Shot Through the Heart

1. To Catch a Shadow

The air crackled with tension as Elaris, Brax, and Cora, members of the Galactic Rangers, stood before the scene of another gruesome murder. Police sirens echoed into the night, murders weren't their jurisdiction.... Unless it was a serial killer.

As they approached the victim, their stomachs churned with a mix of horror and dread. The victim's lifeless body lay sprawled on the ground, surrounded by a pool of crimson blood, a single bullet to the skull."Same M.O.," Brax muttered grimly, his voice low and gravelly. Yet another replica of all the other crime scenes.

The air was heavy with the scent of blood and the tension of the investigation. Elaris knelt beside the body, her eyes scanning over the scene with a keen intensity. As her gloved hand carefully turned the victim's head, her heart sank at the sight of the fatal wound—a single bullet hole, precise and deadly, nestled in the victim's forehead.

She paused for a moment, studying the entry wound with a practiced eye, before rising to her feet, there had to be something, anything to lead to the identity of the killer, maybe this time would be different
."It's a clean shot," she announced, her voice steady despite the gravity of the situation. "Bullet to the head. Instantaneous."

Brax's brow furrowed as he absorbed the information. "Another Sniper job," he muttered, his gaze scanning the surrounding buildings for any sign of movement.

Cora's hand instinctively drifted toward her blaster, her eyes narrowing with determination, she wanted to nail the perp, end the game of cat and mouse. "But where did the shot come from?" She asked as she glanced around, the alleyway was narrow, would there even be a spot make such a perfect kill?

Elaris's gaze drifted toward a nearby skyscraper after glancing at the hole in the victims head again, its sleek facade looming ominously against the darkening sky. "That building, the angle of the shot wouldn't have come from the buildings to our left and right but from across the road," she said, her voice tinged with certainty as she pointed toward a particular window on one of the upper floors, this was the only part she enjoyed, forensics was the only time she was listened to by Brax and Cora. "That's where the sniper would have been positioned."

Brax followed her gaze, his jaw tightening with resolve. "Let's move," he said, his tone commanding as he gestured for Cora to take point.
With Elaris leading the way, the trio raced toward the building, their hearts pounding with adrenaline as they prepared to confront the elusive sniper lurking within. They hoped for anything, a finger print, the murder weapon, a bullet casing, anything that could aid them in cat catching a shadow.

As they ascended the stairs, their footsteps echoing in the empty corridors, they knew that they were inching closer to the truth behind the assassination—and to the dangerous adversary, a skilled and practiced killer.

Brax's keen eyes scanned the surroundings of the roof, while Cora's fingers twitched near her blaster, ready for any sign of danger.

There was no sign of a killer besides a red marking sprayed in blood red paint on the ground. Cora's jaw tightened as she examined the scene. "the red raven, it's the same killer," she added, her tone laced with frustration.

Elaris scanned the marking, the same as all the other crime scenes. "This is getting out of hand, all killers leave something behind except this one, it's like we're chasing a ghost," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

Brax nodded, his expression grim. "We need to catch this bastard before he strikes again, this is the 10th one this month."

Cora's hand tightened around her blaster, her senses heightened with frustration. "Agreed," she said, her voice resolute. "But how do we track down someone who leaves no trace?"