I shake my head to clear it. This isn’t the time for such memories. I pad across the roof toward a shack-like structure next to two enormous A/C units. It’s a service door for access to the roof. And it’s my access into the warehouse. Luckily it’s not padlocked on the inside and just has an ordinary deadbolt and a pin and tumbler lock. Two minutes with my lock picks and I crack the door open very slowly. Darkness within. CZ in my hand, I ease into the darkness, pulling the door shut behind me.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

I’m on a small landing with a ladder leading down into a large open space. The warehouse. I can hear indistinguishable sounds, murmurs from below, like someone has left a radio on in a basement closet. I holster my pistol, then step back and down onto the ladder. I can only hope whoever is below doesn’t happen to look up as I’m climbing down.

After two rungs I see the ladder leads to a catwalk that leads to the wall and then runs the perimeter of the warehouse. The catwalk hangs maybe seven feet from the ceiling. Below is the warehouse floor. A bad fall, though I’d more than likely hit one of the many stacks of crates or shipping containers below before pancaking onto the concrete. The front of the warehouse is dark and buttoned up tight. The murmuring comes from the back of the warehouse, where, near the back wall, two overhead lamps cast a dim yellow light on the proceedings there. But I can’t see anything clearly from my vantage point. I need to get closer.

As quietly as possible I drop to the catwalk and crouch, scanning the floor below. No one moves down there, but the yellow light at the back draws me like a moth. I need to get closer and see what I can from up here, then get down onto the floor where I can hear conversations and stay hidden. Up here, I won’t be able to understand anything they are saying. And if I’m spotted on this catwalk, I don’t have a lot of options for where to go.

I stay low and walk toward the wall, then turn to follow the catwalk toward the back of the warehouse. Ten yards away there’s a ladder that leads from the catwalk down the wall to the floor. The soles of my shoes don’t make a sound, but I know if I move too quickly the catwalk might shimmy and groan. So I creep along, one step at a time.