Here's a suspenseful and thrilling r
Alexia scanned the crowded auditorium, her heart sinking with every passing second. He wasn't here.
Tears welled in her eyes as she turned to her best friend. "He's not here," she whispered to Lisa, her voice breaking.
Lisa exchanged a glance with Tina, who quickly stepped in. "Maybe he's caught up in work, Alexia. You know how your dad is," she said, trying to comfort her.
"But today is my graduation." Alexia clenched her fists, struggling to hold back her emotions. "He promised he'd be here."
The teacher called her name. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Alexia stepped onto the stage. But just as she reached for her certificate, a familiar voice rang out from the crowd.
"Alexia!"
Her head snapped toward the sound. There, standing among the sea of faces, was her father, David Payne. Relief flooded her chest as she accepted her certificate and ran to him, throwing her arms around his waist.
"You made it," she murmured into his shoulder.
David chuckled, squeezing her tight. "It's my daughter's big day. How could I miss it?"
Alexia pulled back, her joy flickering into cold disappointment. "Where were you?"
David sighed. "A meeting. It dragged on longer than expected, but I left the moment I could."
Their reunion was soon interrupted by Tina and her family, who came to congratulate her. After exchanging pleasantries, David invited them all to lunch.
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The afternoon was spent in a whirlwind of celebration—fine dining, shopping, ice cream, and a quiet walk in the park. But the real destination was the cemetery.
Alexia knelt by her mother's grave, gently placing a bouquet of roses on the cold stone. She whispered everything about her graduation, her voice laced with longing.
Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw it—another grave, simple yet haunting.
Alexander Payne. No birth date. No death date.
Her brother. Missing for ten years.
"I miss you," she whispered, touching the headstone. "Please… come back."
David placed a hand on her shoulder. "Come, sweetheart. It's getting late."
As they walked to the car, a nagging sensation crept over David. Something was off. He glanced at the rearview mirror and stiffened.
Two black SUVs. Same cars. Same distance. They had been following them for hours.
His pulse quickened. Not today. Not with Alexia in the car.
The moment they pulled onto the road, the SUVs accelerated. David's grip tightened on the wheel. "Call the police," he said, his voice edged with urgency.
Alexia fumbled for her phone. As she dialed, the SUVs overtook them.
The call connected just as the cars screeched to a stop, blocking the road ahead.
Men spilled out. Armed. Masked. Guns raised.
David barely had time to shout—
"GET DOWN!"
He yanked Alexia beneath the dashboard as the first gunshots tore through their car.
Bullets shattered the windshield. Glass rained down like deadly confetti. The deafening roar of gunfire filled the night, drowning out Alexia's scream.
Then—silence.
David dared to peek over the edge of the dashboard. A figure emerged from the shadows, footsteps slow and deliberate.
He was coming for them.
But then—sirens. Blazing red and blue lights cut through the darkness. The masked men hesitated. A second later, they bolted, vanishing into their vehicles before speeding off into the night.
The police arrived in full force—guns drawn, orders shouted. Officers swarmed the scene, escorting David and Alexia to safety.
At the hospital, while doctors tended to their minor injuries, detectives pressed David for answers.
"Did you see their faces?"
"No. They wore masks," David muttered.
"What kind of masks?"
"A plain design… but there was a wolf's head carved into the side."
Silence.
Then, a shift. A ripple of unease passed through the officers. Fear flickered in their eyes.
David's stomach clenched. "What?"
One officer exhaled sharply. "Those men are from a gang called Death."
Alexia's breath hitched.
"They're not just killers," the officer continued. "They hunt people. They enjoy it. We've been chasing them for years, but we never get close. They don't leave survivors."
David's legs gave out, and he sank into the chair. "Why us?"
"They don't need a reason," the officer said grimly. "Once they pick a target, they don't stop until they finish the job."
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That night, Alexia slept fitfully, the echoes of gunfire still ringing in her ears.
David sat beside her, gripping her hand, watching over her like a man on the edge of losing everything.
Then his phone rang.
Unknown number.
Dread curled in his stomach as he answered. "Hello?"
A voice, smooth as silk and dripping with malice, replied.
"Tonight, you were lucky. Next time… you won't be."
David's breath turned shallow. "Who are you? What do you want?!"
A soft chuckle. "Nothing personal, Payne. I just want you and your daughter dead."
The call cut off.
David's hands trembled as the phone slipped from his grip. His knees buckled.
Tears burned in his eyes.
He wasn't afraid for himself.
He was afraid for her.
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Miles away, in a dimly lit apartment, a man sat on a worn-out sofa, watching the news.
The screen flickered, showing David Payne carrying Alexia—her body wrapped in bandages, her face pale with fear.
The man's grip tightened around his beer bottle. His jaw clenched.
The glass shattered in his hand.
He stood up, chest rising and falling with heavy breaths, his eyes locked onto the screen.
Then, in one swift motion, he grabbed his coat, throwing it over his shoulders—concealing the scorpion tattoo inked on his neck.
He stormed out the door, his footsteps resolute.
Death had come for the Paynes.
But Something else is coming for the death's