The man tsked. “No, see, I work for some really important people, and well, they have questions.”
My eyes bolted from his to the empty alley behind him. “Q–questions?”
He nodded. “Oh yes. Lots of questions. Questions that only you would have the answers to. For example...” He leaned down closer and whispered in my ear. “Where is Haze Osvaldo?”
My eyes widened. “I haven’t seen my brother since the night he left. Ask the police! I’ve told them everything!”
The man laughed. “I don’t buy it, Indigo. You know why?” Before I could answer, the man pulled something from his jacket. “Because I’ve seen you.” He unfolded a stack of photographs, taken of me throughout the last couple weeks. They were mostly me and Aiden, him wearing his bike helmet and concealing his identity. But the last photo he showed me was of Haze picking me up on his motorcycle. “We’ve been following you for some time, Indigo.”
We?
“And from what I’ve seen, you know exactly where your brother is.” He pulled a gun from behind him and pressed the tip of the barrel into my cheek. I quietly sobbed and begged him to let me go. “Shhhh. I’ll let you go. But first, what I need you to do is point me in the right direction.” He pressed the gun harder against my face. “I’m waiting, Indigo.”
I trembled with fear. Why did I have to drop the phone? And why did I ever think cutting through the alley was a good idea?
And then my instincts kicked in.
“I–I’ll tell you.” His grin grew at my words. “Just move the gun and I’ll tell you everything.”
He huffed. “Deal.” He lifted the barrel from my face and stepped back as I exhaled in its absence. “Alright, Indigo. Spill.”
My lips curled. “As you wish.” My hand removed the lid of my coffee, and I swung the paper cup, spilling the entire thing all across his face. He cried out and screamed while stumbling back, shouting about his eyes. “Enjoy the cinnamon, you fucking creep!” I shoved the man over and ran past him.
His raised voice could be heard, along with his heavy footsteps as I ran back down the alley. I would’ve escaped, had he not caught up to me.
“Oh, no you don’t!” The man gripped a handful of my hair and yanked me back. I fell backwards onto the wet, icy concrete and hit my head. The pain pierced through my skull, making megroan. My vision blurred for a second, and as I looked up, I saw the man. He was glaring down at me, his face all red and burned. “You little bitch!” He kicked my side, making me cry out. “I tried to be nice, but you leave me no choice.” He grabbed my arms and pulled, dragging me back towards the opposite end of the alley. “Fucking whore,” he grumbled. “I better get paid extra for putting up with this shit.” The man dropped my body near the gate. “Now, where is my fucking gun? Ah, there it is.” He picked his weapon up and walked back over to me.
“Please,” I begged.
The man scoffed and crouched at my side. “I’m afraid it’s a bit too late for pleasantries, sweetheart.” He lifted the barrel and aimed it at my skull. “But I’ll tell you what, if you tell me all I need to know, I’ll make your death quick. How’s that sound?”
The odd sound of a thump pierced my ears, and my entire body went rigid as the man stared down at me. My eyes struggled to raise, but when they did, they met a set of familiar green irises.
Felix.
The man’s eyes rolled as he slumped over and fell to the ground. I noticed a large dart, seeded in the back of the man’s neck. I looked back at my older brother, dressed in usual military attire and mask, holding a large dart gun. “Nice move with the coffee, baby sis.”
“Indi!” Haze rushed to my side. “Are you okay?”
I groaned, grabbing my head as he helped me to my feet. “Yeah, I’m okay,” I strained.
“How’s your head?” Haze asked.
I rotated my neck and winced. “Ah, no complaints.” Haze tried not to laugh while Felix rolled his eyes. I looked back down at the unconscious fucker on the pavement. “Any idea who that is?” I pointed to the man.
Felix bent down and searched the man’s jacket, finding only his phone. “Whoever he is, he traveled light. No wallet, no keys, nothing. Just a phone.” He tried to unlock it. “Unfortunately, it’s password protected. Nothing my associates can’t handle.”
Haze looked down at the creep. “He’s fucking lucky I didn’t get here first!” He kicked the man’s body.
“Hey, easy now.” Felix looked up at him. “There’s no point in beating him while he’s down.”
Haze kicked the man again. “What do we do with him, Felix?”
Our older brother stood, pondering for a minute. “Have Aiden take Indi back to the apartment. We’ll take him to a web warehouse, see what we can learn from our little friend here.”
I made a face. “Excuse me? I’m not going anywhere. I’m the one he was following!” They both looked at me with the same face. “No, I’m going too.”
Felix looked at Haze and crossed his arms.
