Chapter 17 - Blood and Water
The middle catwalk was suspended directly over the dark surge of the lake intake. The roar of the water was nearly deafening, churning white foam against the concrete pillars fifteen feet below.
Row after row of rusted green military footlockers lined the catwalk, bolted directly into the damp masonry.
Derek ran his fingers along the stenciled numbers until he stopped at a reinforced steel box embedded into a recessed alcove: *UNIT 14.*
"Give me the key," Derek demanded.
Sarah placed the pitted brass key into his hand. Derek shoved it into the heavy padlock. It resisted, corroded by years of humidity, before finally turning with a harsh, metallic snap. He hauled the lid open.
Inside, sealed inside a clear waterproof Pelican case, lay a stack of yellowed documents, a USB encrypted hardware wallet, and a small glass vial containing a dried dried drop of infant blood labeled with a hospital barcode.
Sarah set Mia down onto a dry crate and pulled out the top document. It was a certified birth record bearing the embossed seal of the State Department.
Sarah’s eyes scanned the names:
*Child Name: Elena Rostova.*
*Mother: Unknown (Surrogate Deceased).*
*Father: Nikolai Rostov.*
Beneath the document was a private contract bearing two signatures. The first was Franklin Shaw.
The second signature made Sarah’s blood run completely cold. It wasn't an anonymous cartel boss. It was Detective Marcus Ruiz.
"Derek..." Sarah breathed, her voice barely carrying over the roar of the water. "Ruiz wasn't investigating Shaw. Ruiz was Shaw's partner."
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Before Derek could respond, the heavy iron maintenance door at the top of the stairs clicked. The beam of a high-powered tactical flashlight cut through the damp darkness, illuminating the iron steps.
Footsteps echoed down the metal staircase. Slow. Deliberate. Confident.
