He pulled out the heavy gold pen he had used to sign the resignation.

“If I don’t come back in ten minutes, call the police.”

He opened the door and stepped out into the freezing air, his tall figure disappearing into the dark entrance of the warehouse.

I looked at Mary, her hand holding mine so tightly my fingers went numb.

“We can’t just sit here, Evelyn,” she whispered.

“I know,” I said.

I reached for the door handle and pushed it open, the cold air hitting my face.

We stepped out into the snow, our boots making no sound as we followed Ethan’s tracks into the dark building.

The air inside was freezing, smelling of rust and old wood.

A single light was burning on the far side of the warehouse, casting long shadows across the floor.

We walked quietly, our eyes adjusting to the darkness.

And then, the sound of a voice echoed through the empty space.

“You’re late, Ethan,” Paul Raskin said.

I stopped behind a stack of wooden crates, my hand holding Mary back.

Through the gap in the wood, I could see them.