Chapter 3 - Shadows on the Skyline
The shadow in the doorway detached itself from the gloom of the hallway. A man stepped into the soft light of the nursery, wearing a tailored charcoal suit that contrasted sharply with the rough, urban grit of Daniel's appearance. He held a silenced pistol loosely at his side, his smile thin and devoid of warmth.
“Evening, Daniel. Or should I say, Mr. Vance? We thought you’d truly vanished into the wilderness,” the intruder said smoothly, his eyes glancing briefly at Claire and the bassinet before locking back onto Daniel.
Daniel moved instinctively, placing his body between the intruder and Claire. Every muscle in his frame tightened, adrenaline surging through his veins. “Vince. You’ve got a lot of nerve stepping foot in here.”
“And you’ve got a lot of loose ends, old friend,” Vince replied, taking another slow step forward. “The boss wants to know why a ghost suddenly resurfaced in this part of town. And worse... what’s inside the room he’s guarding.”
Claire’s breath hitched. She instinctively reached down, shielding the bassinet with her body, her face turning pale with sudden, terrifying clarity. “Daniel... who is this?”
“Nobody you need to worry about, Claire,” Daniel hissed, never breaking eye contact with Vince. He slowly reached behind his back, his fingers searching for the hidden holster he always carried. “Vince, take your eyes off them. This is between you and me.”
“Is it?” Vince chuckled softly, raising the silenced weapon just a fraction higher. “The syndicate doesn't care about personal feuds anymore, Daniel. When a high-ranking enforcer walks away, he takes secrets with him. And when that same enforcer spawns an heir... well, protocols change.”
The air in the room grew suffocating. Daniel calculated the distance between himself and Vince, measuring the milliseconds it would take to close the gap before a bullet could find its mark. But Vince wasn't alone; the subtle creak of floorboards in the master bedroom behind them confirmed a second operative had flanked their position.
May you like
“You step any closer and you won't leave this room alive,” Daniel warned, his voice dropping to a lethal, resonant register.
Vince’s smile vanished, replaced by a cold, calculating glare. “Let's test that theory.”
