No One to Help by Ava Strong

Author:Ava Strong [Strong, Ava]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-01-16T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

It was midnight by the time Sofia reached the sprawling freight yard of Haldera, California. The vast expanse of train tracks and cargo containers stretched out before her like a metallic labyrinth, shrouded in darkness. Sofia squinted through her windshield, trying to discern where the crime scene might be hidden among the shadowy maze.

"Damn it," she muttered under her breath, feeling the weight of the ticking clock pressing down on her. She knew that time was of the essence in a case like this, and yet, finding her way through this tangled web of shipping containers and rail cars seemed nearly impossible.

As she drove deeper into the freight yard, a faint glow caught her eye—red and blue lights flashing in the distance. Her pulse quickened as she navigated toward them, the Charger's engine growling beneath her.

As she neared the source of the lights, she saw several police cars parked haphazardly along the tracks, their emergency lights casting an eerie, pulsating glow across the scene. Officers with flashlights moved about, their beams cutting through the darkness like ghostly searchlights. In the midst of the chaos, a single rail car stood out from the rest, cordoned off by crime scene tape.

"Must be where they found her," Sofia murmured, her heart twisting at the thought of another innocent life brutally taken. She parked the Charger and stepped out into the cool night air.

Just as Sofia closed the car door behind her, Ryan's tall figure appeared beside her, his face pale and drawn. His blue eyes were clouded with a mix of shock and horror.

"Hey, Sofia," he said, his voice strained. "I've got to be honest, this one...it's bad. The body is still there. You should brace yourself."

Sofia's stomach clenched at his words, but she nodded, trying to maintain her professional composure. "I can handle it, Ryan," she replied, swallowing hard. She took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself for the gruesome sight that awaited them.

Together, they approached the rail car, its weathered metal exterior illuminated by the flashing lights. Sofia couldn't help but notice the chilling eeriness of the scene, as if the rail car itself held some dark secret.

"It's a refrigerated rail car," Ryan explained as they walked. "It's used for transporting meat—animal carcasses, mostly. As far as we can tell, it was locked up and empty when the murder took place."

Sofia shuddered at the thought of the victim's body being left in a rail car designed to carry animal carcasses. Her mind raced with questions: How had the killer known about this particular rail car? What twisted motive could have led them to commit such a horrifying act?

She steeled herself as she peered into the refrigerated rail car, unsure what she would find. Rows of metal hooks hung from an overhead rail, their gleaming surfaces reflecting what little light there was.

The hooks themselves were creepy enough (with a bit of fake blood, Sofia thought, they would have made excellent props in a haunted house), but what stole Sofia's attention was

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