The Apprentice

Chapter 1 🔫 Lyra

The streets were muffled with snow. Flakes were still falling, so I didn't bother to be careful about footprints. They'll be gone by morning, I tell myself.

Subject exits building. I whipped back around the corner before it could see me.

I unclasped my purse as I round the corner. Anyone would have assumed I was reaching for pepper spray - a woman, traveling alone at night. It's not an unreasonable explanation.

I pulled a .45 out of my handbag, the cold glint without doubt reflected in my eyes. The subject looked back and forth before it crossed the street. He, I reminded myself as I stalked across the dark road, unseen. Like a jaguar.

The subject was sore on the eyes. His suit too tight for his potbelly, his eyes too small and close together, his balding head reflecting the sulphuric light of the New York night. My eyes fell on his briefcase. I didn't know what was inside, and I never would. It didn't matter if it was filled with millions of dollars in bonds or the cure to cancer or bread dough - it had to go. And so did he.

I lowered the hammer on the Glock. He was walking my way. Closer - closer - closer -

"Mm!" It grunted as my silenced bullet met its shiny forehead, a look of mild shock on its face as it stopped and collapsed. The briefcase clattered across the cobblestones. I hesitated as I turned away - not out of remorse, but curiosity. What could possibly be inside of that briefcase that was worth killing an old banker cog?

But that wasn't for me to know. There was ten thousand dollars waiting for me on my doorstep, and knowing this town, it wasn't going to wait forever.