The vehicle skidded to a halt just inches from her, its engine roaring, but Patra barely had time to register the danger. She felt a jolt of fear as she stumbled back, narrowly avoiding being struck. The driver, a man with a frantic expression, jumped out of the car, his face a mask of shock.
"What are you doing out here?" he shouted, his voice tinged with urgency. "Are you okay?"
Patra's heart raced, confusion coursing through her. She had just committed an act of violence and was now being confronted by a stranger who seemed to care. It was a twist of fate she hadn't expected. Would he see the blood on her hands, or would he recognize her for the survivor she was?
In the chaos, she decided to seize the opportunity. "I—I need help," she stammered, her voice shaky but deliberate. "I was attacked... he tried to hurt me." The words spilled from her mouth, laced with the urgency of her situation.
The man turned back to look at the lifeless body sprawled on the ground, disbelief washing over him. He felt the gravity of the situation press down, and he instinctively reached for his phone, uncertain whether to call for help or flee. The woman's words echoed in his mind—could he trust her? She had just taken a life, yet here she was, appearing both vulnerable and terrified.
"What happened?" he asked, his voice steady but cautious.
Patra's heart raced as she searched for the right words, aware of the weight of her actions. "I wanted to reach a hotel to stay. He suggested taking me to one. I felt off as he drove me to a deserted road and gave me water laced with drugs. He attacked me when he thought I was asleep," she explained, her voice trembling but earnest. She hoped her fear would convey her innocence, her desperation for help.
The man scrutinized her, his gaze piercing as if trying to see through her façade. She could feel his skepticism, but she also sensed a flicker of sympathy. He moved toward the driver's side of the car, his instincts kicking in as he prepared to verify her story.
He quickly examined the water bottle lying on the passenger seat, noting the faint odor of something chemical. After taking a cautious sip, he grimaced. "It's definitely drugged," he confirmed, glancing back at Patra with newfound urgency. "You weren't just imagining things."
Patra felt a rush of relief mingled with apprehension. "I didn't want to kill him," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, guilt clawing at her insides. "I just wanted to survive."
The man ran a hand through his hair, his expression torn between concern for her and dread about the implications of what had just transpired. "We need to get out of here," he said firmly. "If anyone finds this body, we'll both be in serious trouble."
Patra nodded, feeling a strange sense of camaraderie with this stranger who had appeared out of nowhere to help her. "What do we do?" she asked, anxiety creeping back in.
"Get in the car," he instructed, gesturing toward the vehicle. "We'll head to my place. It's not far, and I have a plan to deal with this."
Patra hesitated for a moment but realized there was no other option. She climbed into the passenger seat, her mind racing with thoughts of what lay ahead. As the man slid behind the wheel, she caught a glimpse of the lifeless driver in the rearview mirror, and her stomach churned. She had crossed a line she could never uncross.
He started the engine, and as they pulled away from the scene, Patra felt a mixture of dread and relief. She was now on the run, but at least she wasn't alone. The uncertainty of her future loomed ahead, but for the moment, survival was all that mattered.
"Thank you for believing me," she said softly, glancing over at him. "I didn't know who else to turn to."
He nodded, his jaw set in determination. "Just stick with me, and we'll figure this out together."
As they drove further away from the scene of her crime, Patra could feel the weight of her past pressing down on her, but she also felt a spark of hope. In this new, unfamiliar world, she had a chance to rewrite her story. And she would do whatever it took to survive.
The man's expression shifted from shock to concern as he rushed toward her. "We need to get you out of here," he said, glancing nervously at the fallen driver before returning his gaze to Patra. "Come with me."
Patra hesitated for just a moment, the gravity of her actions weighing heavily on her mind. But deep down, she knew she had no choice. The darkness of the shadows was no longer a sanctuary; it had become a prison. If she wanted to escape this nightmare, she needed to trust this stranger.
"Okay," she said finally, stepping toward him. As he took her arm and led her away from the scene, Patra felt a mix of fear and exhilaration. She was leaving behind the remnants of her past, stepping into a future that was uncertain yet filled with possibility.
In the back of her mind, she knew that the consequences of her actions were far from over, but for now, she was alive. And in this new world, survival was all that mattered.
Patra took her suitcase out from the cab and the man helped her to keep the luggage in his car. They went straight back to the city. The man noticed terrified Patra with her hands trembling in fear.
Leon's eyes darted across the empty, desolate road, taking in every shadow, every flicker of movement. His posture remained calm, but his words were laced with quiet authority. "Relax," he said again, his voice low but reassuring. "You didn't do anything wrong. Trust me, I know how this works."
Patra, or "Zoe" as she had hastily named herself, kept her gaze on him, her heart still pounding in her chest. The weight of her actions hung heavily between them. "I don't know," she whispered, her voice barely audible, laced with doubt. "How can you be so sure?"
Leon leaned back against the car, studying her with a careful, almost analytical eye. "I'm a detective, a private one," he began, his voice steady. "I've been working in Canada for a long time, and I know how the system functions. What happened back there—it was self-defense. The law might be tricky to explain, but your actions were justified."
Patra's mind was still racing, struggling to comprehend the meaning of his words. "Self-defense?" she repeated softly, her thoughts clouded by the weight of her past. The idea of justice and the law was something she barely understood in this new world.
Leon nodded. "Yes, self-defense. But it's not as simple as that," he continued, eyes narrowing in thought. "It's one thing to know you were defending yourself, and it's another to prove it. That's where things can get tricky with the police. But for now, you're not in any immediate danger."
Patra fell silent, unsure of how to respond. The man who stood before her was calm and confident, exuding an air of control that made her feel like she could rely on him—at least for now. But her instincts still screamed at her to be cautious.
"My name is Leon," he said, breaking the brief silence. "I'm a private detective here. What about you?"
Patra hesitated for a moment. "Zoe," she replied, her voice firmer this time. "I was just... trying to find a place to rest, but it seems luck wasn't on my side today." A small, humorless chuckle escaped her lips.
Leon offered a slight smile, though it didn't reach his eyes. "It happens," he said, with a shrug that seemed to carry the weight of years of experience. "But you'll be fine. This route doesn't have many cameras, and the police won't be in a rush to investigate out here. Eventually, someone will find the driver, but by then, you'll be long out of sight. If we play this right, no one will trace anything back to you."
Patra's eyes flickered with unease. "And how can you be so sure?" she asked, slowly beginning to grasp the magnitude of the situation. Her heart was racing less now, though the fear hadn't completely faded.
Leon's expression turned more serious, his voice dropping a level. "Because I know how the system works," he said matter-of-factly. "You acted in self-defense, and that's what matters. But in situations like this, it's about not leaving a trail. The less involved you seem, the better. You need to blend in. Act normal. Don't draw any attention."
Patra wasn't sure what "normal" even meant anymore. She had just crossed a line—a deadly one—and now she found herself standing on the edge of a new world, with rules she barely understood. But as Leon spoke, she felt a faint sense of security, as if this stranger who had appeared in the middle of her chaos was offering her a lifeline.
"What do we do next?" she asked, trying to sound more composed, even though uncertainty gnawed at her.
Leon's eyes met hers, his gaze firm but unreadable. "The next step is to get out of here before anyone else shows up," he said, his tone decisive. "We need to make sure no one connects you to this incident. Once we're far enough, you'll have a chance to figure out your next move."
Patra knew he was right. Whatever her past, whatever her history, she had to survive in this world now. The only question was how far she was willing to go, and how much she would have to trust a man who seemed to know this world's rules better than she ever could.
With a nod, she steeled herself, ready to follow Leon's lead for now, as they moved forward into the shadows, away from the danger that still lurked on the deserted road.