ALIBI

Chapter 17: The Specters

Authors Note: I do apologize guys for the slow update,had been swamped in work lately and other things as well.

Anyway,happy reading!
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Trigger warning: violence

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The Knights POV

The Knight stood before the mirror in her small room.The reflection staring back at her was not of the person she once was but of a silent predator, a shadow hidden behind a facade of elegance and precision.

She carefully slipped on her tactical vest, adjusting the straps so it fit snugly over her chest.Each movement was deliberate,practiced a routine she had perfected over the years.

Tonight an unannounced meeting had been called.A very important one.The kind where mistakes were unforgivable where lives hung in the balance with every word spoken.The kind where power shifted silently like pieces on a chessboard.

She pulled her long,dark hair into a sleek ponytail ensuring not a single strand was out of place.The white polo shirt she wore was crisp and clean the fabric pressed to perfection.She fastened her tie with precision the knot sharp and symmetrical,a symbol of her cold professionalism.

There was no room for emotion tonight.

No room for anything but focus.

The Knight reached for her prize mask an intricately designed piece that symbolized her place in the syndicate.It was the mask of a predator a symbol of control and ruthlessness.

She ran her fingers along its surface, feeling the smooth,cold metal beneath her fingertips.This mask had become a part of her, an identity that allowed her to do what needed to be done without hesitation.

She slipped it on, the world around her becoming filtered through the narrow eye slits of the mask.Her face was hidden now, her true self buried beneath layers of deceit and deadly purpose.

She looked into the mirror one last time. The reflection staring back at her was no longer the woman she once was..it was the Knight, an assassin, a weapon.

Without a second thought, she turned away from the mirror and headed for the door.The meeting awaited, and she would play her part, just as she always did.

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The sound of Daniel Ruiz being dragged in echoed through the large, empty space of the warehouse,his face bloodied and swollen from the beating he'd received.

He was thrown to the center of the room, kneeling and gasping for breath, barely conscious.

Around him the pieces of the chessboard stood in a circle, side by side, draped in elegance.Each wore a finely tailored suit, their faces hidden behind cold, expressionless masks.

The Knight stood silently, her hand resting on the hilt of a concealed blade.

The Rook stood tall, arms crossed, calculating.

The Queen exuded a quiet authority, watching with an unreadable expression.

The Bishop hand clasped behind his back with a serious face.

At the center of them all, the King, his presence alone commanded the room, his dark mask casting a long shadow.

The King's voice broke the silence, smooth but dangerous, every word laced with warning.

"We've worked too hard to let a lowlife drug dealers like Ruiz ruin our efforts..how the hell in the world we've turned into this? NBI had been chaising our fucking tail ladies and gentlemen"