Mind Breaker

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 2

His footsteps were light on the sidewalk. He looked around into the dark alleyway. He frowned as he saw the figure of someone standing there.
He silently took a few steps forward, only to realize it was the woman he had seen earlier today. She looked quite... Stressed.

She fidgeted with her hands. Raden walked a bit closer. He cleared his throat, making her jump, her eyes wide as she breathed out a sigh, her hand on her chest.

"Sorry miss, I didn't mean to scare you"

"Oh... It's okay" she said quietly as her face darkened. He looked at her, wondering why her whole aura had shifted.

"If I may ask, what are you doing here at this hour?"

"I'm waiting for someone"

"Relative or non-relative?"

"Non. What about you?"

"Just taking a stroll"

"You're Detective Raden, right?"

"Yes"

"Russian?"

"Half."

She slowly nodded her head, looking around more frequently now. Raden quickly took note of her behavior.

"Is the person you're waiting for a friend of yours?"

"Yes, a friend"

"For how long?"

"Two weeks, we met at a club"

"Is there any specific reason why you two decided to meet here?"

"Not at all. Why would you ask that?"

"I think everyone knows what happened here, a few weeks ago"

"Is not like I want to be here right now.."

Raden averted his gaze from the young woman.
Staring off into the dark.

"How long until your friend arrives?"

The woman blinked before pulling out her phone. ".... Oh would you look at that! She just texted me saying, she can't make it" The woman let out a forced laugh. "That means I'll probably get going"

"Wait" Raden grabbed her wrist. "What's your name?"

She let out a laugh and smirked. "Astoria- Astoria, Leandre, Blaze"

"Nice meeting you"

"How's the investigation going for you so far?" Raden looked at his fellow partner who had been working with him for 5 years. The man who lives only a few blocks away from him. He had honey-brown eyes, curly brown hair, and a glazing smile. Nicotine took a sip from his cup of coffee as he watched Raden stare at him for a few seconds before answering.

"Not much so far, you haven't been very helpful either"

"Hey, I'm trying my best. It seems like you always do much better when working alone"

"... I do"

"Say, have you gone for your checkups yet? I swear that's your fifth cup of coffee today" Nicotine pulled the cup away from Raden.
"I swear it's becoming an addiction"

"More like a hobby" Raden tried grabbing the half cup of coffee back, but his friend wasn't having it. He looked outside the office window at the garden.
He was busy thinking about the woman from yesterday and her whole character. Something made him feel uneasy.
And the fact that they still haven't found out who this Red Voltex person is was making him blue.
His eyes went from the cup of coffee to his friend.