A thick copper pipe ran from the top of the boiler, straight through the drywall, and into the main warehouse bay.

The pressure gauge on the side of the tank was vibrating in the bright red zone.

Right next to the wall was a heavy manual release valve painted a faded red.

A yellowed warning tag hung from the metal wheel: *DANGER – HIGH PRESSURE STEAM.*

I knew how these systems worked from my early days in industrial textile shops.

If I opened that valve, the hot steam would dump directly into the main warehouse manifold.

It would fill the entire bay with a thick, blinding cloud in seconds.

I reached for the red wheel and gripped it with both hands.

I turned it, but it did not budge.

The iron was rusted solid.

I looked down at my waist.

I was still wearing my heavy leather tailor’s belt.

Tucked into the side pocket were my heavy, eight-inch carbon steel fabric shears.

They were solid, forged metal, meant for cutting through layers of heavy wool and canvas.