Cases Uncovered

22 | Do or Die

"Amber, don't hold the gun if you can't pull the trigger. You decided to start those things so you have to finish it. There's no point in holding that gun if your purpose is just to hold. Learn to fire a shot and then you can decide after that shot."

-Ryu Vander Morisson ( From the Detective Files)

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Chapter 22:
Do or Die

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ZANE

As I finally had a chance to glance around, I noticed we were standing in what seemed like an abandoned alleyway. It was dark, with only the faint moonlight providing illumination.

Apart from the incomprehensible words coming from the woman's phone in front of me and her voice, I could hear the loud rustling of wind and distant car honks.

"Aliza." I struggled to free my hands from the bindings, but each attempt only made them tighter.

Glancing towards the houses on the left side, facing a high wall, I saw three people sitting with their mouths also covered.

Aliza's attention shifted there as she shouted for help. One of the men was already crying and shouting back to her.

"Very well," the woman said as she wiped her tears away. Once again, she turned towards me and, for the second time, aimed her gun at me.

"I've been fooled! Now, where is the real Raine de Verra?" she demanded, tears brimming in her eyes though she tried to mask them with her serious tone.

Even though I knew I could potentially save myself by revealing Raine's whereabouts, I couldn't betray my friend.

"You won't tell me?" Without hesitation, she aimed the gun at Aliza.

Around us, voices shouted, pleading for her to stop.

"They call me worthless because I'm just a woman. I've never felt loved by my family. Only my mother understood me, and they're the reason she's dead!" she exclaimed. "Now, what matters more to you — your life or hers?"

"I—I don't know this Raine. Please, don't involve her. And, please, I don't want to die," I pleaded, my voice trembling. "Please let us go. Please."

She bit her lower lip, her expression wavering between confusion and fear, mirroring our own emotions.

"Even though that's what I want, it is not possible," she whispered, her hand trembling with the gun. "If I can't find her, he'll kill us! He'll kill us one by one."

"I don't know who Raine de Verra is!"

"Shut up!" she shouted, her finger tightening on the trigger. But then, a voice echoed from afar.

"Why are you looking for me?"

I quickly scanned around and noticed that the three men seated nearby had disappeared.

Again, strange sounds emitted from the woman's phone. "Raine de Verra," she muttered after hearing those sounds.

"You, crazy, annoying girl! Why are you only arriving now? Do you realize your actions got me tangled up in this mess?" I blurted out, the words tumbling out in frustration.

The woman lowered her gun and glanced behind her. "You did well to distract her while I took care of the ones upstairs," Raine said, her face still difficult to see clearly in the darkness.

"Go ahead and shoot if you want, but you'll only wake up the few remaining people in this neighbourhood. And trust me, you won't like it — having your face plastered all over social media, broadcasted live for the whole world to see."