Chapter 22 - WHISPERS IN THE RAIL YARDS
The Cicero rail yards at midnight were a monument to rust, grease, and industrial decay. Giant gantry cranes loomed like skeletal giants against a moonless sky, casting long, fractured shadows across miles of parallel steel tracks. Evelyn and Lorenzo stepped out of the black SUV, their boots crunching on gravel, flanked by Marco and four elite enforcers. The biting wind off Lake Michigan carried the heavy stench of coal dust and wet iron.
They moved toward Sector 7, the exact location where the digital trail of the missing steel alloy had gone dark. The warehouse before them was massive, corrugated metal peeling away from its frame like scabs. According to the Moretti registry, this building was designated as a secondary storage depot for surplus concrete.
"Marco, cut the side latch," Lorenzo ordered quietly, keeping his hand resting comfortably on the suppressed SIG Sauer tucked into his waistband.
With a single, practiced motion, Marco pulled a heavy bolt cutter from his coat and sheared the industrial padlock off the sliding side door. The heavy metal groaned as it rolled open, releasing a stale gust of trapped air that smelled of ozone and fresh paint.
Evelyn stepped inside first, flashlight beam cutting through the gloom. The sweep of her light revealed towering stacks of wooden crates. But as she approached the nearest stack, her breath hitched. She slammed her hand against the side of a crate, prying loose a splintered board.
Inside wasn't concrete. It was military-grade ordinance, stamped with serial numbers that didn't belong to any domestic distributor.
"This isn't just siphoning," Evelyn whispered, her voice dropping an octave as cold realization settled over her stomach. "This is an armory. Someone is building an internal arsenal right under our noses."
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Before Lorenzo could process the discovery, the warehouse lights flickered to life overhead with a harsh, buzzing hum. From the upper catwalks, the chilling sound of dozens of rifle bolts racking simultaneously echoed through the cavernous space.
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