I heard the gunshot before I saw anything.
It broke the quiet - sharp and loud, my body froze right away. For a moment, I couldn't breathe or think or move. Then, almost automatically, I turned around.
A man hit the ground hard.
My eyes widened as I saw him lying twisted on the cold concrete, dark blood slowly spreading beneath him. My heart pounded as reality hit me. Then I noticed two men fighting, under the flickering streetlamps. One was tall, and moved with control and precision. His face was clean and striking, with a sharp jawline and dark hair a bit messy from the fight.
He had a firm grip on the other man's collar, pulling him forward and then punching him hard in the face. The sound made me flinch. The other man stumbled but stayed on his feet, attacking back with wild swings, clearly desperate. They struggled, their boots scraping the rough ground, heavy breaths mixing with hard punches. I couldn't look away, even though all I wanted was to run.
The man being beaten suddenly reached for something at his waist. A gun. My stomach dropped when I saw it. His fingers gripped the gun, pulling it out and aiming it. But before he could shoot, another gunshot rang out from the corner. It hit his head. His head jerked back, and then his body collapsed, lifeless.
Silence fell. My chest rose and fell fast as I stared at the two bodies lying still. Two men were dead just like that. I couldn't believe it.
Slowly, my eyes shifted to the man who fired. He still stood with his arm extended, the gun steady in his hand, like it was second nature. He was too calm. He had dark hair and sharp features. His face would have been perfect if not for the coldness in his eyes. Those eyes met mine and everything inside me froze.
It wasn't just that he saw me, it felt deeper. Like I had walked into something I wasn't supposed to, and now there was no going back. A cold shiver ran down my spine.
Run.
The thought hit me hard and fast, breaking through the shock. So I ran. My feet pounded the ground unevenly, I was panicking. My breath came in sharp gasps, chest tight as I forced myself forward.
What did I just see? Who are they? Why was I here? Why did I follow that lead? Questions flooded my mind as I ran.
"Get her."
The voice came from behind - low, and commanding. My heart nearly stopped.
What would they do to me now? I pushed harder, ignoring the burning in my legs and running blindly. The path was unclear, and my mind was spinning too fast to think.
I heard footsteps behind me, closing in fast. Tears blurred my vision as fear gripped me completely. My thoughts raced and crashed.
Am I going to die? Is this how it ends? I shouldn't have come here. I shouldn't have followed that lead. I shouldn't have...
The footsteps got closer. I could hear them right behind me. I tried to scream, but a hand covered my mouth. Another arm grabbed me, pulling hard.
"No...!" I barely managed to say. I fought and kicked, but it was pointless. He was too strong. The grip tightened, holding me firmly.
I tried to breathe, but the air wouldn't come right. My vision blurred, the world tilting wildly.
No. No, please...
My strength faded no matter how much I struggled. My movements slowed, my body giving in as darkness crept in. Faces flashed through my mind.
I thought of Zara. Her loud, unapologetic laughter. How she always said I was stubborn.
"Elena, your curiosity will get you in trouble someday."
Her little daughter, Maya. Her tiny fingers holding mine, her bright smile lighting up everything.
"Aunty El!" she'd always call.
My chest tightened painfully. I thought of my work. My stories, all I still wanted to do. I wasn't ready. I wasn't...
Darkness swallowed me.
******
ZARA'S POV
I turned slowly in front of the bedroom mirror, checking my outfit. I had put on my favorite dark jeans and an emerald-green silk blouse.
Looking at my reflection, I had to admit I still looked good. Even though I was a mother now, my body still kept the curves I was always proud of, showing my narrow waist, full bust, and wide hips. Having a baby changes your body completely, but tonight, I felt confident and attractive. I still got it.
I loved Maya more than anything in the world, but as I looked around the quiet house, I felt a wave of relief. She was spending the weekend with her father, Ricky. At least, I didn't have to worry about bedtime stories or cooking her favourite meals. Tonight belonged entirely to me and my best friend. We were going to eat as many tacos as we wanted and drink mimosas and margaritas until we were completely full.
If we finished early, I was definitely going to drag Elena to that new lounge downtown. She had been working so hard at the newspaper lately, and her toxic boss, Marcus, was always stressing her out. She needed a fun night out just as much as I did.
I reached for my lipstick on the vanity, but then I caught sight of the clock on my nightstand.
7:52 p.m.
"Oh, no," I muttered, dropping the lipstick.
I had completely lost track of time while doing my hair.
Elena and I had a rule to always meet up at 8:00 p.m. whenever we went to Casa de Fuego, our favorite taco restaurant. The place was always packed on Saturdays, and if you were late, the host would give your table away to someone else within five minutes.
Elena was always punctual, so I knew she was probably already parking her car, waiting to scold me for being late again.
I snatched my purse and my car keys off the dresser and ran down the stairs, heading straight out the front door.
When I got to the driveway, I couldn't help but smile when I saw my second baby. My beautiful, shiny black SUV was parked under the streetlights. I felt proud every single time I looked at it. It had taken me years of working hard at the bank and making tight monthly payments to fully pay it off, but it was worth every cent. It was mine, and it was beautiful.
I hopped into the driver's seat, started the engine, and quickly drove out of the neighborhood toward the main road.
By the time I hit the main highway, the clock on my dashboard read 8:12 p.m. I frowned a little, looking down at my phone on the passenger seat. It was weird that Elena hadn't called or texted me yet to ask where I was.
I tapped her name on my car's Bluetooth screen to call her.
The line rang and rang, but it went straight to voicemail. I sighed and shook my head. "Come on, El, pick up."
I waited through a few traffic lights and tried calling her a second time. The result was exactly the same. The phone just kept ringing until the automated voicemail message started playing. I figured she was probably just driving, or maybe she was already inside the noisy restaurant trying to hold our table.
Something felt off. I increased my driving speed, and decided to trust that I would see her waiting when I get there.
