Inside, the loading dock was vast and dark.

The smell of cardboard and forklift diesel hung in the air.

The only light came from the red exit signs.

“The elevator is to the left,” Romano whispered.

We moved quickly through the rows of wooden pallets.

My joints ached from the damp cold, but the adrenaline kept the pain away.

We reached the freight elevator door.

It was a heavy steel sliding door with a manual lever.

Romano inserted the key into the elevator control panel.

The indicator light above the door glowed a faint amber.

He pulled the lever, and the doors opened with a heavy scrape.

We stepped inside.

The interior of the elevator was lined with padded canvas.

Romano pressed the button for the thirty-ninth floor.

The elevator shuddered and began its slow ascent.

My earbud crackled again.

“I am at the front desk,” Elena said, her voice tight. “I have the security chief occupied with the federal warrant. You have two minutes before they check the freight logs.”

“We are in the elevator,” I whispered. “We are on our way up.”