Chapter 25 · Coordinates in Ash

The storage unit smells like rust and fifteen years of nobody giving a damn.

I'm already running before Locke cuts the engine. My boots hit gravel and I don't wait for him to tell me which unit, because the padlock on 47B is already cut. Hanging there like someone wanted me to know they got here first.

"Ivy—"

I shove the door up. It screams on the rails.

Empty.

Not just empty. Cleared. There's dust where boxes used to sit, clean squares on a dirty floor. Someone swept this place. Recently. I can still smell the bleach under the rust.

"They knew." My voice comes out flat. "They knew we were coming."

Locke's already on his phone. "When did you get the coordinates?"

"Twenty minutes ago. Same text that sent the photo." He's scrolling, jaw tight. "It's a burner. Routing through three proxy servers in Eastern Europe. Whoever sent it wanted us here."

"Wanted us to waste time." I kick the wall. Pain shoots up my shin and I don't care. "Dad's stuff was here. The notebook was here. Now it's—"

My phone buzzes.

Unknown number. I almost don't answer. Then I see the area code. 412. Pittsburgh.