Page 9 of Avery's Hero

CHAPTER EIGHT

Something scurries past the doorway of a small room drawing my eye. A rat or a squirrel, I’m sure. It was no bigger than a football.

Wandering deeper into the building, I look in several small rooms that have been brushed by fire. These are obviously offices. Some being used, others not. The doors are sealed with police tape.

The detectives have been hard at work here, and there’s no reason for me to muck that up.

I turn to go back to the main part of the warehouse, but stop to listen. Something ticks. Maybe a clock in the distance. But something else has me on alert. I don’t know what it is.

My unease grows. I use Brock’s flashlight to scan the hallway.

It’s probably just a rat. But the eerie feeling that I’m being watched makes my skin prick with goosebumps.

Motionless, I search the space for sounds. There it is again. The scuff of a shoe.

Whirling around, I shine my light in the direction I just came from. The shadows are dark. Squinting, I try to see beyond the beam of my light. Did I see something big move at the intersection of the next hallway?

This didn’t look like a rodent. It was much more human-size. Unless my eyes are playing tricks on me.

A shiver tightens my skin. I’m suddenly cold, even though the day is mild.

Taking a few steps backward, I do my best to talk myself down. But I’m failing.

I take off toward the main warehouse. I’m so rattled by the time I emerge from the hallway into the rows of stored boxes that I’m running.

As I round the corner of the first aisle, I skid right into Brock. He catches me as I hit him like a pinball and bounce off, stumbling into the rack. A shower of ash tumbles down around us from one of the shelves.

I’m shaking, trying to knock the ash away from my face with frantic hands. My words are incoherent as I spin around making sure no one followed me.

He grabs my shoulders. His expression is fierce in his huge hands. “I’m right here. Slow down. What happened?”

I’m so relieved to see him that my knees go weak. “Holy smokes, I’m glad to see you. I think someone was watching me. ”

“Where?”

“Back by the offices. Down that hallway to the left”

He looks at me more closely, then curses. “I’m not leaving you here alone, and I sure as hell am not taking you into a situation that could be dangerous.”

I try to sound convincing. “I’m fine. I probably just spooked myself. There’s no reason someone would be here. I’m sure it’s just an animal or something.”

He doesn’t look convinced.

And neither am I.

Damn it. This sucks. I’m kicking myself for looking like I’m falling apart.

Unfortunately, this is exactly the thing I didn’t need to happen. This situation isn’t going to help Brock believe I’m fit for duty. He’s going to think I can’t do anything without going to pieces.