Awakening - The Tigris Series Book 2

Chapter Twenty

It was almost a perfect night on the 24th of September in 1947.

New York was buzzing with life, with couples, families, and performers scurrying about the large, thoroughly planned out event. Central Park was filled with little mini games for the crowd's enjoyment, photo booths, mini shops, and of course, a large stage for the main entertainment.

A live band scattered the stage, consisting of a pianist, a guitarist, a drummer, a bass, a trumpet, a saxophone, and a tambourine. Amongst the musicians was a young woman in a sleeveless, cherry red, puffy dress, of which only came down to her knees to show off her smooth, pale legs that were complimented by a pair of shiny black heels. Her black hair fell just barely below her shoulders in styled curls, her bright blue eyes shined in the spotlight, and her full lips were painted a bright red to match her dress. She stood at the microphone in the center of the stage, capturing the attention of a large crowd that stood before her. The way she swayed with the music and gestured with her hands came naturally to her as melodies and phrases flowed flawlessly through her red-painted lips; it was clear to anyone that she was a natural-born performer.

The music swayed and bopped it's catchy tune, inviting the crowd to dance with the young 20-year-old woman as she sang the latest hit song "Near You." Though the original mostly featured a pianist, her vision of music expanded the melodies throughout all of the instruments that supported her on stage, giving the song a more unique feel that made her own. She smiled at the crowd as she sang, doing small dances and hand gestures that captured the attention of all who was near. Most of the people who attended the event had stopped to listen and watch her performance, entranced by her strong stage presence. It was such a fun and lively event, that no one noticed the dark, looming figure on the outskirts of the crowd.

He was there for a much different purpose than the rest. His sights had been locked on the young woman since before she ever stepped foot on the stage. He ensured to dress in an unsuspecting manner, wearing a black leather jacket and gloves to cover his left metal arm, with black pants. He kept himself at a distance with the crowd, peering at the young woman with his stoic, unreadable expression as he waited for her portion of the event to be over.

Though he was only meant to show up and leave with his target, he couldn't deny that a part of him was enjoying the young woman's performance. She had succeeded capturing his attention beyond it's limited scope, despite not even seeing him within the crowd. The shadow of a smile found it's way on his cold, expressionless face as he watched her. He had never seen a person so beautiful and full of life. It almost made him forget why he was there.

Almost.

By the time her performance was over and she'd gone backstage, he was already stalking nearby. She spoke politely with her band and the managers, giving them kind, genuine smiles before stepping into her dressing room to do a few touch-ups on her hair and makeup. The man waited outside the back door, of which he knew she would eventually walk through when he had finished her touch-ups. Nearby was a black Ford Sedan, patiently waiting for their arrival near the streets of New York City.

Just as the young woman stepped through the door, the man snatched her by the arm, covering her mouth with his gloved hand while the other tightly wrapped around her throat. She struggled in his grasp, not bothering to scream under his hold, much to his surprise. After not so long of struggling, she could tell that he was strong; too strong.

Just as she was about to lose consciousness from her air being cut off, she dug the heel of her high heels deep into the man's foot with a firm jab, and rammed the back of her head against his nose as hard as she could. He loosened his grip on her as he made a slight grunt of pain, enough that she could slip through, and escape. She wasted no time in running, not looking back as she let out a shout for help. She lost her shoes as she ran, but that was the least of her worries as she tried to find anyone nearby who could help her.