At 4 a.m., the streets of Baybridge City were shrouded in mist. The streetlights emitted a dim, yellow glow in the cold, damp air, like candles that could extinguish at any moment. Michael Lin stood outside an unassuming café, holding a letter without a sender's name. The edges of the envelope were frayed, as though it had traveled a great distance to reach his hands.
He hesitated for a moment, then tore the envelope open. Inside was a single sheet of white paper with one line of text:
"If you want to uncover the lost truth, go to 'No. 326, Baybridge Road.'"
Michael frowned. No signature, no explanation—this seemed like a poorly executed prank. But the photograph enclosed with the letter sent chills down his spine: it was a blurry image of a young woman’s back, standing in front of an old building in Baybridge City’s historic district. What unsettled him most was that he vaguely remembered her name—Claire Lee, a college student who had disappeared three years ago.
He had covered her disappearance at the time, but the case had been forced into cold storage due to a lack of leads. Now, this photo seemed like a ghost rising from the abyss, rekindling his memories of the incident.
Michael glanced across the street at the "Dawn Technologies" building, its silver-gray façade faintly visible through the fog. He recalled that the missing person case had briefly been linked to this company, but all investigations had been buried under layers of secrecy. He couldn’t decipher what the letter was trying to tell him, nor could he figure out who the sender might be.
A passing taxi splashed water onto the curb. Michael checked his watch: 4:12 a.m., the quietest hour in Baybridge City. Clutching the photograph tightly, he stepped into the café, determined to reopen the case that had been shelved for years.
Inside the café, a map of Baybridge City’s historic district lay unfolded on the table. Water rings from the coffee cup slowly seeped into the map’s edges. Michael stared at the red mark in the center, denoting the location in the photograph: A14. Official records described the building as an abandoned warehouse, but he knew it had once been used by Dawn Technologies for storage.
"Still chasing that missing person case?"
A familiar voice came from behind. Michael turned to see Emily Su approaching with two cups of coffee. She was the head of Baybridge City’s Social Work Center and a key ally in his investigations.
"I'm not chasing it—it caught up with me," he said, handing her the letter and photograph.
After reading, Emily frowned. "What does 'coordinate blind spot' mean?"
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
"I don't know, but this location—A14—is definitely tied to the old case."
"When do we check it out?"
"Right now."
The two drove to the historic district. The deserted streets were eerily silent, with only stray cats darting between garbage bins. Warehouse A14 stood in desolation, its rusty gates and vine-covered walls resembling a sleeping beast. A new lock on the door seemed out of place for an abandoned building.
Michael took out his camera and snapped a few shots. "The lock is new, which means someone’s been here recently."
"This doesn’t look like the kind of place ordinary people would visit," Emily said, scanning the surroundings.
As they prepared to leave, faint footsteps echoed from behind the warehouse. Exchanging a glance, they crept around to the back, spotting a figure in a black hoodie attempting to climb the fence.
"Stop!" Michael shouted.
The figure jumped down and disappeared into the night, leaving behind only a trail of blurred footprints.
Michael chased a few steps before realizing the person moved with practiced agility—not an amateur. Returning to Emily, he pointed at the footprints.
"That’s the kind of caution you develop after committing a crime," Emily observed, crouching to examine the marks.
"Looks like we’ve got a new lead," Michael said, snapping a picture of the prints and noting their direction.
----------------------------------------
The footprints led them to a deserted alley, ending at a half-open wooden door. Soft noises came from within.
"Let’s check it out," Emily whispered.
Michael nodded, pushing the door open to reveal a cluttered, abandoned warehouse. The floor was littered with delivery boxes, old electronic devices, and shredded documents.
Emily picked up a relatively intact piece of paper, frowning. "Are these shipping records? They look like they’re from Dawn Technologies."
Michael examined the paper and noticed familiar names, including Claire Lee.
"What does this mean?" Emily asked.
"Her disappearance might be tied to these shipments," Michael mused. "But we need more evidence."
Just then, hurried footsteps echoed from a corner of the warehouse. They quickly hid as a tall man entered, carrying a black briefcase.
The man surveyed the area before digging into the ground. He unearthed a small hard drive wrapped in cloth.
"What is that?" Emily whispered.
"Probably critical evidence," Michael replied, quietly taking photos of the man’s actions.
The man suddenly looked up, scanning their direction.
Michael held his breath, keeping his camera steady as he captured close-ups of the man’s face and briefcase. Emily, standing by, held her phone, ready to call for help.
After a tense moment, the man retrieved the hard drive and started to leave. Michael whispered, "Let’s let him leave, but we can’t let him know we’re following him."
"What about the hard drive?" Emily asked.
"Don’t worry—I’ve got his face and the case markings," Michael assured her. "Following him to his destination is the key."
They tailed the man at a safe distance as he exited the warehouse. He paused several times to look back, but Michael and Emily skillfully blended into the shadows.
The man eventually reached a black sedan, placing the briefcase in the trunk before driving off. Michael photographed the license plate and quickly searched for the vehicle’s registration. The car was registered to "Horizon Logistics," a subsidiary of Dawn Technologies.
"It’s all connected," Michael said.
"What now?" Emily asked.
"Next stop: Horizon Logistics’ headquarters. That’s where we’ll find more answers."