Crossroads

Chapter 72

‘She isn’t here?‘

Dominick was anxious. He reached out and violently tore a large gap in the rusted wire fence in front of him, leaping into the factory.

The abandoned chemical plant lay on Havencrest’s northern edge, bordered by dense woods to the east and a wide, dark river to the west

It was near 11 p.m., the night moonless, starless. The only light came from the full moon, and the river air chilled the night to the bone.

The abandoned factory covered about 10 thousand square feet, with a large workshop containing heavy, abandoned machinery, three large warehouses, two quality inspection rooms, and an office. The walls and windows were filthy and in ruins.

Jessica and the five thugs were in the large workshop, but Dominick couldn’t find Stephanie.

He suppressed his impatience and softened his footsteps as he walked through the dimly lit factory, searching each room….

Suddenly, a smell of blood hit his nose. Dominick paused, and his heart skipped a beat as he looked toward a small room on his right.

Clutching the gun in his hand, he pressed his body against the wall and moved swiftly toward the door. The aged mahogany door in front of him was unlocked. He gently pushed it open, peering inside sharply.

The weak moonlight filtering through the window allowed him to glimpse something inside….

The next second, his eyes widened in shock. He couldn’t hold back anymore and burst inside.

The office was a wreck, with papers strewn everywhere and a long wooden desk smeared with blood. The dark red blood trailed down the

desk leg, dripping to the floor and mixing with the grime. It was sickening.

Dominick’s face was grim. He pressed his lips, raised his gun, and called out softly. “Ste…”

But then, he paused, his gaze fixing on something unusual.

He couldn’t fire recklessly, not until he had found Stephanie. Alerting those inside without knowing her location would be very risky.

She had to be safe first

Suddenly, Dominick heard a faint sound of painful gasps emanating from the room, barely audible.

He walked cautiously to the back of the desk, surprised to find Isaac slumped unconscious. His eyes narrowed as if wondering something.

Isaac was the mastermind behind this, but now, he had passed out there.

The sharp tang of blood filled the air. Dominick’s agitation flared as he yanked Isaac up.

“Where is she?” Dominick wished he could just shoot him.

Isaac, jerked up harshly, was dazed and pale, gasping for air. His eyes opened to see Dominick’s grim face, his expression twisting, but he was too weak to struggle.

Dominick slammed Isaac’s face onto the desk and pressed down hard on the wound at the back of his head. His patience had worn thin.

“Stephanie! Where is she!”

As Dominick pressed on the wound, Isaac gasped in pain, trembling “L. I don’t know.__”

10:44 Sat, 22 Jun G

Chapter 72

“Mr. Wellington, Ms. Carter’s by the workshop…” A bodyguard, part of their undercover team, spotted Dominick and rushed over, speaking

urgently.

we got to go, now! This abandoned

Dominick!” Before the bodyguard could finish, Isaac burst into

make you pay! You have more power than

will die together!”

was shocked upon

a remote from his pocket, its red

he reached out his hand, trying to snatch the remote from him, while the bodyguard also rushed forward to help subdue

The remote m

tumbled

still too

warehouse

through the sky,

flames erupted like wild

Wellington, we have to leave, now! The whole place is going down!” a bodyguard shouted anxiously

criminals are under control,

the fire on the east

been positioned outside the chemical plant and waiting for

in front of them. Then, the police

conduct a rescue.

plant was now

with loud bangs,

the crumbling walls. Each hiss echoed like a

in horror as he watched the main support pillar slowly tilt. He yelled in panic, “Dominick, get out!

against the

The fire is too strong at the front door! We can’t

that critical moment, panic surged and

their skin. Blinding

Chapter 72

door, now!

Wellington, there’s

his hesitation in the room. In urgency,

Dominick shook them off stubbornly, his voice

she be?” His mind

started running back towards the blaze. They no longer cared about respect,

The massive stone column ahead

with flames

“What do

of the bodyguards

midst of the blazing inferno with no way

they could do was wait

seemed to freeze at that moment. Explosions boomed. Screams pierced the air. And

A thud camel

metal scalpel clattered to the ground,

me…” A woman’s frail voice emanated from a small room.

the flames, Dominick seemed to sense something. He abruptly turned

massive factory collapsed with a thunderous

early morning, the deafening roar of the collapsing building spread far and wide, casting

the factory to immediately drop to the ground, their

in

scrambled up from the ground and looked around frantically. The abandoned factory before

they could barely see in

“Turn on all

[the car lights!”

he noticed some movement by the river to the

others quickly ran