Chapter FOUR
Summer
The deeper I jogged into the compound, the more my adrenaline began to fade, replaced by a cold, unsettling confusion.
Everything was dead silent. I crept between the rusted metal structures, my eyes darting around for any sign of life, but the property looked completely abandoned.
There were no guards, no trucks and no smoke coming from the chimneys.
It looked perfectly empty.
I pulled out my phone, ready to snap pictures of whatever illegal setup they had, but there was nothing to photograph. Just empty gravel lots and blank metal walls. I was starting to feel a little foolish.
Was I just being paranoid?
Determined to find at least one solid piece of evidence to prove my theory, I marched up to a smaller, separate brick building near the back. I reached out and pushed on the door. To my surprise, it clicked and swung open. It wasn’t even locked.
I slipped inside, the air smelling heavily of rust and stagnant water.
I looked around, checking old desks, empty clipboards, and bare shelves.
Nothing. Not a single clue, not a single document that could connect this place to the Ivory Ring or prove they were intentionally dumping chemicals into the river. It was just a hollow, useless office.
I spent some time there, systematically checking every corner just to be absolutely sure, but it was a dead end. Realizing I was just wasting time, I decided to leave the building and head further into the property to check the main warehouses.
But the exact moment I opened the heavy metal door to step back outside, my eyes caught a few dark red drops scattered against the pristine, white snow.
As I walked, I scanned the ground and spotted a thick, solid piece of discarded metal piping. I picked it up, gripping it tightly with both hands just in case.
With the pipe ready, I made my way toward the main entrance of the primary warehouse. There, bolted to the massive steel doors and painted onto the concrete walls, were strange symbols and warning signs. It wasn’t standard security stuff. This was exactly the kind of shady branding I needed.
I hooked the metal pipe under my arm, pulled out my phone, and snapped a few photos of the markings. But just as I was about to slip the phone back into my pocket, the air behind me shifted.
Without a sound, a massive pair of hands aggressively lunged to grab me from behind.
Pure instinct took over. I didn’t scream, and I didn’t freeze. I ripped the heavy metal pipe forward, spun on my heel, and swung it with everything I had, aiming straight for the target’s knee.
CRACK.
The solid iron pipe connected flawlessly with his kneecap.
The giant shadow of a man instantly collapsed into the fresh snow, letting out an agonizing scream. But as he went down, his massive hands locked onto my jacket in a desperate, painful reflex, dragging me straight down to the frozen ground with him.
Suddenly, we were rolling in the snow, violently wrestling. The caveman’s face was twisted in pure agony, sweat breaking out on his forehead, and fresh blood was dripping from his injured ear. His sheer size was overwhelming as he tried to pin my arms and lock me down.
I fought back like a wild animal, thrashing beneath him. “Don’t get too cocky, Ranger!” I hissed into his face, throwing my weight against him. “Luckily, I grew up with two brothers. I’m used to this, and I will fight you until my very last breath!”
He wasn’t trying to punch me; he was desperately trying to use his massive weight to immobilize me, his large hands gripping my wrists to force me still. He opened his mouth, trying to speak, but I wouldn’t give him the chance. I refused to be trapped.
Using the only weapon I had left, I threw my head forward, bared my teeth, and bit down with everything I had straight into his already injured, bleeding ear.
Dominic roared in absolute agony, a deafening yell that echoed through the empty compound. He flinched violently, the sheer shock of the pain breaking his hold on me.
“Stop! Just fucking stop!” he bellowed, panting heavily as he clutched his bleeding ear, his eyes drilling into mine with desperate intensity. “I have to tell you something right now!”