There were no lights in the abandoned logistics warehouse.
All the surveillance equipment at the entrance had been removed, yet there was no dust on the floor. Several vans marked "Free medical checkups" were parked neatly along the wall, fresh mud still clinging to their tires.
Thor pushed at the door of the nearest van.
The van was empty except for a plastic wristband.
A number was printed on it.
Yang Ming put on gloves, picked up the wristband, and turned it over.
[Compatibility group: 3.]
Peter crouched down and pressed his palm against the concrete floor.
"There are people below us."
"How many?" Gwen Stacy asked.
"At least twenty." Peter closed his eyes. "No, more. There's equipment underground, and six people have very weak heartbeats."
Thor raised his fist.
"Then let's smash our way in."
Yang Ming grabbed his shoulder.
"Hold on."
Thor looked back. "People are dying."
"You're aiming at the wrong spot. The whole warehouse will collapse." Yang Ming pointed to the corner. "There's a cavity beneath the load-bearing column. If it collapses, the steel beams will slice through the people inside first."
Thor slowly lowered his fist.
"You have a point."
"I know."
"But I still think smashing through the wall would be faster."
"That's why your job is to keep track of these walls and make sure we don't suddenly lose one."
Thor crouched beside the wall and began tapping the mortar joints with his finger. Yang Ming walked deeper into the warehouse and touched the rusty iron door.
Several strands of black tissue were tangled inside the lock.
They had already dried and hardened, but were still slowly contracting.
Gwen Stacy's expression changed.
"Is that symbiote tissue?"
"Residue." Yang Ming extracted a small piece with tweezers. "They knew someone would come a