The air at the Ashbridge Ports was thick with salt and the stench of fish, a scent that clung to everything like the past clung to this city.
Alex was standing in front of the same building that, not too long ago was a mess. But now the place looked decent enough for people to start working, in fact people were already inside busy with some final preparations to open the building and start operating the 'officially'
Looking at the sign that hung at the entrance 'Black-line Freight Co.'
Alex looked at Edgar with a question look,
"I thought you would go for something like a cleaning company or something."
Edgar handed him a slim folder without breaking his stride.
"Freight's easier to process on paper" he replied, continuing towards the entrance with his usual cane-tap rhythm.
Alex flipped through the documents as they walked, skimming the top sheet, he couldn't help but nod in acknowledgement after,
|CITY OF ASHBRIDGE|
|DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY|
|BUSINESS REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE|
|Business Name: Black-line Freight Co.|
|Business Type: Private Limited Corporation (LLC) |
|Nature of Business: Licensed Freight & logistics Operations
~Import/Export coordination
~Warehouse Management
~Port-side Handling and Transportation
|Business Address: Warehouse 17, Southpoint Docks
Ashbridge Industrial Port Zone
2085-AZ
|Company Registration Number: #BL-5637-0923-AZ
|Owner/Managing Director: Mr Edgar Thorne
~Acting on behalf of the board of Black-line Logistics Holding LLC |
Impressed with Edgar's work he couldn't help but compliment the old man.
"You know, for some fossil, you are pretty efficient."
Hearing Alex's words, Edgar didn't even flinch. No response just kept walking.
Together they continued to walk inside inspecting the warehouse from top to bottom- Perimeter cameras, receiving areas, and the offices meant for the logistics staff. Everything looked clean.
After they were done with everything, it was time to look at the production lab underneath the building, it was the whole point of them coming in here in the first place.
They entered the office in one corner of the building which will probably be used by management.
Edger walked up to the coat hanger that was mounted on the wall and pushed the hook up with some force.
*Click*
A hidden cabinet slid open, revealing a staircase descending into the underground.
"This slick," Alex said as he looked at the whole process of opening the entrance,
Edgar kept walking, cane tapping down each step.
"The entrance is fully mechanical. No Electricity involved, in case of a power cut." He said as he continued inside
He then gestured behind him.
"Once opened, the hatch closes automatically in twenty-five seconds."
Alex froze while he was still looking at the whole mechanics, "Wait, what.??!!"
The door behind Edgar began to slide shut.
"Shit-!"
He dashed forward, slipping through just in time as the door sealed with a final *Clank*
He glared at Edgar
"That was for calling me a Fossil." Edgar spoke not even turning
Alex exhaled sharply.
"You know, you are pretty petty for an Old man."
He soon followed behind as they descended the stairs. The staircase twisted downward in a sharp utilitarian spiral- metal grates underfoot and faint echoes of footsteps clinking through the silence.
The was colder the deeper they went, cleaner too as a sterile chill lingered in the concrete.
Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Edgar pressed his cane into a square panel embedded in the wall, A soft hiss followed as the metal doors ahead slid opened.
What greeted the duo was a lab carved into the old foundations of the warehouse, stretching out in a wide, rectangular space. Glass panels separated sections of the room: storage, testing and containment. Stainless steel tables gleamed under the surgical white lighting, vats, burners, pressure chambers- everything in its place
The people inside busy with tasks, wearing their white labs coats, the three women and two men were the help Edgar found for Lilith.
And in center of it all stood Lilith Crane.
The woman was wearing a fitted black lab coat, hair tied up into a tight bun, protective goggles hanging around her neck. She was so immersed in her work, completely in her zone, that she barely looked up when Alex and Edgar approached her, a complete contrast to her usual fury personality.
Alex took in the room slowly
"You've been busy."
Lilith tapped a few buttons, then finally glanced over at them.
"I had time, and very expensive equipment."
She looked at Edgar, who was calmly looking around the building
"I assume I should thank you for sourcing that."
"You're welcome." Edgar replied flatly, "Don't break it."
Alex stepped closer, running his fingers along the edge of a sealed container marked Prototype Formula V1
"Is this it?"
"That's the first test batch." Lilith confirmed. "Stabilized but still needs to be refined and the package it for final distribution."
"How long.?" Alex asked.
"Give me three days and I'll be done."
Alex nodded, as he continued to tour the lab.
---
Southpoint. Late Afternoon.
The sunlight filtered in through hazy smog and salty breeze, but no one cared about the weather here.
Doug was walking in the dilapidated road towards one of the houses in the district. People around minding their own business and mingling with familiar people. Everywhere Doug passed someone would great him.
"Yoo, Doug what's good man." One man asked seeing Doug pass the alley that they were in.
"Nothing much man, you know just laying low and getting shit done." Doug replied to the man as he continued to walk.
"Yoo hold up man…..." The man flagged him as he swaggered next to him.
"Look man, you still have some of that good stuff you pushed in the hood...? I need some man."
Doug hearing this stopped and looked at the guy opposite him, "Yeah...? where you wanna push it...?"
Looking around a bit, the man then came closer to Doug and whispered, "There's this new joint opening in central and I spoke to the owner there. He wanted me to supplier his club, you know for occasions."
Looking at the man deeply, he replied, "I'll have something for you in a week, but this is new stuff, good stuff...come to Steve's place in week and set you up with something good."
"Now that's what I'm talking about dawg, I'll hola at you in a week man…keep it fresh man." The man spoke as he left the alley.
Doug finally arrived at his destination. It was a two-story house that looked like it had seen better days but still standing strong.
Entering the house, a group of five men sat in a loose semicircle, each one dressed in different shades of streetwear—hoods, chains, boots, bruises. Tattoos spoke louder than their words, and most had the kind of eyes that never blinked when a gun was drawn.
Doug stepped forward, decked in his brown fur coat, Timberland scuffed from too many street fights, a blunt tucked behind one ear like a cigar.
"Alright y'all shut up and listen." his voice rough and loud enough for them to hear.
"We are starting something big here, not like the past where we were just some dope pushers in the streets, we are staring our own gang now and we'll be dealing with real money and some real heat."
"So, if any of you are not up for it, then get the f*ck out now, cause if any of you mess around, it will be all of our lives on the line."
Looking at the now serious guys in front of him, Doug nodded his head.
"Now, we'll be getting a shipment of some product by the end of the week, we need to start digging up our old channels for them to sample the product."
One crew member asked, "Isn't that just gonna piss of El Garra's pep's"
"We'll start small Jackal, then when they notice, we'll handle it then."
"Hey Doug man, not that I don't trust you or anything, but are you sure we could handle them, not that I'm scared or anything, but I aint about to deal with those crazy Mexican's man." Jackal emphasized.
"Shut the f*ck up man, we all know you scared." One of the guys commented, causing the whole room to erupt in laughter.
"Don't worry Jackal," Doug interrupted them as he smiled.
"Those charros are going to get what's coming for them." He finished as his smile turned colder.