Page 74 of Noah

“Adrienne, right?” came from an employee with the name tag Ellen. “I can let you through. I just need to have a look at your proof of identification and then I can set you up with a thumbprint for entry.”

Adrienne pulled everything she needed out of the bag while her three guards stood around looking menacing. Noah was staring at Ellen like he would attack and subdue her if she twitched wrong in Adrienne’s direction.

Ellen did a good impression of ignoring his overwhelming presence and trying not to be intimidated by the other two large males filling the small space, but her eyes did flick over them quickly before darting away. She was friendly and efficient but nervous so Adrienne tried to get it over with as quickly as possible so they could leave Ellen alone.

“Just place your thumb here. I’ll give you directions to your unit and you can make your way to it.” Ellen leaned over the desk, held out the tablet, and waited patiently.

“Okay, thanks.” Adrienne placed her thumb against the tablet.

It took a minute before it flashed, and then Ellen took it away. She tapped on it, and paused, her eyes moving back and forth as something appeared on the tablet. Ellen waited, smiled then went ahead to pull out a map filled with rows of boxes and a list of numbers and letters.

“This is where you want to go. Head down to the end of this row and turn left. In this row, you’ll find your storage units ending with .1, yours should be about halfway along.”

Adrienne took the map. Briar opened the door, checked outside then they all walked to the end row of units with her in the middle like an animal being herded. She rolled her eyes when Owen held out a hand to stop her and poked his head around the corner first.

.1 she saw on the side of a gun-metal grey sign.

It started counting down until she came to her dad’s. She held her thumb to the scanner at the side. It beeped and she went to pull it open.

Owen stopped her. Briar

It was dark inside and she frowned as she felt for a light switch inside. One of the males must have found it because the unit was suddenly lit up with fluorescent lights that ran diagonally along the ceiling.

Adrienne stopped dead.

“What on earth?”

In the left corner, her things were piled up neatly, with furniture squished in like a Tetris game.

Noah said, “You’re right, he’s playing games with you.” He growled and ran his finger along a dusty metal shelf. There were rows of black metal shelves with absolutely nothing on them but years of dust.

Adrienne’s mouth popped open, and she shook her head. “Why would he do this?”

“I don’t know. Do you think Mhane took everything out?” Row after empty row. What was wrong with their dad? Was it a sick psychological game?

Adrienne glanced at the panel outside. Owen shadowed her as she walked back to it. It had a log of when people entered but not who. She saw how often the person she assumed was Mhane visited. Then she saw nothing had been taken out and the only thing put into storage was her things.

“No,” she said coming back inside and peering through the darkness. There must be a reasonable explanation for it. Adrienne sighed heavily; she should have known better.

Noah and Briar were deeper inside the unit. At the back, it was dark, and they both held their noses, wrinkling them as they approached the end.

“What is it?”

“Something smells…” Briar sneezed and held his hand over his nose. Noah growled.

Adrienne rushed over to them. She held onto Noah’s back as they approached a tarpaulin covering something from the top of the unit to the bottom.

Briar held out his hand ready to rip it down and she held her breath. What was under there that Noah and Briar couldn’t stand the smell of? Her mind started supplying all sorts of gruesome images and she shook it, trying to be realistic.

It couldn’t be gunpowder, could it?

Briar grabbed the corner and she held onto Noah tight. He pulled it down and she gasped. “What the hell is this?” Her voice was wispy and strained as she took in the sight before her.

“Jesus Christ!” Owen spat.

“Is that…” Adrienne coughed as she saw the rows running along the back of the unit, full of… “Is that what I think it is?” she finished, gobsmacked.

“Without testing it, I can’t be sure,” Owen said with a sort of flummoxed wonder, “…but if you’re thinking cocaine. Then yes, it is.”

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