Symphony Of The Damned

Beyond the toll lane, the causeway bends past an abandoned weigh station. Evacuation notices flap against fences, and cars packed for departure sit locked beneath rain-darkened windows.

An unattended delivery van idles beside the scale, its speaker repeating a survivor's warning about Warehouse Fourteen before the message cuts into static. Fresh blood marks the pavement, but no body is visible.

The van's manifest lies open on the driver's seat, listing equipment delivered to a relay contractor. The ink is smeared, but Warehouse Fourteen and a recent delivery date remain legible.

Meech, Seven, Lucose, Rasan, and Dj Trapreem remain with Chuck beyond the toll lane. The toll-booth survivors stay behind their barrier, watching the empty weigh station.

Rain ticks against the abandoned cars. The delivery van continues idling beside the scale, its open door and dark cargo space waiting ahead while the crew holds position.

Chuck kneels by the weigh station fence and follows the blood across the wet pavement. Steady Under Fire keeps his breathing controlled, while his LED mask shifts through focused expressions as the crew watches his deliberate inspection.

The marks are not a single spill. Small drops begin near the station gate, widen beside the van, then thin toward a drainage cut behind the scale. A scuffed heel shows the injured person left under their own power.

Inside the van, Chuck finds the speaker powered from its dashboard and switched on by hand. A bloodied sleeve thread clings to the control panel, while the driver's seat remains dry and unused.

The manifest's delivery entry carries a fresh fingerprint smear over Warehouse Fourteen. Mud on the passenger step matches the drainage cut, confirming the warning-maker reached the van, left the message, and escaped injured.

A sharp metallic crack comes from the drainage cut. The abandoned delivery van shudders, its headlights flare, and the rear wheels begin rolling toward the open scale lane.

Seven pulls Lucose and Rasan away from the van's path while Meech catches Trapreem's shoulder and guides him behind the concrete scale housing. The vehicle gathers speed on the wet pavement.

The van slams into the scale barrier and stops, leaving its cargo doors yawning wider. Beneath the impact noise, water surges through the drainage cut and carries a dark equipment case into view.

Rainwater lodges the case against the grate. The crew holds position around the scale housing, with the drainage exit exposed and Warehouse Fourteen still ahead beyond the intersection.

Chuck keeps the crew behind the scale housing while he approaches the grate. His LED mask shifts through calm, alert expressions, and Steady Under Fire keeps his breathing measured as rain and distant movement compete for his attention.

He braces the equipment case against the grate and opens its warped latch with controlled pressure. The injured wrist protests during the grip, but Chuck adjusts his hold and completes the inspection without losing cover.

Inside are a portable warning speaker, a folded route sheet, and a blood-marked sleeve wrapped around a small first-aid packet. The case carries no explosive or weapon, and its battery still powers the speaker.

Trapreem reads the surviving markings while Seven scans the intersection. The blood on the sleeve is dry and consistent with the trail, confirming the injured warning-maker passed through here recently.

The route sheet reveals a service gate behind the drainage cut, giving the crew covered access toward Warehouse Fourteen. Chuck closes the case and keeps it secured with the remaining evidence.

Chuck follows the blood trail through the drainage exit, stepping carefully over slick concrete and keeping the route sheet protected beneath his jacket. His LED mask displays a calm, focused expression, helping the crew read his signals in the dim passage.

The trail passes beneath the intersection and emerges at a grated service gate. Chuck keeps his balance through the runoff, using measured footing instead of stressing his healing wrist.

Chuck opens the service gate and leads everyone through. The blood trail continues along a covered maintenance path toward the next service block, confirming the route sheet's markings.

The crew follows Chuck through the drainage exit and onto the covered path. Behind them, the damaged van and empty intersection fade into rain while the service block route opens ahead.

Chuck searches the covered maintenance path, reading faint blood drops, disturbed grit, and a torn sleeve thread. His mask brightens into a focused pattern, making his silent hand signals clear to the crew behind him.

Steady Under Fire keeps Chuck's breathing measured as he checks each recess without rushing. Behind a maintenance cabinet, he spots an adult woman with a deep-brown complexion, short twists, a gray rain jacket, and a blood-soaked bandage at her thigh.

Nia, a slim-built woman with an oval face and dark eyes, is conscious and breathing steadily. Her dropped route sheet points to a locked service door ahead, and a keycard lies beside her first-aid packet, giving the crew a covered entry toward the warehouse.

Seven kneels beside Nia while Meech and Rasan secure the path. Lucose retrieves the keycard, and Trapreem studies the route sheet as Chuck brings the injured warning-maker safely into the crew's shelter.