The headquarters of Horizon Logistics was located in Baybridge City's industrial zone, not far from the historic district. Michael Lin and Emily Su switched to a rented car to avoid being noticed. Michael donned a baseball cap and sunglasses, while Emily tied her hair back simply, disguising herself as a delivery worker.

The industrial zone’s buildings were uniformly dull, with Horizon Logistics' gray façade bearing a simple corporate logo, unembellished. The parking lot outside was crowded with trucks, and workers were busy moving goods in a well-organized manner.

"Looks pretty ordinary," Emily observed, scanning the surroundings.

"The more ordinary a place looks, the more likely it’s hiding something," Michael replied in a low voice.

The two entered the building’s lobby, presenting a forged delivery slip and claiming they had urgent documents to deliver to an internal department. However, the security guard at the front desk was particularly cautious.

"Internal document delivery requires approval from higher-ups. Do you have an appointment?" the guard asked.

"An appointment?" Michael feigned irritation. "This is urgent, and you’re asking me to schedule an appointment? If this gets delayed, can you take responsibility?"

The guard frowned, clearly unmoved. Picking up his walkie-talkie, he prepared to call a supervisor. Seizing the moment, the two glanced around and noticed a nearby door marked "Employee Break Room."

"We’ll sort this out and be back in a moment," Emily said, pulling Michael away quickly and slipping into the break room. Inside, they found several employee lockers and a side door leading to the logistics warehouse.

"This might be our way inside," Michael whispered. He checked a few lockers and found a uniform with the Horizon Logistics logo.

"Looks like someone’s off today," Emily remarked with a slight smile, handing the uniform to Michael.

After Michael changed into the uniform, the two cautiously passed through the side door into the warehouse. The space was filled with shelves and the sound of robotic arms at work. They avoided security cameras and spotted a glass-walled office where several staff members were discussing something.

"What’s that?" Emily pointed at a large screen inside the office displaying multiple package routes.

"Those routes might lead to the evidence we’re looking for," Michael said quietly, pulling out his phone to take long-range photos of the screen.

Just as they were about to leave, a man who appeared to be the warehouse supervisor approached them from behind. "Who are you? I don’t recognize you."

Michael quickly turned around, maintaining his composure. "We’re new interns, just transferred here."

"New interns? Why aren’t you on the roster?" the supervisor asked, clearly skeptical.

"Maybe HR hasn’t updated the records yet. If you’re unsure, you can check with the manager," Emily replied calmly.

The supervisor scrutinized them for a few seconds before finally saying, "Fine, but don’t slack off." He turned and walked away.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Michael exhaled in relief. "We should leave quickly."

Back in their car, Michael zoomed in on the logistics route map he had photographed. Several routes pointed to the same destination: an abandoned chemical plant in the suburbs.

"That place doesn’t look ordinary," Emily said, pointing at the map.

"But we can’t just charge in," Michael replied. "We need to understand the security situation first."

The two drove near the chemical plant, finding the surroundings bleak and desolate. The towering chimneys had long ceased emitting smoke, and the perimeter was lined with rusted barbed wire and overgrown weeds, as though the site had been disconnected from the world for years.

"Is this place really operational?" Emily asked in a low voice.

"It’s clearly more complicated than it looks," Michael said, launching a drone to survey the plant from above.

The drone’s footage revealed tight security within the facility. Two guards armed with walkie-talkies patrolled the main gate, while the perimeter was equipped with surveillance cameras and electrified fences, leaving few blind spots.

"It’s clear we won’t get in through the front," Michael observed.

Circling to the back of the plant, they discovered an overgrown drainage pipe concealed by weeds. The rusted pipe still connected to the plant’s interior.

"This might be our way in," Emily suggested.

Returning to their car, they prepared their equipment and devised an infiltration plan.

"We need to create a diversion to draw their attention," Michael proposed.

After nightfall, dressed in dark clothing, they approached the plant quietly. Using a soundwave disruptor, they generated noise to divert the guards' attention. Flashlights in hand, the guards left their posts to investigate.

Seizing the opportunity, Michael and Emily slipped into the drainage pipe. The interior was dimly lit and filled with the damp, chemical-laden smell of stagnation. Emily switched on a portable flashlight to illuminate their path.

The narrow, muddy pipe echoed with the sound of dripping water in the distance. After crawling for what felt like an eternity, they reached the pipe’s end—a rusted iron door blocking their way.

Emily carefully used her tools to open the door, the grating sound of the rusted hinges piercing the silence. They held their breath, waiting several seconds before proceeding.

Beyond the door was a dimly lit underground passage. The faint hum of machinery echoed from its far end.

"This place is far from ordinary," Emily whispered.

"Keep moving. Let’s find the core area," Michael said, gripping his flashlight tightly.

Along the way, they stumbled upon a monitoring room. Screens displayed live feeds of the plant’s interior and exterior. Two employees were inside, discussing the night’s patrol schedule.

"We need to get them out of there," Michael murmured.

Emily retrieved a small signal disruptor from her bag, activating it outside the room. Soon, the monitors began to flicker and lose signal.

"Something’s wrong! You check the circuit; I’ll report to the supervisor," one of the employees said.

As the two rushed out, Michael and Emily slipped into the room and copied the plant’s blueprint from the system.

"This should help us locate the lab," Michael said.

Following the blueprint, they navigated toward the lab. Near its entrance, Michael noticed a sign reading: "High-Risk Area – Unauthorized Personnel Prohibited." Scratched onto the metal sign were faint numbers: 714.

"What does that mean?" Emily whispered.

"Could be a warning or a clue we’ve overlooked," Michael replied, snapping a photo.

The heavy metal door’s lock system was more advanced than expected, requiring fingerprints, a passcode, and iris recognition. Observing the setup, Emily remarked, "It’ll take at least fifteen minutes to bypass this."

"Get started. This place is making me uneasy," Michael said, keeping watch.

When the door finally opened, they were greeted by a stark white room illuminated by cold fluorescent lights. The walls were lined with complex flowcharts and research data. Michael and Emily immediately began documenting everything with their cameras.

"There’s too much here. We might need multiple trips to gather it all," Emily noted.

"Focus on the critical parts—anything directly tied to the missing person case," Michael said, flipping through a file. Suddenly, he froze as he spotted Claire Lee’s name on one of the pages.

"She was here," he said softly, his voice tinged with a mix of dread and determination.