Single post in Shadow Collectors

Sirens blared blocks away, giving Shannon the extra confidence to scale the fence before her. The night cloaked her nimble movements as she climbed the mesh metal. Unfortunately, the darkness also concealed a sharp, broken piece at the peak of the fence. When she reached the top and threw her body over, the index finger of her right hand caught the metal. Shannon gasped as she dropped down into the stale, vacant alley and shook her hand. A lone, dim bulb hanging above a closed entrance to a warehouse across the opening gave the alley its only light. She splashed through a shallow puddle on her way to the bulb and lifted her narrow finger over her head. The gash parting her fawn-colored flesh wasn’t deep, but it bled… and stung! Popping the finger in her mouth, Shannon quickly scanned the area to ensure she was alone. She had come this far and did not need to lose focus because of a minor wound. Gazing at the large entrance door, Shannon wondered if the warehouse had been completely sealed. She grabbed the door’s bar-like handle and pulled to one side as hard as she could. The heavy door scraped loudly against the concrete as it barely slid open. Shannon winced. The extra pressure on her finger caused it to throb, but she had to give the door one more tug if she wanted the opening wide enough to slip through. Inhaling deeply, she steeled herself and yanked he handle. The door slid less this time, but it was enough. Shannon maneuvered her lithe figure through the narrow opening and instinctively sought cover by the shadows within. Surprising that no lights were on inside the warehouse. If it wasn’t for the dim bulb outside the alley entrance, she wouldn’t have been able to make out the row of containers stacked a couple feet away. Shannon reached for a pouch at the small of her back, unsnapped it, and pulled out a small flashlight. With it firmly grasped in her left hand, she pointed down and flicked its switch. A bright beam illuminated a spot on the floor that she wanted to aim wisely. Just in case this place did have some sort of competent security guards, Shannon definitely wanted to make sure she saw them before they saw her. Listening intently for any wayward sounds, she aimed the beam upward towards the nearest container. It was dingy, celeste-colored and metal, towering twice her height with a near identical container stacked on top of it. She turned the flashlight slightly to judge its length. Maybe ten... fifteen yards? Could it be holding her prize? Shannon caught glimpse of a plastic-covered label attached to the side of the container. Keeping her footsteps light, she walked over to it for a closer look. The routing information said the container originated in Kalorea. No good. According to the tracers , the item she sought arrived around the same time as a shipment from Loa Nekkul. If she could just find the container with the right shipping label… If this row was any indication, it would take her a while to search every container inside the warehouse. While scanning the next one, she wondered if there was a shipping manifest lying around somewhere. A loud clattering echoed throughout the warehouse. Shannon immediately aimed her light at the floor and froze. Which way did that come from? Was someone else also here searching for the container? She waited a few seconds, but the clatter didn’t repeat itself. Though she couldn’t hear any movements or footsteps, it was safer to assume she wasn’t alone in the warehouse. And if someone else was possibly just around a corner, she didn’t want them to get the jump on her.