15. Arrival
Arrival
It was almost five in the afternoon when I arrived at the warehouse.
Its exterior had been painted eggshell white, and on the ground, fine paint drops littered about like powder, but already some punks had graffitied the wall before the paint had even settled.
Two squad cars were parked outside, blocking the van at the side entrance of the building.
The police at the scene were at ease. They seemed to have checked the van out before I pulled in.
A hedgerow separated the two buildings up to where it met a fence behind them.
I could see no other way in besides the side entrance.
One of the street cops came over to me and said, “This area is closed for an investigation.”
“Yeah, I know,” I said, and flashed him my badge. “What’s going on? Have you seen anyone?”
“No, Detective Hernandez! We got here about ten minutes ago and requested backup. We asked dispatch for a breach team and medical, but —” the beat cop said before stopping abruptly. I pulled over and parked in an empty spot beside one of the patrol cars and hopped out.
“What’s your name?”
“Salsbury, sir. And my partner there is Berry.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Salsbury, but what happened to the backup?” I said, walking over to the van.
“The breach was denied, and the ambulance placed on hold. I was told there was a specialized team on the way.”
“Anything unusual in those ten minutes? Did you see anyone leave the area or walk by or linger?” I said. “And this special team? Who decided that?” I asked curiously.
Salsbury urged me to follow him. I passed by the black van and looked inside through the passenger window. It was empty. Clean like a rental you pick up at the airport.
“I’ll have the crime scene unit look at it whenever they get here,” I said.
“If they ever come,” Salsbury quipped.
A young woman named Berry was standing on ground level by the door. She pointed to the steps just before it as I approached; dry blood. Thickened and dark, and clotted. It had seeped through the door near its edge.
“The door’s closed? There’s no other way inside?” I said, drawing my weapon. The other two did the same.
“No, sir. We checked the front, walked to the end where the tree-line meets the fence, and came back here; we considered going around to the load bay in the back, but decided to call for backup instead. We contacted our lieutenant for help. Then, we searched the van, but found nothing. It looked like someone cleaned it recently,” Salsbury said as he tapped the van’s hood.
“Understood, but we still need to find a way in. This is a crime scene; we need to secure it and figure out where this blood is coming from. There might be someone inside, wounded, but alive,” I replied.
Berry pointed to the rear of the building and said, “There are more of us now; one can stay here, cover this exit, and two can head to the loading dock?”
“You’re right, let’s find a way in,” I replied when a sudden thud smacked the door from within the warehouse.
I moved away from the door and immediately aimed my weapon at its center.
Berry followed closely behind, positioning herself just to my left.
Salsbury took position by the van and aimed at the door as well, but kept a close eye on the front of the building.
Then nothing. A dead silence continued for what seemed like hours. Only the occasional honking from passing cars interrupted it. The tightness in my chest dropped, and I took a step forward. Then another. I lowered my weapon and looked at Salsbury.
“Do you have a twelve-gauge in your car?” I said.
“Yes,” Salsbury said.
“Go get it and call for backup,” I replied.
He came back shortly with an older model twelve-gauge shotgun; the type you’d see at a police academy back when I went over a decade ago. He loaded three shells and pumped it once.
“Wait for my signal, and when I tell you, blow the hinges off the door,” I said to him. I ran up the steps, careful to avoid stepping on the blood, and smacked the door twice.
“This is the police; we’re coming in. Stay away from the door!” I yelled and banged on the door three more times. Then, I backed away, and drew my weapon once more. Silence. There was no reply. I looked at Berry, then at Salisbury, and said, “Get ready.”
Salsbury raised his shotgun, aimed it at the first hinge, and said, “Your call.”
“On three. One. Two. And —.”
Clank. The door was unlocked from the inside.