The restroom's harsh light cast long shadows as Sarah faced Sky Reach. His eyes, wide with recognition and fear, darted around the room, seeking an escape that didn't exist.
"How?" Sky Reach gasped, his earlier drunken bravado evaporating. "You can't be here. You can't be alive!"
Sarah's hand tightened on her concealed weapon, a nanotech-enhanced pistol disguised as a spirit card. "Surprised to see a ghost, Zephyr? Or should I call you Sky Reach now?"
She took a step forward, her voice low and dangerous. "Did you think we'd just disappear? That your betrayal would go unanswered?"
Sky Reach's face contorted with a mix of emotions - fear, anger, and something that might have been regret. "You don't understand," he pleaded. "I had no choice. They would have killed us all!"
"So you decided to do it for them?" Sarah's voice was ice. "How noble of you."
In a desperate move, Sky Reach lunged at Sarah. But she was ready. The spirit card in her hand transformed into a sleek pistol. Two shots rang out, muffled by the weapon's advanced suppressor.
Sky Reach stumbled back, red blooming on his chest. His eyes, wide with disbelief, locked onto Sarah's. "I... I'm sorry," he whispered, before collapsing to the floor.
Sarah stood over him, her heart pounding. This was the moment she had dreamed of for years, her chance for vengeance. But as she watched the life fade from Sky Reach's eyes, she felt... empty. The satisfaction she had expected didn't come.
Shaking off her conflicted emotions, Sarah moved quickly. She had mere minutes before someone would come investigating the noise. With practiced efficiency, she wiped down the scene, removing any trace of her presence.
As she slipped out of the restroom, Sarah's mind was already racing ahead to her next target. Alexis Thorn - Jake - was still out there, a lingering threat from her past.
She made her way back to the main auction hall, her eyes scanning the crowd. There - by the bar. Alexis Thornwas engaged in a hushed conversation with a group of severe-looking individuals. The Hunter's Organization, no doubt.
Sarah's hand moved to another spirit card, this one concealing a nanotech crossbow. She had to time this perfectly.
As Alexis Thorn raised his glass to his lips, Sarah activated the card. The crossbow materialized in her hand, and in one fluid motion, she fired.
The bolt whistled through the air, shattering Alexis Thorn's glass and grazing his cheek. Chaos erupted in the auction hall as people screamed and ducked for cover.
Alexis Thorn's hand flew to his face, coming away bloody. His eyes locked onto Sarah's across the room, recognition and fury blazing in them.
"It's her!" he roared, his voice cutting through the panic. "The Nova Port fugitive! Take her down!"
The severe-looking individuals around Alexis Thorn sprang into action, drawing weapons and advancing on Sarah. The Hunter's Organization had been activated.
Sarah's mind raced. She had counted on causing confusion, but this... this was more than she had bargained for. As security alarms blared and guests fled in panic, she realized her carefully laid plans were unraveling.
But Sarah Chen wasn't one to give up easily. As the first Hunter approached, she allowed herself a grim smile. If it was a fight they wanted, it was a fight they would get.