Midnight, In the Storm [on temporary hiatus]

Two - Unprecedented offer

Audree couldn't think, couldn't breathe through her panic. How did they even track her whereabouts? Who was the new recruit?

How was he so well trained yet not sent after her yet..?

The Cassiopeia was plotting something, drawing back Audree's end only to make her suffer for it, beg to be killed, as she'd forced upon the very same to a graveyard of others.

The unchecked rage in her mind muted reality as she ran and ran and ran, not daring to lag, not letting herself look back.

It was without doubt her mother behind this - merciless as always - but how, exactly, did she track her? Audree was miles away from where it all started.

Well so much for blending in and playing the helpless runaway damsel.

She barely spared an eye at the dark, blood soaked pavement on the front of her apartment building - the reflective police line and camp set around it - not yet to be hosed off.

The race up the dark stairwells to her floor was a godawful one, not knowing if who - or what - lurked at each shadow-casted turn or when someone might decide to pay her an unpleasant visit.

Three more flights.

She pushed her whining legs to their limit.

Clack.

The rusty door on the first floor creaked open. A set of feet trudged into the stairwell. She habitually deduced from the sound that there were three men.

Great. Three, not one or two, but three possible men.

Two more flights.

"Halt!"

The stretching space echoed with pounding feet. She urged her searingly objective feet faster.

One more.

Out of training, her muscles groaned as she pushed them past their limit, and a little farther.

She bounded up the last flight in three mighty steps, shoved open the exit and sprinted for her door.

Wafting scents of vanilla and mint attacked her nasal paths as she entered her living space, bolting the door shut behind her. She'd left her aromatherapy candles burning-

Waving the fumes away from her face, she trudged to the open side of her apartment and sealed the curtains.

Blowing out the pale colored, mostly-melted candles, Audree turned off the lights by her balcony and pulled the blinds - but not before peeking out onto the sidewalks to spot the reduced amounts of guards on the murder site...What?

She noted the sudden discovery, breezing to her pantry and pouring her now cold mug of tea down the basin-

Wait-

There was a note on the countertop.

It wasn't there before.

Her chest seized, stomach hollowing out as she stared. Just stared and stared at the words inked onto the wrinkle-free parchment.

The world seemed to stop.

Her clementine eyes scanned every detail in the neatly written text.

High on alert, Audree slowly set her mug down, bracing a hand on the cool marble as she leaned over to pick up the note placed in the center of her counter.

But then she heard footsteps. Whipping around and picking up a kitchen knife - the nearest potential weapon she could reach - she stalked towards the entry.