Chapter 10 - The Sanctuary of Shadows
The skiff bumped against the weathered pilings of an abandoned industrial slipway behind the harbor district. Fog hung thick over the stagnant water, carrying the sharp scent of rust, salt, and decaying timber.
Marcus unhooked Lily from the harness, holding her securely in his left arm, while Frank secured the boat’s mooring line in the darkness.
Ahead stood the silhouette of St. Jude’s. The once-grand gothic stone church was now flanked by derelict warehouses, its stained-glass windows dark and boarded with weathered plywood. Weeds choked the stone steps leading to the heavy arched oak doors.
Marcus approached cautiously, his sidearm resting low along his thigh. The front entrance was chained shut, but a side cellar door near the rectory garden hung slightly ajar, fresh boot prints visible in the damp dirt.
“Stay outside, Frank. Watch the lane,” Marcus whispered. “If anyone approaches, two taps on the comms.”
Frank nodded grimly, fading into the shadow of the brick alleyway.
Marcus pushed the heavy cellar door open. It swung inward on silent hinges, revealing a flight of worn granite steps descending into the church basement. The air smelled of beeswax, damp stone, and old incense.
Marcus stepped carefully down the stairs. At the far end of the vaulted basement, a single candle flickered on an old communion table. Sitting on a wooden bench beside it was a thin, gray-haired man in an unbuttoned overcoat, his face etched with exhaustion.
It was Nathan Cross.
The former prosecutor raised his eyes as Marcus entered. A faint, sad smile crossed his lips. “You took your time, Vance.”
“Victoria tried to bury this along with Sophia,” Marcus said, setting the waterproof packet on the table between them.
May you like
Nathan reached out, his hand trembling as he touched the papers. “I spent eighteen months in hiding waiting for these. But we’re out of time, Marcus. Victoria didn’t send security guards this time.”
Before Marcus could ask what he meant, the floorboards above them groaned under heavy, coordinated footsteps.
