Juan Harrison's Arc

Chapter 3 of 9

Juan knew that burning Mercury Solutions would take more than anger and gas cans. He needed to understand the building's bones—ventilation systems, exit routes, what materials lined the walls. The city planning office would have blueprints on file for older structures. He adjusted his fedora and headed downtown, where records were kept in basement archives open to the public. Knowledge was the foundation of any good plan, and he was building his brick by brick. The city clerk brought him three rolled blueprints from 1987. Juan spread them across the metal table and studied each page. Mercury Solutions sat in a building with twelve ventilation shafts and four emergency exits. The walls contained asbestos insulation wrapped around old wooden beams. He traced the routes with his finger, memorizing the layout. After an hour, he rolled the papers and thanked the clerk. Outside, a bronze statue caught his eye—a cowering man surrounded by flames, his face twisted in fear. The plaque read "To Those Who Failed." Juan stared at the fearful expression. That's what success would look like for him. Not triumph, but watching his enemies face the same terror he'd felt when they destroyed him. He walked until he found a gym with brick walls and wide windows. Inside, metal dumbbells gleamed on black rubber mats. Men and women moved between machines, talking and laughing. Juan had been alone with his anger for three years. Maybe that was the problem. He pushed through the door and signed up for a membership. A regular routine would keep him steady while he planned. It would also give him a reason to be in this part of town without drawing attention. He picked up a dumbbell and started lifting. His reflection stared back from the window glass. On his way home, Juan passed a billboard with red letters stretching across bright yellow. "Toolmaster's—Your Hardware Headquarters." Images of hammers, saws, and drills filled the space below. He'd bought his gas cans from a small brick store last week, but this place looked bigger. More inventory. More options for what he'd need. He made a mental note of the name. Everything was coming together now. The blueprints gave him the building's secrets. The gym gave him cover. The billboard showed him where to get supplies without raising questions. Mercury Solutions thought they'd buried him three years ago. They were wrong.