Chapter 18
A sharp metallic taste filled his mouth, and he coughed involuntarily, his breath catching. Looking down in confusion, he saw the crimson staining his shirt.
Panic swirled in his chest, and his knees buckled. He crumpled to the ground, gasping desperately for air, as though drowning in his own body.
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In his final moments, memories flashed before his mind like a reel of old film. He thought of how, as a child, he’d dreamed of becoming a doctor.
But the life he had chosen–poisoned by addiction and marked by violent crimes–had derailed that dream entirely. He knew now, as the shadows crept in, that he would never become a doctor.
Ahead of him, the faint sounds of screams reached his ears–sharp and scattered, like a gruesome symphony. But those cries were distant now, eclipsed by his own impending end.
Just as his vision began to blur, a beautiful face appeared before him. The golden–haired figure seemed otherworldly, almost radiant in the dim light.
His breath hitched, and a surge of awe mixed with confusion filled him. ‘An angel? But why? Someone like me belongs in hell. How could I be seeing an angel?‘
That fleeting hope shattered in an instant when the “angel” spoke, his words laced with chilling amusement.
“Oh, my throat–slitting technique is unbeatable,” the blond boy said with a grin that was almost too wide, his tone unnervingly cheerful. “I can make it quick, or drag it out. Millimeter precision.”
The boy’s smile grew as he tilted his head, seemingly talking more to himself than anyone else, “Let’s see now… six Red Notice fugitives, plus the bonuses… uh…” He began counting on his fingers, mumbling calculations under his breath.
Finally, with an exaggerated sigh of dissatisfaction, he shook his head. Sliding his phone from his pocket, he started punching in numbers, his expression a picture of greed. “Still doesn’t seem like enough…”
He turned his attention back to the dying young man, grabbing him roughly by the collar and hauling him up like a ragdoll.
The towering figure at the front glanced back, his voice rough and impatient. “Dominik, the boss said to keep one alive. Don’t go killing him, you damn idiot.”
“Huh? What the hell? You killed the rest?” Dominik’s blonde hair almost stood on end as he whipped his head around. “You could’ve said that earlier.” His grip instantly loosened, letting the young man drop to the ground with a heavy thud, motionless.
“Damn it. That’s 250 grand down the drain,” Dominik bellowed, stomping his foot before dropping to his knees in a frantic attempt to resuscitate the guy.
The others didn’t even flinch, merely exchanging annoyed glances as they carried on with their assigned tasks.
Despite Dominik’s noisy antics, the group operated with lethal efficiency. From the moment they appeared to when they wrapped up their mission, no more than five minutes had passed. Like shadows dissolving into the night, they vanished without a trace, leaving nothing behind–no evidence, no witnesses.
Natalie had managed to doze off earlier around five p.m. in the car, but now sleep was the last thing on her mind. The eerie silence of the garage seemed to magnify every flicker of unease inside her, making rest impossible.
In the car, she knew Jonas or Myla might ditch her, but at least she’d wake up immediately if they did. Here, if they left her behind, there would be no catching up.
***
15:47 Fri, 11 Apr NAO.
Chapter 18
68%
+58
So she sat hugging her knees, her lashes casting faint shadows as they lowered over her weary eyes. She dared not sleep, nor even let her mind wander.
The oppressive stillness of the night had a way of amplifying the smallest crack in her emotions. Natalie was terrified of unraveling again. Her only defense was to keep herself blank, numb.
The fire burned lower and lower until the last charred piece of wood crumbled into glowing embers. The garage, once warmed by the flickering flames, turned icy in an instant.
Natalie instinctively pulled her camouflage jacket tighter around herself, but it did little to fend off the cold. The rough stone she was perched on seemed to leech away her body heat no matter how she shifted, sending a chill deep into her bones.
Fatigue began to creep in, fogging her thoughts. Yet, she didn’t dare move around to shake it off as she figured Jonas wouldn’t take kindly to any unnecessary noise.
After what felt like an eternity, she finally worked up the nerve to roll over and glance in Jonas’s direction. He lay there, utterly still, as if asleep.
Taking a shaky breath, Natalie hesitated before calling out in a whisper so soft it was barely audible, “Sir?”
Her pulse skyrocketed as soon as the word left her lips. She waited, holding her breath. When he didn’t stir, she tried again, her voice marginally louder. “Sir?”
Three times she called him, each attempt leaving her heart pounding harder. When he failed to respond, Natalie swallowed the lump in her throat and gathered her courage.
Standing slowly, she tiptoed over to where Jonas was lying. For a few minutes, she simply stood there, staring down at him, battling the fear that she was crossing a line she could never uncross. Finally, she lowered herself onto the edge of the mat near his feet.
The softness beneath her was a stark contrast to the unyielding stone she’d endured earlier, and Natalie couldn’t help but sigh internally.
But her relief was short–lived. Her hands clenched the sleeves of her jacket, her gaze drifting to Jonas’s ankle. Her gut churned with unease, like she was about to tiptoe through a minefield. ‘I have to do this,‘ she thought, her resolve shaky but firm. ‘I don’t have a choice.‘
