Just Imagine...

An Expected Encounter

Sam forced herself not to slow her pace as she entered the dark alleyway, feeling a chill ready to creep up her spine. Despite being six foot three and impressively muscular and strong, she was still wary in this environment.
There was a serial killer on the loose in Cardiff, and unfortunately that was exactly who she was looking for.
Sam had heard his eerily misleading alias on the news multiple times by now, and even more in whispers on the street.
Mr Serotonin. Mr Serotonin. Mr Serotonin.
Knowing his real name - Murdock Mallory - didn't make him any less creepy.
And yet here Sam was, walking right into what was unquestionably a trap. A trap she had set up. With herself as the bait.
Fuck, she really had to start firing her ideas off at someone more sensible - like maybe anyone - before deciding to execute them. But it was too late now.
Well, she was the brawler, technically speaking. If anybody could walk out of this alive, it was probably her.
Sam's steps faltered as she heard the faintest noise behind her, perhaps a boot on a pebble or loose shard of glass. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end but she didn't show it, she just waited, and kept walking.
Best to let him think she didn't know she was being followed.
The end of the alleyway seemed impossibly far away, and even though Sam knew it would be better to have this conversation in private, that still made her all the more anxious.
She could practically feel him getting closer, those piercing eyes behind his dark shades burning into her soul.
Just a little further, c'mon.
"Don't you know it's not safe to cut through dark alleys at night?"
The soft, deep voice made Sam freeze in her tracks, but she didn't hesitate to whirl around with one arm raised to stop the glinting knife from being plunged into her back.
She shoved the shorter man away from her, putting on a casual smile, as if he hadn't just attempted to kill her and was in fact an old friend she hadn't seen in a while.
"Well well well, look what the cat dragged in," she murmured, taking The Lion's Breath from the sheath hidden under her coat, "if it isn't the infamous Mr Serotonin."
The man chuckled icily.
"Ha, but it is me." He murmured, spreading his gloved hands with a cocky grin and seeming not at all intimidated by Sam's much larger weapon.
"No, I meant..." Sam began, then decided not to pursue it, "I know who you are, you're all over the news."
"Then what're you doing in a dark alleyway in the middle of the night?" Murdock asked slyly, "hasn't anyone told you to avoid places where no one can hear you scream?"
"Yeah, pretty sure no one put it quite like that." Sam murmured.
"Maybe if they had you would've listened."
"I ain't stupid, man. I was looking for you. And you fell right into my trap."
That got his attention.
Murdock stiffened, taking half a step away from Sam.
"Are you a cop?" He asked warily.
"God no!" Sam scoffed, "you don't gotta worry about that. I work for a secret organization, Torchwood. Heard of us?"
"Well, if you thought I was the talk of the town..."
"I know, I know, shut up. I'm here to offer you something."
"And that is?"
"Help us deal with a few... loose ends, and we'll ensure you don't get caught until you move on."
"What's the catch?"
"You can only kill the people we need you to."
"And who might they be?"
"People who are better off dead after what they did."
Sam felt her fingers tighten around the hilt of The Lion's Breath as she remembered the warehouse, the stench in the air, the cries of pain from that poor creature...
Murdock raised an eyebrow, but Sam could tell she'd piqued his interest.
"Am I getting payed for this?" He asked.
"Yes." Sam murmured, then resisted pissing herself as a maniacal grin stretched across Murdock's face and a glimpse of two dark brown eyes sparkling with madness appeared over his dark sunglasses.
"It's a deal."