Silence hung over the warehouse for a moment.
Then Laurence spoke, his deep, heavy voice echoing through the building.
"That was good."
He looked at Mason without changing his expression.
"You've got potential, kid."
Mason lowered his head, his expression far from pleased.
"Thank you, Boss. I won't disappoint you."
"Ok, now that you have more people, I except you to be more productive."
With those word Laurence seem to be leaving the warehouse.
As Hans was listening a harsh voice cut through the warehouse. A man shouted.
"Hey why are you just standing there, come, let's get you to work."
As the voice also echoed through the warehouse it was also heared by Laurence, then turned back and saw Hans, and Mark who was standing right behind him.
Laurence stopped and asked Mason.
"Are they really homeless?."
Mason answered.
"Yes boss, we just bought them. As you just saw, why did you see any defective one?".
"No,... no just asking"
"I'll take my leave now. And as I mentioned, be ready to ship the amount we discussed."
Mason lowered his head. His jaw tightened with barely concealed anger.
"Yes, Boss. We will."
Laurence saw that anger on his face simled.
As Laurence walked out of the warehouse, Hans let out a slow breath.
He and Mark blended back into the group as the guards led the recruits into the production hall.
A man clapped his hands to get everyone's attention.
"Alright, listen carefully. I'll explain what you'll be doing."
While the man continued his explanation, Hans leaned slightly toward Mark and whispered,
"Now that we're inside, we need to find something useful."
Mark kept his eyes forward.
"Like what?"
"Either evidence that exposes the operation..." Hans paused, "...or Mason's weakness."
"Something we can use against him?"
Hans gave a barely noticeable nod.
Mark's expression hardened.
"I'd rather find the second."
After the man finished his explanation, he looked around at the group.
"Now that you understand the process, you'll start working tomorrow."
He pointed toward a hallway.
"For today, get some rest and eat until you're full. Most of you probably haven't had a proper meal in a long time."
A few people exchanged hopeful glances.
"Remember one thing," he added. "From tomorrow onward, you're part of this place."
"Hey, take them to the sleeping quarters."
One of the guards stepped forward and gestured toward the hallway.
"Everyone, follow him. He'll show you to your rooms."
The people quietly fell into line.
Hans exchanged a brief glance with Mark before lowering his head again.
Without drawing attention to themselves, they followed the others deeper into the warehouse.
As they were being led to the sleeping quarters, they passed a group of teenagers working inside the warehouse.
Most of them looked exhausted.
Some avoided eye contact.
Others worked silently, as if they had stopped questioning why they were there.
One of the women in the group hesitated before asking,
"Are they homeless too?"
The guard chuckled.
"No, no. They're just students. They come here to do some research."
Hans knew it was a lie.
Beside him, Mark's jaw tightened.
For a moment, his fists clenched so hard that his knuckles turned white.
Hans noticed it immediately and gave him a subtle nudge, silently reminding him to stay calm.
This wasn't the time to lose control.
A few minutes later, they reached the sleeping quarters.
The guard turned to the group.
"Pair up and take whichever room you want."
The people's quickly began forming pairs and heading into the rooms.
Hans glanced at Mark.
Mark's eyes were still locked on the guard, his fists clenched as if he were seconds away from attacking him.
Without saying a word, Hans grabbed Mark by the arm and pulled him toward an empty room.
The door closed behind them.
Only then did Hans let go.
"Now listen to me," Hans said, keeping his voice low. "You have to control your anger. Don't forget why we're here. We need to find something that can help us catch Sammy's killer."
Mark looked away, still breathing heavily.
"I know," he muttered. "But I can't just ignore the way they're treating those kids."
Hans nodded.
"I know. Believe me, I do."
He placed a hand on Mark's shoulder.
"But this isn't the time. If we lose our cover now, we won't be able to help anyone—not those kids, and not Sammy."
Mark closed his eyes for a moment before taking a deep breath.
"...Alright."
"For now," Hans said, "we focus on the investigation. We'll get them. All of them."
After calming Mark down, Hans leaned closer and lowered his voice.
"I've already figured out where we start."
Mark looked at him.
"Here's the plan," Hans said. "We wait until everyone is asleep. That's our chance to sneak out and look for anything we can use as evidence."
Mark nodded.
"Okay. But how will we know where to look? And how do we get there without getting lost?"
Hans allowed himself a faint smile.
"Leave that to me."
He tapped his temple.
"I already have this place mapped out in my head. I walked through it yesterday while following Mason."
He paused before adding,
"Our first stop is Rick's office."
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