Steel door rolled up. Track groaned. Dust drifted in the cold air. Concrete floor showed tire marks and old oil stains. Rusted pallet racks lined the west wall. Bolts corroded. Uprights leaned slightly. Cardboard manifests sat stacked in the corner. Edges frayed. Tape peeled. Mateo stepped inside. Flashlight beam cut across the ceiling. Elena followed. Boots echoed on the slab. Alexander entered last. Tablet tucked under arm. Stylus in pocket. Screen dark. Battery at eighty-nine percent.
Mateo stopped at the center of the bay. Pointed to faded paint lines on the floor. "Original loading dock sat here. Four bays. Levelers hydraulic. Door height twelve feet. Your father framed it in '09. Poured the apron in two stages to prevent cracking."
