Chapter 44

The space between the edge of the loading dock and the doors was about a foot wide. It was enough for Ren to balance his right foot on the ledge and his left on the top of the ladder. Ashton was forced to stay on the ladder, his hands on the same bar as Ren's left foot. It was an awkward stance, but Ren had been in more awkward situations.

He rested his hand on the brick wall. He had thought about testing his weight against the doors, but decided not to in case the doors weren't reinforced.

The last time he'd been here was over a year ago. He couldn't quite remember how long it had been. He hadn't been really thinking about it at all, but it was long enough that he couldn't quite remember. However, he did remember climbing this very ladder all the time. The rowdiest of the drugged up humans took the front of the building for themselves and forced the druggies that weren't willing to fight over a falling apart building to the back.

It wasn't one of his most proud memories. Sneaking out to deal hadn't ever been something he was hoping to put on a resume. He did it because it beat letting his mom sink under bills and work herself to death for a child that wasn't her fault at all.

Ren slowly leaned forward. He leaned all his weight onto his right leg and poked his head above the bottom of the small window in the first door. While the door was new, they hadn't tinted the windows like all the others. It might have seemed like a small oversight, but it was just what Ren needed to be able to see into the back of the building.

Ashton had been right. They hadn't changed much of anything. In the back anyways.

The back was mostly a large area where shipments were dropped off and sorted. There was a small cubby room to the left that had once stored trash bins and sanitary items. To the right was a large elevator shaft that had been rebuilt. Before it had been nothing but a shaft, the elevator ripped apart to tell for parts.

That was as far as Ren could see from where he was. He pulled away.

"I don't see anyone." He decided to leave out the fact that Ashton had been right. He didn't need his ego boosted right at the moment.

Ren's hand hovered over the handle. He took a deep and steady breath.

Then, he pulled the door open.

The door was a lot heavier than the last set. That might have been due to the fact that the other ones had been deteriorating for over two decades. He used most of his strength to haul it open, thankful that the hinges were new enough that they didn't squeak to the high heavens.

That would be his fucking luck. Found out because some stupid hinges were rusty.

He didn't want to hang out there with the door open for too long. He looked back at Ashton and jerked his head toward the open door, signaling for him to follow him. Ashton gave a small nod back. As Ren heaved himself inside, holding the door firmly so it didn't slam shut, he focused on not making a single noise.

The inside felt very different than how it had before. The air was on, a blessing in some ways, because it hopefully would drown out any noises they made. On the other hand, Ren was freezing even more. His hands had gone cold and he tried to shake them a bit so they wouldn't go completely numb.

Ren stood there for a moment, looking around. He jumped as Ashton pressed against his back. He turned his head to the side just slightly, meeting Ashton's eyes.

"They're further in."

He was talking about Regan and Darrien.

He ignored the heat of Ashton's body next to him and focused on trying to get his thoughts together. He blinked a couple of times, swallowing the lump in his throat. He felt Ashton looking at him which didn't make it easier to get his bearings once again.

"We can't go blindly in. Someone might be here too."

He only had to turn his head slightly to get at look at Ashton. He was that close.

Ashton didn't seem to be completely listening to him. He was looking around just as Ren had been doing, his brows slightly furrowed.

"Was is it?" Ren could see the gears turning in his head.

Ashton didn't answer for a moment. He stared at the empty hall for a few more seconds before he replied.

"Doesn't is seem odd that there wasn't an alarm system?"

Ren opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it. He furrowed his brows and looked around them.

He did think it was odd that the doors weren't locked or that no one seemed to be around. This building had been restored so well that it looked like it cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Possibly close to a million and yet there were no fences, not extra locks, and like Ashton had said, no alarm systems. It seemed like they were so careless about keeping the place secure.

"It does seem...weird." There was really no other way to describe it. Now that it was pointed out, the hair on the back of Ren's neck stood up. He suddenly didn't think sticking around at the back entrance was such a good idea.

Without thinking, he grabbed Ashton's arm and started to pull him down the hallway.

"Where exactly are they? Can you hear them?"

It was only then that Ren was glad that Ashton had better hearing than him. His anxiety was through the roof. He didn't need to know what Regan and Darrien were saying on top of it all though he was pretty sure Ashton couldn't hear them that well.

"Well, you're taking us in their direction."

Ren would have rolled his eyes if he wasn't on the verge of a panic attack. Something wasn't right about this. The walls weren't just closing in on him then. They were looking at him, watching both of their movements like they were documenting everything they were doing. How they were reacting. Storing it away like they had some other plan.

Ren didn't know how creditable this feeling was or if he was being unreasonable. It was probably the second option, but he didn't want to take a chance.

He took them down another hall that was to the right. This layout hadn't changed much either. They were walking down a long corridor that didn't have any windows, only doors. He didn't remember there being rooms in this direction. They almost resembled classroom doors. Maybe they were offices.

He let go of Ashton's arm. As he walked further along, he read the metal embossed signs next to the doors. They were names. So these were offices.

Ashton placed his arm on Ren's shoulder. "They're empty."

Ren knew. He couldn't feel anything. Well, he could. It was the same hatred and dread that had surged upon him when they first came upon this place. It was on him like tar, weighing him down into the ground. He couldn't breathe with it all around him. It made his skin crawl and itch.

But it was coming from something else. It wasn't quite like when he felt this horrible feelings coming from people. This was something far darker.

Ashton went up to a random door and tried the handle.

"Don't—" Ren jumped forward, but it was too late.

The door open just a crack. Ashton looked back at him.

"What?"

Ren looked down the empty hallway. "It's just...we should leave."

He couldn't explain the feeling. Though Ashton was telling him there was no one here, he felt like this was all wrong. Even though it was just Regan and Darrien—it was still dangerous to be around here. They didn't even know what the hell this place was.

Ashton stepped into the office. Ren really had no choice. He wasn't going to stay out in the hallway where he could be spotted so easily.

His stomach was flipping as he walked into the office. The smell was of cleaner. It burned his nose. He wasn't the only one. Ashton wrinkled his nose as he walked around the small area. The room was small as Ren's bedroom, only big enough for a standard desk and chair, and four metal filing cabinets.

There was a computer on the desk. It looked expensive. New. Ren didn't understand why there were filing cabinets. He hadn't heard of many businesses not fully switched to digital.

Ashton looked over the desk. He wiggled the mouse to start up the sleeping computer.

"Close the door," he softly said.

Ren shut it quietly and walked over to where Ashton was.

The screen of the computer looked like any other setup he'd seen. It was a plain blue background with a login screen.

Ren looked away from it. He walked over to the metal file cabinets. He hovered his hand over the handle of the top drawer. He was afraid of touching it. But they wouldn't know they'd been here. It wasn't like they were going to dust for fingerprints. That would be crazy.

Still...the irrational side of him was screaming at him that this was a horrible idea.

Ashton gave an irritated sigh. "I'm not even going to try and guess the password."

Ren felt Ashton at his side. "Is it locked?"

Ren hadn't noticed that he'd put his hand on the handle. He blinked, getting his eyes to focus.

He gave the handle a tug. It budged, but it was locked.

Ashton wordlessly turned to the desk and started searching through the drawers. There were blank notepads and other typical office supplies. There wasn't a key. The whole thing was neatly organized and the only thing interesting that turned up was a book about mythical creatures.

Ashton furrowed his brows as he flipped through the pages. "Pages are marked. They're taking notes."

Ren's heart skipped.

They'd already thought about this. He knew that it wasn't crazy to think the Hunter Society had their own building. They were officially back anyway. They weren't banned like before. And they were taking over the cases of the murdered teens.

But being faced with the reality of it. Actually knowing that it was reality, that was different. This changed everything.

Ashton put the book back. He straightened everything so it looked like it hadn't been touched. As he closed the drawer he glanced back at Ren.

Ren didn't know if it was because of the look on his face or if Ashton was searching out Ren's feelings through the bond.

They hadn't ever talked about it of course. Why would they? They didn't like each other. They didn't want this bond. It was only because the contract that they made that they were even connected like this. Ren didn't know for sure if Ashton ever tried to feel him out like Ren did. Ren didn't just have the bond through their contract to feel Ashton. He had the other power that came with being a witch.

It might be different for Ashton. He was disgusted by Ren so it made sense if he went out of his way to not feel anything from Ren.

But it was that look. It was almost like Ashton understood the anxiety going through Ren.

Compassion.

That's what it almost looked like. It was barely there for a second, but it was enough to make Ren feeling better. The tension let up on his heart and he was able to lower his shoulders that had been hunched up toward his ears.

However, that moment shared between them was forced to end. A loud bang came from down the hall, severing the silence.

Ren didn't think. He was running to the door. Ashton was right behind him.

"They're not close yet. Go!"

Ren didn't need to be told twice. He threw open the door and walked out as fast as he could without making too much of a sound. He held his breath as they passed the other office doors. He didn't think to check them, but he wished he had when they came tot he end of the hall and there was nowhere else to go.

He turned around, but he was too much in a panic to think straight.

Ashton turned to the last door. It was all by itself and the door was different. Higher quality.

Ashton's eyes flashed red. He slammed his hand into the handle and it sprung down, the lock shattering from the inside.

Ren gaped.

Ashton raised both brows as he looked back at Ren. "Praise me later."

Ren gave him a glare, but that was as far as he took it.

They both shuffled into the room and closed the door.

It was dark and it felt much more cramped in here than the last office had.

He was surrounded by that dark energy. It was clamping down on his throat and he was really having trouble breathing. He felt it closing in on him, covering his skin like a thick tar. He shivered uncontrollably as hate, disgust, and vile emotions shot through him without any warning.

This was the place that he'd felt so strongly. This was the center of the dark emotions that felt like hundreds of people.

As Ren turned around, he felt all his strength and fearlessness drain away.

Covering the walls of the large office were dozens of pictures. They were bloody, brutal, and vomit-inducing photographs of dead and tortured vampires.