Chapter 47: Chapter 47

"Pssst! Ben!" I hiss, narrowing my eyes to improve my vision in the darkness. His shadowed figure stops and turns around.

"What?" Ben responds, his voice a low whisper.

"Stop wondering off on you're own, it isn't safe." I tell him. I physically stop myself from walking over to him and dragging him back to where Trish and I stand.

What is it about men and taking over the situation?

Ben huffs in disagreement but moves towards us, huddling back together in our little safety circle. I glance between both of them, feeling their warm breath hitting my cheeks.

"Let's move slowly, okay?" I mumble and they both nod, their expressions serious to match the severity of the situation. I slowly begin to move forward, watching the floor carefully so I don't step on anything.

Broken glass, a needle, a used condom. . . Charming.

The wind whistles harshly around us as we investigate, shining our torches down the pitch black alleyway. We all remain close to one another as we search the entire area carefully. One of my hands clutch the torch tightly and the other is faintly resting on the gun in the waistband of my jeans.

After several minutes of searching, I frown and lean back against the wall. Several old storage lockers line the wall opposite me and the floor is strewn with rubbish and dirt.

"What the hell was Jane doing here?" I mutter to myself, racking my brains to try and come up with a solution. I feel a hand on my shoulder and I spin around, coming face to face with Ben and Trish.

"Maybe you got it wrong Emily?" Trish mumbles quietly, her voice sounding unsure. I bite down on my bottom lip, disappointment washing over me.

Is Trish right? Did I get this all wrong?

"It all adds up though!" I protest, shining the torch on them. Both of them are wrapped up in thick coats, shivering in the cold. Puffs of white smoke appears around their mouth due to the drop in temperature. Trish is sporting a bright red nose and Ben is currently breathing into his hands, desperate for warmth.

My heart drops to the pit of my stomach and I look at them apologetically, feeling like a fool.

"I'm sorry guys," I mumble, dropping my shoulders in defeat.

"I can't believe I dragged you out here for no reason at all. Look at you both. . . You're freezing!" I state, glancing between them.

"Come on, I'll buy you both a warm drink and food." I smile at them, feeling a wave of exhaustion wash over me. Trish and Ben both nod grimly, slowly making their way back to the car. I sigh heavily and pause, turning around to take one last look in the alleyway.

How could I have been so wrong?

My eyes fall on a battered looking padlock securing one of the storage units to the floor. I frown and take a slow step forward. I grip onto my torch tightly and switch it back on, shining it in the direction needed.

The padlock is a faded metal black covered with rust. It's worn out and as I draw closer to inspect it, I realise the padlock is undone. . . Almost as if someone left in a hurry and forgot to lock it.

My eyes widen and I feel my heart thump hard against my chest. This is it! I know it.

"Guys! Wait up!" I hiss over my shoulder, fiddling with the padlock with my spare hand. It easily comes undone and I drop it to the floor, standing back to wipe my dirty hands on the fabric of my jeans.

I inspect the perimeter of the unit, searching the metal door for a handle or opening. I hear my heart pounding in my ears, the adrenaline pumping through my veins.

I mentally groan as I notice a second smaller locked padlock, up in the right corner. Considering this is a grimy abandoned storage unit, someone is trying to keep it a secret very well.

"What is it?" I hear Ben ask from behind me and I spin around, grateful for some help. I point at the locked padlock and shine my torch onto it.

"Can you get that off?" I ask and Ben frowns at me, his eyes turning a shade darker.

"You want me to break into someone's storage locker?" He questions, his eyebrow raised high.

"Ben, I'm carrying an illegal gun. You have a weapon made to smash someone's head open and Trish over there is holding a freakin' Russian knife! Breaking into a locker unit is the least of our worries, trust me."

"You've got a point..." Ben mutters, reaching up to fiddle with the lock. He hands me his torch and I use it to provide some extra light, motioning for Trish to keep watch incase anyone walks by. The last thing we need is the police showing up, arresting us for carrying illegal weapons whilst breaking and entering.

"I need a key." Ben mutters after several minutes, dropping down and searching the floor. I frown at him —

"Do you think you're going to find it on the floor?" I question and Ben glares at me, shaking his head.

"No, idiot." Ben responds, hitting me back with the same sassy tone of voice I used with him.

Fairplay Benny Boy.

He reaches down and picks up a large rock, balancing it between his two hands. I watch, wide eyed as he lifts it a few inches away from the lock before smashing it down onto it. The loud sudden noise causes Trish and I to jump out of our skin.

"Jesse Christ!" Trish mutters dramatically, clutching her heart. A wide grin spread across my face as the lock drops to the floor, landing with a soft thump. Ben turns to give me a victorious grin, his eyes shining brightly.

"You're good at this criminal stuff Colburn."

"Thanks Wentworth," Ben grins, searching the door for an entry point. I feel my heart skip a beat as Ben begins to pull the door up and out, the metal creaking loudly in the silent night. Trish stands beside me, fear radiating from her.

"I hope you're right about this Emily," Trish mutters, giving me a side glance. I don't respond and hold my breath, waiting until the door of the storage unit is fully open.

Once it's up, a vast of black greets us. Ben nervously stands beside me and Trish, all of us waiting for something to happen. I hand Ben his torch back and swallow the lump in my throat, feeling an icy chill run down my back.

"Why does this feel so wrong?" I ask rhetorically, taking a step back. All three of us remain silent for a few moments before Ben takes a step forward, turning his torch on.

"Are we doing this or not?" He asks quickly, looking between Trish and I.

"Yes." I respond, my voice wavering. I feel Trish's spare hand grip onto mine tightly and I hold hers back just as securely, grateful for her support. All three of us raise our torches, lighting up the pitch black room so we can study its contents.

"What the hell?" I mutter, breaking the awkward silence between us.

"It's empty." Ben states bluntly, walking inside. I follow him, shaking my head in disbelief. The room is completely bare, the beige walls peeling from the corners. I feel my heart sink to the pit of my stomach in disappointment for the second time tonight.

"Look! There's a door!" Trish says excitedly, pointing to the far end of the storage unit.

"A door?" I repeat, my interest sparking back up.

"Since when do storage units have extra storage rooms attached to them?" Ben questions, sounding confused. I nod, agreeing with him. My heart begins beating faster, grateful that we haven't hit a dead end.

I walk forward and study the beige door, noticing how it blends in well with the rest of the room. It's shut firmly, almost impossible to notice at first glance. Ben and Trish follow close behind me, all three of us growing silent. The entire storage unit is creepy but the added door is definitely the cherry on top of the cake.

I lean forward and turn my head, placing my ear against the door to try and listen through it.

"Can you hear anything?" Trish whispers, her eyes wide from the adrenaline. I shake my head and take a step back, feeling a lump lodge itself inside my throat.

"We're going in." I whisper, glancing at Ben who's on my right and Trish on my left. They both nod and signal for me to turn the door handle. The metal feels cold and smooth underneath my grip and I can feel my body trembling from the idea of the unknown. With my spare hand, I grip onto the gun like my life depends on it.

My initial expectation is that the handle wouldn't turn or that it would be locked however it opens smoothly, the door clicking. I suck in a shaky breath, feeling every hair on my body stand up pin straight.

There's a dim glow behind the door however it's completely silent, adding to the suspense we're already experiencing. With a shaking hand, I push the door further back, raising the pistol for protection.

"Hello?" I call out, my voice trembling. I take a small step forward, shuffling inside the room with Trish and Ben right behind me.

"Hello?" I call out again quietly, pushing the door open fully. I jump as it squeaks, the door causing the hinges to creak loudly. My eyes adjust to the room and I let out a terrified gasp, my eyes widening in complete terror at the sight that greets me.

In the opposite side of the room is a small corner kitchen, complete with a single kitchen unit and a sink. My eyes travel to the floor that's strewn with rubbish and empty takeaway packaging. The stench inside the room is overpowering. A small single bed lies in the corner of the room with someone sprawled on top of it. . .

Ivory.

Except it isn't Ivory as we know her.

This Ivory is barely conscious, her eyes rolling to the back of her head every few seconds. Her hair is knotted and tied messily at the back of her head, loose strands escaping. She's wearing a plain black shirt that's covered in filthy stains along with baggy shorts.

She barely acknowledges the three people who are  staring at her in complete shock.

"Ivory?" Ben asks in disbelief, dropping his bat to the floor with a loud clang. The noise barely effects Ivory and she stares straight ahead, making low murmuring sounds. Ben walks towards her slowly, almost as if he's approaching a wild animal. Once he's several feet away, she begins to whimper loudly, her arms flying out in different directions.

"Ivory? It's me, Ben." He attempts to re-assure her, his voice wavering with uncertainty. I watch in complete shock as Ivory barely reacts and begins to whimper louder, her eyes rolling to the back of her head. They appear sunken in, withdrawn from the world. Black dark rings completely take over her under eyes, contrasting against her pale skin.

"Call an ambulance!" Ben yells towards Trish and I, snapping us both out of our frozen state. I nod, realising tears are streaming down my face. Trish fumbles around in her pocket, taking out her phone to dial for emergency services. I tear my eyes away from Ivory, noticing a pile of needles stacked on the floor in the corner. My eyes widen and I feel my heart drop to the pit of my stomach in fear —

"Ben?" I call out uneasily, pointing at the needles. I don't dare blink, wondering whether I'm living a nightmare.

"Oh god Ivory, what have you done to yourself?" Ben yells, his gaze falling on the pile of used drug needles on the floor. That's when it finally hits me...

Ivory is a drug addict.