𝐕𝐈𝐆𝐈𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄

𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑

Huddled behind the weather-worn brick of the abandoned building, I felt the chill of the night air seep through the fabric of my jacket, sending shivers down my spine.

My earpiece crackled to life, breaking the stillness like a thunderclap in the dead of night. "Sienna, are you listening?" The voice of Officer Wallace sliced through the darkness, pulling me back from the brink of panic.

"I am," I replied, the words barely audible over the pounding of my heart.

Wallace's voice held a sense of urgency as he relayed the critical information. "The exchange has begun. Dante's affiliates are on the spot."

I swallowed hard, the weight of his words settling like a stone in my stomach.

"I'm ready," I informed him.

I pulled the earpiece away, the connection severed. In that moment, the silence was deafening, but it was a necessary sacrifice. I tossed the earpiece to the cold ground.

With deliberate steps, I emerged from the shadows, my senses heightened. The frigid air stung my cheeks, but I pushed forward, my eyes scanning the dimly lit alley. The exchange point loomed ahead, an intersection of fate and danger.

I surveyed the scene, evaluating the three figures that stood before me. Clad in black from head to toe. Gloves concealed any fingerprints, and balaclavas obscured their faces. I could feel the weight of their concealed pistols, nestled ominously in their back pockets.

This was the moment. I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what lay ahead. The stakes were high, and time was not on our side. With a swift motion, I knocked down the nearby metal bin, the clang echoing through the alley like a gunshot. It crashed to the ground, a deliberate distraction that shattered the stillness.

The three men turned their heads towards the disturbance, their movements synchronised. I had their attention now, and it was time to step into my role. I let myself fall to the ground, a premeditated collapse that drew them closer.

They approached, their footsteps thumping like an ominous drumbeat in the night. Panic surged through me, but I pushed it down, letting fear fuel the act. They demanded answers, their voices a harsh cacophony in the stillness of the alley.

"Who are you?" One of them barked. "What did you see?"

My heart raced, and I stammered in panic, "I know nothing, please don't hurt me!"

The other seized me by the chin, his grip unyielding as he forced me to meet his gaze. "Pretty," he remarked, his words laced with a chilling sense of possession.

I swallowed hard, the taste of bile rising in my throat as I fought against the revulsion coursing through me.

"Boss would enjoy this fresh meat," the third chimed in, his tone lecherous.

With a swift, disconcerting motion, everything turned black. The disorientation left me momentarily paralysed, the absence of sensory input amplifying the dread within me.

As consciousness wavered on the edge, I braced myself for whatever came next. The unknown loomed ahead, and the shadows swallowed me whole, leaving me suspended in the void between peril and resolution.