As Maya and James stepped inside, they were immediately struck by the eerie atmosphere. The room was dimly lit, with flickering fluorescent lights overhead. The air was thick with the scent of disinfectant and something else... something metallic.
Maya's eyes scanned the room, taking in the rows of steel tables and the various medical equipment scattered about. It looked like some kind of twisted operating room.
James grabbed her arm, his voice low. "What is this place?"
Maya shook her head. "I don't know, but I don't like it."
Suddenly, a figure emerged from the shadows. He was tall and gaunt, with sunken eyes and a twisted grin.
"Welcome, welcome," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "I am the Drug Man. What can I do for you?"
Maya tried to act casual, but her heart was racing. "We're just looking for a little something," she said, trying to sound nonchalant.
The Drug Man chuckled, opening a drawer filled with various vials and bags. "I have just the thing," he said, his eyes glinting with excitement.
Maya's eyes scanned the contents of the drawer. "What kind of drugs do you have?" she asked, trying to sound casual.
The Drug Man smiled, his eyes glinting with pride. "I have everything from heroin to cocaine to designer drugs," he said, his voice dripping with malice.
Maya's eyes narrowed. "Where do you get them?" she asked, her voice firm.
The Drug Man shrugged. "I have my sources," he said, his voice vague.
Maya's eyes locked onto his, her gaze intense. "So, what happens if someone was to get kidnapped?" she asked, trying to keep her tone casual.
The Drug Man's grin faltered for a moment, before he leaned forward, his eyes glinting with excitement. "Well, if they're female, they'll probably keep her locked up, using her as a sex toy until they harvest her organs," he said, his voice dripping with malice.
Maya's face contorted with rage, her eyes blazing with anger. She tried to punch the Drug Man, but he dodged out of the way just in time.
"You think you can just come at me?" the Drug Man sneered, his hand reaching for something under the counter.
James stepped forward, his gun drawn. He grabbed the Drug Man, holding him in a tight grip.
"Make a sound, and you die," James whispered, his gun pressed against the Drug Man's temple.
The Drug Man's eyes went wide with fear, his mouth opening in a silent scream. James's eyes locked onto Maya's, his expression grim.
"What do you want to do with him?" he asked, his voice low.
Maya's eyes narrowed, her gaze intense. "Listen, if you want to live, you'll answer every question I ask. Got it?"
The Drug Man nodded frantically, his eyes wide with fear. "Y-yes, I'll answer anything. Just don't kill me."
Maya's expression didn't change. "Who are you, and do you know the Shadow?"
The Drug Man swallowed hard. "I-I'm just a low-ranking guy in the Shadow. They give me drugs to sell, and I do it. I know who the Shadow are, but I've never seen their faces. They're always hidden."
Maya's eyes locked onto his. "What do you know about the Shadow's operations?"
The Drug Man hesitated, glancing nervously at James's gun. "I-I know they're not many of them. Maybe ten, at most. They usually party at the Box, but I don't know where their hideout is."
Maya's gaze didn't waver. "How do we find their hideout?"
The Drug Man swallowed hard. "Y-you have to go from rank to rank. Start with small-time drug dealers like me, then move up to human traffickers, organ sellers... eventually, you'll reach the top."
Maya's eyes narrowed. "And where do we find the next person in the chain?"
The Drug Man nodded, a desperate look in his eyes. "I-I can give you the address and password for the next guy. He's closer to the Shadow than I am."
Maya nodded, her expression unchanging. "Write it down."
The Drug Man nodded, opening a drawer and pulling out a notebook and pen. He scribbled down an address and password, his hand shaking.
Maya took the notebook, her eyes scanning the information. "What's the next guy's name?"
The Drug Man hesitated, glancing nervously at James's gun. "I-I don't know his name. But he's the one who supplies the Shadow with their... 'special' merchandise."
Maya's eyes locked onto his, her gaze intense. "We'll be leaving now."
The Drug Man nodded, relief washing over his face. "P-please, don't kill me."
Maya's expression didn't change. "We'll let you live... for now."
As Maya and James turned to leave, the Drug Man suddenly pulled out a gun, shouting, "You can't get away with this!"
But before he could fire, James swiftly shot him, grabbing Maya's hand as they ran out of the room.
They burst through the door, nearly knocking over the counter man. "What was that sound?" he asked, looking up in alarm.
James pushed him aside, and they sprinted out of the building.
They reached James's car, and he swiftly unlocked it, pushing Maya inside. As they sped away, Maya realized that wearing masks and carrying guns had been a good idea.
But as the adrenaline wore off, Maya's face crumpled, and she began to sob. "It's been two weeks," she choked out. "Sarah might be... might be dead by now. Or worse."
James pulled over, putting a comforting arm around Maya. "We'll find her," he promised. "We won't give up."
Maya cried for a while, but eventually, James coaxed her into eating something. They stopped at a food cafe, and over burgers and fries, Maya slowly felt better.
As they ate, they discussed their next move. "We need to be careful," James said. "The Shadow won't take kindly to us snooping around."
Maya nodded, her eyes determined. "We'll be careful. But we have to try."
Just then, James's phone rang. He answered, listening for a moment before responding, "Yeah, boss, I'm enjoying my leave. Thanks for asking."
Maya raised an eyebrow. "Your boss?" she whispered.
James nodded, ending the call. "Yeah, I'm supposed to be on leave. But I think we have more important things to worry about."
Maya smiled wryly. "I also got a week's leave from school. I told them I was going to a funeral."
James chuckled. "Well, let's hope it doesn't come to that."
Maya pulled out her phone, texting her parents. "Hey guys, just enjoying a burger after college. Missing you!" She attached a photo of herself and James, smiling and holding up their burgers.
James raised an eyebrow. "You're a natural-born liar."
Maya grinned. "Hey, whatever it takes to find Sarah "
Mean while:
The Drug Man wasn't dead, but he wished he was. He lay on the floor, gritting his teeth as he tried to pull the bullet out of his shoulder.
Just as he was starting to make progress, he heard the sound of footsteps. The Shadow had arrived to collect their cut from the drug sales.
The two men towered over him, their faces twisted with anger. "What happened?" one of them growled.
The Drug Man winced, trying to explain. "I-I was robbed. Two people came in, asking questions. They found out I was working with you, and... and they shot me."
The Shadow's faces darkened, their eyes blazing with fury. "You idiot," one of them spat. "You can't even protect yourself."
The Drug Man cringed, expecting a beating. But instead, the Shadow pulled out their guns and shot him in the skull.
The counter man, who had been watching in horror, begged for forgiveness. But the Shadow didn't care. They shot him too, leaving him dead on the floor.
Meanwhile, Maya and James were driving home, unaware of the carnage they had left behind. But as they listened to the news on the radio, their hearts sank.
"...Two men found dead at a pet center, with multiple gunshot wounds. Police are investigating, but so far, no suspects have been named."
Maya and James exchanged a nervous glance. They knew they had to be careful. The Shadow would stop at nothing to protect their operation.
"Well, it looks like our investigation is about to get hot," James said, his voice low.
Maya nodded, her eyes fixed on the road ahead. "We need to be ready for anything."
But as they drove on, they couldn't shake off the feeling that they were being watched. The Shadow was out there, waiting for them. And next time, they wouldn't be so lucky.Maya walked into her apartment, locking the door behind her. She took a deep breath, trying to shake off the feeling of unease that had settled in her stomach. She had been on edge since leaving James, her mind racing with thoughts of the Shadow.
As she walked into the living room, she noticed the TV was still on, the news anchor's voice droning in the background. Maya's eyes scanned the screen, her heart skipping a beat as she saw the breaking news headline.
"...Two men found dead at a pet center, with multiple gunshot wounds. Police are investigating, but so far, no suspects have been named."
Maya's eyes widened as she realized that the news was talking about the same pet center where they had confronted the Drug Man. She felt a chill run down her spine as she realized that the Shadow had already caught up with him.
She took a deep breath, trying to process the information. This was getting more serious by the minute. The Shadow was cleaning up their trail, and Maya and James were running out of time.
Just then, there was a knock at the door. Maya's heart skipped a beat as she hesitated, wondering if she should answer it. But then she remembered that James was supposed to meet her here.
She cautiously made her way to the door, peering through the peephole. It was James, his eyes scanning the hallway nervously.
Maya opened the door, letting him in. "You saw the news?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
James nodded, his eyes locked on hers. "We need to get out of here. Now."
Maya nodded, grabbing her bag. "Where are we going?"
James's expression was grim. "We're going to find the next person on the list. Before the Shadow gets to them too."