take up much space or use a lot of gas. It was also easy to maneuver around the crowded city streets.
At this time of the night, there weren’t many cars around. It was the perfect time to do a bit of snooping, she told herself with a secret smile. It took her about a half hour to get out of the city. Heading towards the warehouse district, she looked around, glanced at the information she’d logged into her notebook and easily found the right warehouse.
Parking several blocks away, she stepped out of her car and looked around. It wasn’t the safest neighborhood in the world, but it wasn’t the worst she’d ever been in either. She pulled a wool cap out of her bag, tugging it down over her hair and tucking all of the blond strands underneath. She’d learned over the years that it was better not to be too obviously feminine when sneaking around in dangerous parts of the world.
She pulled open her bag again and checked her supplies. Flashlight, cell phone, extra batteries, Taser…everything was there along with her notebook and pens. She loved her job!
She slipped along the streets, keeping close to the buildings and aware of her surroundings. Thankfully, she made it to the right warehouse without running into anyone. Checking the door, she realized that it was locked with a magnetic lock and keypad. “Darn it!” she whispered. Can’t pick that lock, she thought as she bit down on her lower lip, her mind working to come up with an alternative plan. Stepping back, she scanned the building. There were windows, but they were all pretty high up. Walking around the building, she smiled when she spotted the dumpsters pushed up against one wall. The area around the warehouse was surprisingly tidy, and the dumpsters would help her reach the window right above it. Hopefully, the window wasn’t locked.
“Sir,” a big, tall man stepped into Malcolm’s office. “I’m sorry to disturb you so late at night, but there’s been a break-in at the warehouse.”
Malcolm turned and looked at the man. “At the warehouse? Why would anyone break in there? Everything is secured…” as soon as he spoke, the image of a gorgeous blonde woman popped into his mind. “Right,” he replied.
“I have video, sir. We’re tracking the person and…”
“Let me see it,” he grumbled and reached for the tablet. As soon as he focused on the figure, who was dangling by her fingertips from the balcony above the main floor of the warehouse, Malcolm knew it was Ella. He’d know that figure anywhere. Even as he watched her, Malcolm acknowledged that she looked hot in the black jeans and black jacket. Unfortunately, all of that blonde hair was tucked away underneath a cap, but he still recognized her.
“This is Ella Fleming,” Malcolm told his head of security. “She thinks that I’m involved in a secret society.”
John smiled. “The flaming hand?”
“Yeah, how’d you know?”
John chuckled. “She asked me about it yesterday. I didn’t tell her anything, sir.”
“Good. She’s not ready for the information yet. But eventually, I suspect that we’ll have to let her in on the plan.”
John nodded in agreement. “Just tell me when, sir.”
“Soon,” Malcolm replied with a heavy sigh, rubbing his forehead. “In the meantime,” he looked at the image on the tablet, “Let’s get her out of there. There’s nothing except machine parts. But still, that’s a dangerous…” he stopped when the tablet picked up another person. “There’s someone else in the warehouse!”
John turned the tablet, his sharp eyes taking in the various images on the screen. “That’s not one of our men, sir. I don’t recognize him.”
“Ella is in danger!” he growled. A moment later, he was out the door, racing down the stairs because the elevator would take too long.
It took less than five minutes to reach the warehouse with Malcolm driving while John was on his phone with his security team and watching the progress of the two people stealthily moving through the warehouse via the video feeds. Each seemed completely unware of the other, but Malcolm wasn’t taking any chances. He sped through the nearly empty streets and screeched to a halt just outside the door of the warehouse.
“We need to go in quietly,” Malcolm said. “I don’t want to scare off the other guy. He might realize that Ella is there and do something stupid.”
“Agree,” John murmured.
“You go to the left, I’ll go to the right,” Malcolm ordered. “I’ll ping your cell phone if I find