Marcus felt his pulse quicken.
“Someone moved it.”
Tom nodded.
“Without logging it.”
“Who signed the transfer?”
Tom hesitated.
“Cole Mercer.”
Marcus leaned back.
“Cole.”
Tom nodded.
“But there's more.”
He opened another file.
The transfer authorization had been issued by Warren's office.
Marcus stared at the screen.
“Why would Warren authorize an unlogged container transfer?”
“I don't know.”
“Where did it go?”
Tom pointed to an address.
“Old county training property.”
Marcus recognized it.
The warehouse.
The same building where Ranger had been injured.
His stomach tightened.
“HS-17 was moved there?”
“According to this record.”
Marcus stood.
Tom grabbed his arm.
“Don't go alone.”
“I won't.”
“Who can you trust?”
Marcus thought of Porter.
Then Cole.
Neither answer felt certain.
He called Porter.
She answered immediately.
“Marcus.”
“HS-17 was moved to the training warehouse.”
Silence.
“Are you sure?”
“I have the original transfer record.”
“Bring it to me.”
“I will.”
Marcus ended the call.
As he walked outside, he saw Cole sitting in his patrol vehicle.
Cole rolled down the window.
“Get in.”
Marcus hesitated.
Then entered.
Cole drove without speaking.
After several minutes, he said, “You found the transfer record.”
“Yes.”
“I knew you would.”
“Why?”
“Because Ranger wouldn't let you stop.”
Marcus looked at him.
“You knew what he found.”
Cole's hands tightened on the steering wheel.
“I knew something was wrong.”
“Tell me.”
Cole swallowed.
“At Harbor Street, I was ordered to secure HS-17.”
“By Warren?”
“Yes.”
“What was inside?”
“I never opened it.”
“Then why were you afraid?”
Cole stared through the windshield.
“Because someone else did.”
“Who?”
Cole didn't answer.
Instead, he turned toward an empty road leading away from town.
“Where are we going?”
“To show you something.”
Marcus looked at him.
“For the first time,” Cole said, “you need to trust me.”
Marcus almost laughed.
Trust had become the most dangerous word in his life.
Still, he stayed in the car.
Cole drove to an abandoned maintenance station beyond the county line.
The building had been unused for years.
He unlocked a side door.
Inside, there were old desks, rusted tools, and boxes covered in dust.
Cole walked to a metal cabinet.
From behind it, he pulled a sealed evidence bag.
Marcus recognized the label immediately.
HS-17.
His heart began pounding.
“You had this?”
Cole nodded.
“Why?”
“Because three days after the seizure, I was ordered to destroy it.”
Marcus stared at him.
“By Warren?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you?”
Cole looked down.
“Because I opened it first.”
“What was inside?”
Cole carefully opened the bag.
The container held a damaged metal panel.
At first it looked worthless.
Then Cole turned it over.
A narrow compartment was built into the underside.
Marcus crouched.
“Hidden.”
“Yes.”
“What was in it?”
“Nothing.”
Marcus looked at him.