The Shadow in the Alley
The narrow alley Vivienne turned into was darker than she expected, lit only by the dim orange glow of a flickering overhead bulb. The faint hum of a distant motor and the occasional dripping of water were the only sounds accompanying her steps. Despite the stillness, she knew she wasn’t alone. Her hand slipped to the concealed knife strapped to her thigh. Vivienne always came prepared. Especially for this.
“You’re late,” a gruff voice came from the shadows. A figure stepped into the dim light—a man with a face that seemed carved out of granite. His sharp cheekbones and cold eyes betrayed no emotion.
“You’re lucky I came at all, Marcus,” Vivienne retorted. Her voice was silk dipped in venom. “After what happened last time…” She let the words linger, her grip tightening on the blade she hadn’t yet revealed.
“Relax,” Marcus said, raising both hands in a mock gesture of surrender. “I have what you asked for.”
A Deadly Exchange
From his coat pocket, Marcus pulled out a small silver case. Vivienne’s eyes narrowed. She’d been searching for this for months—a device supposedly capable of unlocking any encrypted system in the world. At one point, she thought it was a myth, but here it was, in Marcus’s gloved hand.
“Why so generous?” she asked, suspicion thick in her tone. “You’re not exactly known for your philanthropy.”
Marcus smirked. “Let’s just say, I owe you. Or, more accurately, I owed him.” His smile faded, and Vivienne’s stomach twisted. Him. There it was again. The ghost she couldn’t shake.
Before she could respond, the sound of a gun cocking echoed through the alley. Vivienne spun on her heel to find herself staring down the barrel of a gun held by a lanky boy who couldn’t have been older than nineteen. His hands shook slightly, betraying his inexperience despite his efforts to appear intimidating.
“Told you to leave her alone, Marcus,” the boy said, his voice cracking ever so slightly. “She’s not part of this anymore.”
“Stand down, kid,” Marcus said casually, as if this kind of standoff were routine. “You don’t want to do something you’ll regret.”
Betrayal Under Neon Lights
Vivienne’s mind raced. The boy’s face was familiar, though she couldn’t immediately place it. “Do I know you?” she asked, her voice steady despite the chaos brewing.
The boy’s grip faltered slightly. “You don’t remember, do you?” he asked, his voice tinged with bitterness. “You killed my brother.”
The accusation hit Vivienne like a punch to the gut. Memories from years ago flooded back—an op gone wrong, faces she tried to forget. “That wasn’t… I didn’t have a choice,” she said weakly, the words hollow even to her own ears.
“There’s always a choice,” the boy snapped. And just like that, his finger tightened on the trigger. But before he could fire, Vivienne moved. A single fluid motion—her blade flashed like quicksilver in the faint light. The boy crumpled, his weapon clattering to the ground. Vivienne stood over him, her chest rising and falling heavily.
Marcus let out a low whistle. “Still got it,” he said. “But you might want to get out of here before his friends show up.”
Striding Away
Vivienne took the silver case from Marcus without another word. She walked back onto the main street, leaving behind the darkness and the blood, but carrying the weight of what she’d done. She wiped her blade on the inside of her jacket before slipping it back into its sheath. The black fur absorbed the rain as it began to fall again.
People moved past her, oblivious to the storm raging inside her. The city, with all its beauty and brutality, kept moving, and so did she. Her steps were as confident as ever, but each one carried a shadow, a reminder of the ghosts that followed her. The neon lights painted her in hues of pink and blue as she disappeared into the bustling crowd.
She had what she came for. Now, all that was left was to figure out what it would cost her.
Disclaimer: This article may contain affiliate links. If you click on these links and make a purchase, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Our recommendations and reviews are always independent and objective, aiming to provide you with the best information and resources.
Post Comment