Keegan Russ x OC Female Character // ''Hearts are there to be broken''

Chapter 3: A greater danger?

Stealth.

One of the greatest weapons if utilized correctly. Grace leaned against the corner of the alley. Tight, dark. Faint drops of the earlier rain dripped silently into the puddles. The trash cans behind her stocked more and more with half-ripped bags. They smelled accordingly.

She channeled her focus on one particular red jacket in the mass of people. Black cap, the most unfitting scarf and the even uglier jacket. Their target. Right on time.

"Get moving, Walker," cracked through her earpiece.

She rolled her eyes backwards. Enough to be afraid they might genuinely fall out. She tapped the earpiece. "Next time you follow him and I keep watch."
She prayed that there may never be a next time. Though, she supposed it was inevitable for the two of them to work together.

"Can't trust a rookie like you," shot back at her. The static undertone made it even worse. Grace pursed her lips before she bopped herself off the wall and slid seemingly effortlessly into the crowd. The dying day allowed the shadows to fall on her as she moved more to the sides. The red dot dipped into one of the alleys. She groaned inwardly before pushing through the people. Grace received some nasty looks and a few grunts here and there. Honestly, she hadn't even shoved anyone aside. They should have been glad.

The alley was already plunged and bathed in utter darkness. Only the flickering lights kept it half-way illuminated enough to see the rotting humans groaning on the side. Grace restrained the shiver tempting to run down her spine.

"Walker," it hissed through her ears. "I told you not to delve too deep! Zero Visuals on you."

"Ohhh, can't the impeccable Keegan Russ keep up with the rookie?" She teased humorlessly back before her voice dropped far too deep even for her own likings. "Don't slow me down, Russie."

"Grace-"

"Sh!"

The target had stopped in his tracks, his hood now creeping deep into his face. He almost looked too normal in this type of backhand-street. Too clean, too held-up despite the drug-influenced swagger. But even the rats fell silent when three men in suits approached. Sunglasses, guns- the entire package she usually only saw in movies.

Undoubtedly, her heart raced the records for heart-attacks the longer the scene stretched on. The more those undead corpses eyed her, the more sweat rolled over her forehead. Grace breathed in and out- remembering the breathing techniques she once had read about. She knew she couldn't shoot. Sometimes, a mission still felt unreal. Cut clean out of a movie and hit her with a baseball bat. Grace dragged a cigarette out of her pockets- a modified piece to look like some sort of joint.

Her eyes ever so often flickered towards the group. They exchanged hushed and quick words and two suitcases. Ugly-Jacket had probably given them money. Due to researches, she doubted he bought drugs. Information- probably in form of an USB-stick.

For Rorke.

"Visual on objective," she whispered and as the group dispersed, she fell into step with the target again. A low curse rumbled through to her as a response before Keegan answered, "Don't do something Grace-like-borderline-stupid."

"I think I will do something Keegan-like-stupid, thank you very much," she mumbled back and trailed after the target. As suspected, she had to follow him outside the city. To a hotel in her predicted parameter. She couldn't allow the USB-Stick to reach it's destination.

"I am going in," she told Keegan briefly and before he could protest, she vanished inside the hotel. Luckily, it was filled and a total mess. Many checked in and out, keeping the register occupied enough for her to slip past.
She remained on her target's tail until he reached his room. What now? Grace had never broken into anything other than the kitchen at home when it was past her snack time as a kid. Yet again, she had never hunted bullets through the skulls of humans either.

"Walker, pull out," Keegan hissed and she imagined she heard a slight panting through his nose. "Kick can't get a hold of the CCTVs. You are on your own!"

"It's one guy," she muttered back as the target opened his door with a chip card. Grace inhaled sharply. This was her only chance. "Standby."
With quick steps she closed in on the door and before it could fall back into its lock, she slipped past it and duck into a corner. The target had only turned on one of the table lamps, allowing the shadows to envelop her once more.

Timing, she remembered Keegan's words, is everything. Impatience gets you killed out there.

Grace noted in the back of her mind to listen less to this idiot. He couldn't just plant himself in her thoughts. It was quite rude to take space away for more important matters.
Although, she welcomed the reminder.
The target pulled out his phone.

"Yes," she heard him say as he turned and twisted the USB-Stick in the faint light. "I got it. We meet tomorrow?"

Tomorrow? Meet? Was he... going to meet up with Rorke in person?

As he laid the USB-Stick and phone away, she mustered to see a smirk on his face. Now or never. He turned to the window in order to watch the lightful city. A sun in the night. And a well-enough distraction. Grace managed to sneak up behind him. She grabbed a loose thin sheet from the bed. Another small, preparing breath and she lunged forward.
She trapped him underneath the sheet and rammed his head into the wall. He groaned and yelled but she was already spinning on her heel to escape. The USB-Stick clutched tightly in her hand. Grace had seen enough movies to understand she had to stow the object deep into one of her pockets.

And then she sprinted down the hallways.

"I got the USB!" she informed Keegan and glanced back. The target was, in fact, not alone. At least five of his men dashed after her. "And I have fans!" Grace picked up her pace and jolted through the hotel mess before she broke through to the streets.

"Repeat?"

"I got the USB," she gritted through her teeth whilst snaking her way towards the gutters outside the city. "And I am being hunted."

"I told you to stay out of it," he hissed at her.

"Oh, do you think now is the perfect timing to pull the I told you so card? Really?"

"Just keep running."

"No! You know what? Let me actually stop and talk it out with them," she muttered and rolled her eyes. Although all her frustration subsided the moment she glanced over her shoulder. They came closer and closer.
Fuck, shot through her head.

She bolted down the roads she had come from. Through crowds and narrow passages. But her pursuers were relentless. They really wanted the USB back.

Just when she felt her legs giving in, two strong hands closed around her taille and pulled her in one of the alleys. Grace wanted to scream but her captor held her mouth shut. She squirmed and elbowed him. "Hold still," a husky voice rumbled in her ear as he pulled them further into the dark.
Eventually, her struggle halted the moment she recognized Keegan. He pinned her behind one of the larger trash container. His breath mingled on her burning cheeks and nose and for a moment, Grace had forgotten about their pursuers.

She gulped and peeled her eyes off of him. He was panting. Had he... had he run here to get her? No. He must have been around or something from one of his many rooftops. Both their bodies tensed as heavy footsteps rolled past their alley. Grace even held her breath for multiple seconds until the noise died down.
But as one danger left, the next greeted her. And by pure luck, it pinned her right to a wall and glared down at her.