“I get it. I’ll call in a few extra men, too. Nothing will happen to your brother.”
Jay nods, his shoulders relaxing an inch. It’s the same thing I said to Addie, and I failed her.
I slide out a cigarette from my pack and pop it in my mouth.
I won’t fail again.
“This is the location?” I ask, my voice tight. “You’re sure?”
We’re in an awfully shitty part of town in Portland, Oregon. The address Jay directed me to is a three-story brick building that looks like it was built in the 1800s and abandoned before the century turned.
The building is slightly lopsided, the windows are crusty and blackened with grime, and the interior looks to be completely dark.
“This is it,” Jay says quietly. "The van is around the corner still."
“Fuck,” I curse, briefly squeezing the steering wheel until the leather groans.
“Doesn’t look like they’re still here,” I bite out, swinging open the door and stepping out. "We'll check out the van after."
I slip out my gun from the back of my jeans and approach the door quickly and quietly, keeping my eyes on my surroundings at all times.
“Jay, stay behind me,” I order. He listens without argument, his breathing escalating as I approach the glass door. He doesn’t have any weapons on him, only his laptop. I’m tempted to hand him one, but I’m pretty confident he’d do more damage hitting someone upside the head with his computer rather than firing off a gun he has no idea how to use.
I peer through it, a crease forming between my brows when I see the upheaval. It appears like it was once an administrative office. Cluttered desks fill the space, with random items scattered across the surfaces; toppled over picture frames, pens, and flyaway papers.
My eyes scan the area as well as I can, watching for any movement and listening for any sounds.
When I hear and see nothing, I grab the handle and tug on the door, setting my jaw when I find that it’s open.
Addie isn’t here, but I knew that already. Just as well as I know that something bad happened here.
Quietly, I creep into the building, Jay sticking close behind me. The energy here is stale and heavy, filled with dust and decay.
“What the fuck were they doing taking her here?” Jay whispers, sweeping the room.
I shake my head, incapable of verbally answering when my heart is beating in my throat. But that’s exactly what I’m about to find out.
Not wasting any more time, I rush through the space, checking a few rooms, only to find them empty. In the back is a stairway with a dim light shining from beyond the steps, the only sound a quiet whirring from the light bulb.
Glancing back at Jay, I put my finger to my lips before carefully making my way up the stairs. From the sound of it, there doesn’t appear to be any activity, but if lights are on, I won’t take any risks.
The whirring grows louder as I near the top, and with it comes a wretched smell that burns at my nostrils.
I nearly choke on how rancid it is, and I hear Jay cough from behind me.
Well, fuck. That’s a smell I’m very well acquainted with.
Someone died up here, and I will gladly place a bet that the body is rotting in the same place where they fell.
The landing opens up to a small, dark area with a hallway branching off from it, strands of light stretching from the back of it and toward us. Straight ahead appears to be a second stairwell, leading to the final floor.
Planting myself against the wall, I motion for Jay to follow my lead, then peer around the corner and down the hallway, eyes narrowing when I glimpse an open room with what looks like an IV pole standing in the corner.
I can’t see much else from my vantage point, however, I’m positive there isn’t anyone up here. Not anyone alive, anyway.
“Let’s go,” I whisper, making my way towards the room, gritting my teeth as the smell worsens.
As soon as I breach the entrance, I stop short, causing Jay to collide into my back.
On the floor is a massive pool of dried blood, a dead man lying directly in the middle of it. He’s bloated, well into the process of decomposition.
“Jesus, fuck,” Jay mutters, as we both stare down at the stranger, disgust curling our faces. Dead bodies don’t bother me, but their rot will curdle the strongest stomach.
Immediately, I notice dry bloody footprints leading from the corpse and toward the doorway we’re standing in. Grabbing my phone, I click on the light and follow the footprints down the hallway and toward the second staircase.
“Female,” he says, confirming my thoughts. I get closer, taking care not to step in the blood. “You think they’re Addie’s?”