
Again, he shook his head. “I don’t want anyone connecting your condo’s ISP address to your home. Why don’t you use one of the computers at the hotel?” He turned to Nazir. “We have ISP scramblers, right?”
The man nodded his head. “Absolutely. If you use one of the security computers to do your research, I guarantee that no one will be able to trace where you are.”
Helen licked her lips. “Is there really that much danger?” she asked, feeling nervous. Then she looked around. “Don’t answer that,” she said, lifting her hand up when Raj drew breath to answer. “The whole presentation yesterday was a fabricated lie. This building and the facade that you uncovered tells me Nathan and Paul were trying to scam you. And we just found a cache of weapons that must have been used during a crime.”
“I’m guessing that everything comes down to money with those two,” Raj replied. “In my world, a lot of answers come down to greed.”
She looked around, nodding her agreement. “Yeah, I think you’re right.” When her eyes focused back on Raj, her lips were tight with determination. “I’m going to get to the bottom of this. I brought you into this mess and I’m going to get you out of it, Raj.”
He stepped closer, taking her hands. “You didn’t bring me into any of this,” he argued. “I didn’t even know that you worked at the firm until you walked into the conference room yesterday.”
Helen wanted to move in closer, to seek the warmth of his reassurance. Instead, she squeezed his fingers, then pulled back, not wanting him to know how desperately she wanted to snuggle up against him, to feel his strong arms wrap around her.
“Let’s head back. I don’t know what Angela is doing, but it’s almost lunchtime. We could be back at the hotel in time to eat with her.”