The city skyline glimmered with neon lights as the cold night enveloped the streets. Ethan stood at the edge of the balcony, his gaze lost in the maze of lights below, his mind still reeling from the call he had just received. A suicide. The word seemed too simple, too mundane, to explain the unease gnawing at him. It was as if something in the case didn't quite fit, something he couldn't yet grasp.
The victim was Langley, a middle-aged man living alone in an upscale apartment. His life had been unremarkable, a nondescript office worker with few connections and no known enemies. The police had ruled it a suicide almost immediately, finding him hanging from a beam in his living room with a simple note beside him. But the note—neatly written, almost too perfect—didn't seem like something a man on the brink of despair would leave behind. And then there was the subtle trace of something off in the crime scene, something the police had missed, something Ethan could sense in his gut.
His fingers tightened around the railing, the cool breeze tugging at his coat. He wasn't the type to get lost in his own thoughts for long. There were too many cases, too many wrongs in the world for him to dwell on just one. Yet, something about this one pulled him in. Maybe it was the idea that the ordinary could hide extraordinary secrets. Maybe it was the fact that, for the first time in a long while, he felt truly compelled to dig deeper.
Ethan wasn't the sort to work with others, not often. But this case had reached a point where he needed help, someone who could provide the intelligence and resources he didn't have. That's how he found himself in the office of Lila Bennett. She was seated at a cluttered desk, the glow of her laptop reflecting off her glasses as she scrolled through data. When he entered, she looked up briefly, her expression unreadable.
"Langley, huh?" she said, without a greeting. "I was expecting you'd show up sooner or later."
Ethan took a seat across from her, his eyes narrowing. "What do you know about it?"
Lila leaned back in her chair, folding her arms. "I know that Langley wasn't just any office worker. He was connected to someone, and he was involved in something bigger than you're imagining. Something dangerous."
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "You know something about him?"
She hesitated for a moment, her fingers tapping on the desk. "I know that his death is linked to something much larger than a simple suicide. Something that involves an organization—'The Black Angels.'"
The words sent a shiver down Ethan's spine. He'd heard of them. Rumors of the "Black Angels" were whispered in the underworld, tales of an elusive and deadly criminal organization, one with reach across the globe. The kind of organization that left no trace, no evidence, and yet always got what it wanted.
He leaned forward, his voice low. "And what does this have to do with Langley?"
Lila met his gaze. "Langley was one of their couriers. He delivered information, connections, sometimes even people. And someone in that organization wanted him gone."
Ethan rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "So, you're saying this wasn't a suicide at all. Langley was murdered."
She nodded. "Exactly. And it gets worse. The people behind this aren't just criminals. They're well-connected. Powerful."
"Tell me everything you know."
Lila pulled up a map on her laptop, her fingers flying over the keys. "The Black Angels operate in silence, but their influence is everywhere. Weapons, drugs, people. You name it, they control it. Langley was small-time, but he knew things. He was about to blow the whistle on some of their operations."
Ethan's mind raced. The pieces were beginning to form, but they didn't quite fit. "And who's behind this? Who's pulling the strings?"
Lila hesitated, glancing around as though ensuring no one was listening. "Victor Saville."
The name hit Ethan like a punch to the gut. Saville was a businessman, yes. But there were rumors, whispered tales of his involvement in the most dangerous global networks. He was the last person anyone wanted to cross, and the first person anyone would point to when a crime was too clean, too perfectly executed.
Ethan felt a knot tighten in his stomach. This was no longer just about a suicide. This was about something much bigger. And whether he liked it or not, he was now in the thick of it.
Lila closed her laptop and looked at him. "You're in over your head, Ethan. Saville is not someone you want to mess with. And neither are the people behind him."
Ethan stood up slowly, his decision already made. "I've been in over my head before. I'll take my chances."
With that, he left the office, stepping out into the night. The city felt different now. Darker. More dangerous. The air seemed thicker, as if the entire city was holding its breath.
Ethan knew one thing for sure: The truth behind Langley's death was just the beginning. And the deeper he dug, the more he would uncover about the shadowy forces that lurked in the city's heart. But he couldn't turn back now. Not when he was so close.
The mist was rising, and Ethan was already at the edge of it.