Page 111 of Rupture

“This is the address?”

Rose unfolded the sheet of paper in her lap. “Yup.”

Finn exhaled sharply, scanning the industrial estate like it had offended him. He opened the car door but didn’t move to get out just yet. His brows knit together, a little crease forming between them.

Rose didn’t blame him for hesitating. The place looked abandoned, or close enough. Many of the units sported faded “For Sale” signs, their edges bent from neglect. The entire area had that back-of-beyond feel, the kind where cellservice was spotty and bad things happened in crime shows. She glanced around, taking in the silent asphalt lot, the rusting security fence with twisted barbed wire. The sun was shining, but the place still gave her a chill.

Finn pushed out a breath and swung his legs out. “Wait here while I check the area.”

“You’re still not one hundred percent?—”

“I’m good.” He gave her arm a quick squeeze, then disappeared down the side of the building with the easy confidence of someone who either wasn’t worried about danger or was just too damn used to it.

She shifted in her seat, rubbing her arms against the lingering cold. She checked left, then right. No movement. No sound but the distant hum of the motorway.

A moment later, Finn reappeared. “It’s clear.” He gestured toward the unit door. “But let me open it.”

The edges of the key dug into her palm. “What, so you can get blown up if it’s booby-trapped?”

Finn pried the key from her fingers with a grin. “I’m the safety guy, remember?” He crouched, unlocked the padlock, then heaved the shutter upward. The metal groaned in protest, rolling to reveal a glass-paneled door on the other side, opaque with dust.

Rose swallowed. The glass gave nothing away.

Finn unlocked the door and pushed it open. Darkness swallowed the space beyond. The air drifting out smelled of stale concrete. His hands skimmed the wall, feeling for a switch. A second later, fluorescent lights flared on with a resigned hum.

The space was massive, stretching far beyond what the exterior suggested. Overhead, skylights blinked open as Finn flipped more switches, letting shafts of natural light spill in.

The unit was packed with equipment, all shrouded in protective plastic sheeting that crinkled under her fingertips.

Finn lifted an edge of plastic. “What the hell is all of this?”

Rose tugged at a sheet, pulling it free. It slid to the floor, pooling noisily around her feet. Her heart stumbled. “No way.” She ran her hand along the cold metal.This wasn’t just any equipment?—

“Rose?” His eyes cut toward her.

She shook her head, struggling to process what she was seeing. “This is a nanoparticle tracking analyzer.”

Finn let out a short disbelieving laugh. “That really clears things up.”

She tugged at another sheet. “And this is a controlled atmosphere glove box. The Rolls-Royce of sterile containment systems.”

She pulled the covers from equipment after equipment, the thick plastic rustling, not quite believing what she was seeing.

“With this kind of equipment, I could start working on a solution for Remy without waiting for approvals or funding.” She spun in a slow circle, taking in the treasure trove of technology, cold heaviness in her stomach. What was the catch? Who sent her the key to Aladdin’s cave?

Finn tugged at a last sheet. It slithered to the ground, revealing something small beneath it. He bent, lifted it carefully, then turned to her, his expression unreadable.

“Rose.” He handed her a framed photograph.

It was the photograph she’d carried for years, its edges worn soft from time, tucked into the lining of her purse like a talisman. The same one she’d given to Thea at the archeological dig in a desperate attempt to bridge the chasmbetween them. The one that Thea had tossed back at her with a derisive snort, as if the past meant nothing.

And yet, here it was. The two of them immortalized in the sunshine, broad smiles on their faces.

“All of this must be from Thea.” Her breath snagged in her throat.

“Thea?” Finn’s head twitched, his posture stiffening. “No one’s seen her since she upped and left the dig site.”

“I know, but it has to be.”

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