Chapter 4 – The Snake
Chapter 4 – The Snake Salty awoke with a start to the faint dawn light filtering through shattered warehouse windows. His back ached from sleeping on the cold concrete. Beside him, Sarah lay curled protectively around Hanin, who slept deeply, finally free from the flickering fluorescent lights and locked rooms of Block 17. He stood, stretching his arms until his shoulders cracked. The city beyond the warehouse hummed with the early shift – electric trucks growling, drones whirring overhead, the AI tannoys announcing “Dublin welcomes a productive day – remember to report any suspicious behaviour to Garda Net.” Salty stepped outside for a piss behind a broken steel beam. As he zipped up, he noticed movement near the dock gates in the distance. Two black electric SUVs idled beside a container stack. Four men in dark tactical clothing stood near them, checking manifests on sleek tablets. One of them was short and stocky, with a thick bull neck, shaved head, and heavy gold chains d...