Matt Cross walked through the dimly lit alleyways of the city, his mind focused on the next target. The rain poured relentlessly, soaking his clothes, but he barely noticed. He had done this countless times before—moving stealthily through the shadows, eliminating targets with precision. His blue eyes scanned the surroundings, alert and calculating.

Tonight was supposed to be routine. His instructions were straightforward: take out the small-time arms dealer holed up in a rundown warehouse on the edge of town. The dealer worked for Leo Kane, a feared crime lord whose name was a curse in the underworld. But Matt had faced worse.

He arrived at the warehouse, slipping past the guards with practiced ease. His steps were almost silent on the slick floor as he made his way towards his target. Peering through the grimy glass of an office window, he saw the dealer hunched over a desk.

Matt took a steadying breath and drew his pistol, aiming carefully. Just as he was about to pull the trigger, he heard a sound—a door creaking open. Someone was there.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Matt whirled around, gun at the ready, but it wasn’t a guard or another adversary. It was her.

A woman dressed in black, blending almost perfectly with the shadows. Her eyes—dark and unreadable—met his, and a small, enigmatic smile played at the corner of her lips.

“Who are you?” Matt demanded, his voice sharp as he kept his gun trained on her.

“I could ask you the same thing,” she replied coolly, as if they were merely having a chat. Her calm demeanor was disconcerting, given the situation.

Matt hesitated. He had never seen her before, but her movements suggested she was no ordinary bystander. She moved with the confidence of someone used to dangerous situations.

Before he could react, she slipped past him with remarkable speed and precision, heading straight for the dealer. In one fluid motion, she took him out, leaving Matt standing there, gun still raised but now seemingly irrelevant.

She turned back to him, casually tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “You’re welcome.”

Matt lowered his weapon, his eyes narrowing as he studied her. Whoever she was, she wasn’t here by accident.

“You’ve got five seconds to tell me who you work for,” he demanded.

She only laughed softly. “Let’s just say we have a common enemy. Leo Kane.” With that, she vanished into the shadows as abruptly as she had appeared, leaving Matt alone with more questions than answers.

One thing was certain—this mission had just gotten a

whole lot more complicated.