Dark roots

Chapter 1

Hi dear reader, this story contains multiple violent scenes that may not be for everyone. Please take a look at the trigger warnings in the descriptions before you start reading this story. Thank you for your interest in the story and enjoy! <3

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It's a Friday afternoon, a beautiful day where the sun is shining brightly. The sun is warm on my face, despite it being late September. I'm sitting at a table outside a café called Gracht, right in the middle of the city. Living in the centre of Amsterdam had it's pros and cons, but one of the things I loved most was the view. I enjoy watching people pass by. 

My laptop laid open on the table in front of me. It wasn't too busy around me which made it perfect to do some work. The waitress just brought me an iced tea I ordered. She recgonized me since I come here every Friday. 

I was still in my last year of college and therefore had an irregular schedule. On Friday I worked from the cafe, making use of the public internet for what I was about to do. Hearing a bit of background noise helped me focus. Silence always made me restless for as long as I could remember. It started when I was little and I had to hear my parents fight while I tried to either sleep or study.

A sound from my left snapped me back to the present as an older man walked by my table. He took the seat at the table next to mine. I barely noticed him at first, too wrapped up in my own little world. I was typing away in the hope that I could get as much work done as possible. 

The older man had a beard, his eyes were kind but the thing that caught my attention was the unsual hat he wore. It looked like he was on his own, sipping a cup of coffee while doing some people watching.  I immediately thought he was a tourist from the way he carried himself. 

A little while later, he turned his head towards me. His facial expression was kind and a gentleman smile was plastered on his face. I offered him a quick smile back before I focussed back on my laptop, but that's when a deep voice reached me.

"It must be interesting — you seem very into that screen," he said with a chuckle, lifting his cup for another sip.

It took me a second to register his words. I'd been so deep in thought I almost didn't hear him. My eyes found him properly this time. I offered an apologetic smile before I replied. 

"Hardly interesting, it's just homework."

He laughed softly at that. He gave off the expression of a dad who nags his kids to do their schoolwork, the kind of dad that cared about their kids future - the kind of dad that I never really had. The thought came and went, sharp and fast, and I pushed it aside before it could settle.

"Is this your first time in Amsterdam?" I asked casually. I don't usually talk to strangers, but something about him felt... safe. It didn't feel forced or like I needed to fill an awkward silence. He had a very inviting presence to him that just felt like home.

"Yes it is. It's very lovely here. And the people are so nice." 

"I guess, especially to a tourist," I chuckled, rolling my eyes playfully before continuing. "So, are you on vacation?"

"It's more like a business trip," he said, glancing toward the people passing by. To an outsider, it looked like he might be waiting for someone, so I focused back on my screen to give him some privacy and peace — but he continued. "So what are you studying?"

"I'm in my last year of Uni. I study IT." It was easier than explaining the truth — cybersecurity. People always ask a million questions and then I'd be forced to explain further, but I usually didn't feel like it. Especially because I've heard it all before. People would tell me that I'd have a hard time finding work, that there were other jobs for a nice girl like me, and other excuses I didn't pay any mind to. Especially the older generation.

From the way his eyebrows raised, I could tell that he was slightly surprised. I'm used to that. I don't exactly fit the nerdy stereotype, but I didn't take it personally. I was between an introvert and an extrovert, didn't mind socializing but also loved staying at home to read books. 

I remembered when I was little, all I wanted to be was a nurse. I'm kind and caring from nature but things changed, I had to grow a thicker skin. Years passed and life pushes you in certain directions, and sometimes all you can do is go with it. In middleschool I learned that I had a gift for computers, so I got deeper into how it worked and before I knew it, I was a pro. Not to brag of course. 

When I was around 16 years old, someone dared me to hack into our school's system and steal the test answers — so I did. I would've gotten away with it, too, if the kid who dared me hadn't grown a conscience and ratted me out. My parents were called in and I got a whole speech about how what I did was wrong. But to my surprise my parents weren't angry, I expected screaming, but instead my dad encouraged me. He told me to keep practicing and get even better. I didn't think too much of it at first, but looking back it was weird... but I liked it, so I continued this path.

It wasn't until 2 years later that I realized his true motive. It turned out that my dad was a criminal. He wanted me to help him pull off some jobs. Father of the Year, right?

I snapped back to reality when the man's phone started ringing. He picked it up and answered without saying a word. A minute passen and then he slid it into his jacket and stood up.

He pulled some cash from his wallet and placed it under his mug, then turned toward me and extended his hand.

"It was nice to meet you—"

"Ashley," I said quickly, placing my hand in his.

He gave a small smile before letting go of my hand, then he walked off into the crowd. I watched him for a while until he disappeared into the plaza, so I turned back to my laptop to finish up.

The plaza was a busy place with lots of people, mostly tourists that were out shopping or sightseeing. It's noise swelled around me again. From the corner of my eye, I spotted a tall man in a black leather jacket loitering near the church. I didn't think much of it — until a sharp, cracking sound split the air.

A gunshot.

People screamed and ran in all directions. A second shot rang through the air. Panic spread fast — too fast to process.

The people at the table in front of me shouted, motioning for me to get under the table. I grabbed my laptop and dropped to the ground, curling into myself as tightly as possible.

I pressed my knees to my chest in an attempt to make myself as small as possible. My hands covering my mouth so I wouldn't make any noise. I held my breath. Even the sound of it felt too loud. The gunfire was louder now — closer.

Time seemed to stand still when I suddenly heard footsteps pounding nearby. My heart kicked into overdrive. My hands trembled but I didn't move, didn't open my eyes. 

Somewhere behind me, voices barked in a language I didn't recognize. It sounded foreign, like i recognized it somehow but couldn't place my finger on it. Suddenly the table I was hiding under was yanked away.

A strong hand grabbed my arm and hauled me to my feet. My eyes flew open only to be met with a huge man that was towering over me. His face was covered in tattoos and old scars, a leather jacket stretching over broad shoulders. Before I could scream, he dragged me into the open plaza.

I fought him, kicking and screaming but he was too strong. I yelled out in the hope that someone passing by would help me but it was no use. Another man rushed over and pulled a bag over my head.

Panic exploded inside me when my vision was taken from me. I kicked out wildly as they dragged me away, hitting something or someone by the groan that was heard. A car door slammed open, and I was shoved into the backseat, my body hitting the leather with a jolt.

I lashed out with my feet, trying to catch whoever was closest, but someone from behind yanked me back. Something hard cracked against my skull.

Pain.

Darkness.

And then — nothing but the sound of the car speeding away.