Chapter 19: Confrontation in the Shadows
The city’s atmosphere shifted into vibrant nightlife as the evening darkness deepened. Neon signs lit up the streets, casting colorful reflections on the wet pavements. The hum of conversation grew louder, the energy palpable. Yet, amidst the hustle and bustle, the spy remained focused, his attention solely on David.
They were back in the heart of the city, and it looked like David was simply exploring the area around the hotel. He wandered from street to street, looking around with a strange focus, as if he were trying to imprint the city’s layout in his mind. He stopped by a street food vendor, purchasing a simple meal of grilled chicken skewers and rice. As he ate, he watched the other city dwellers around him, like an old man watching the time go by. What was he doing? What was he up to?
Just as David left the food vendor’s stand and turned the corner, the spy felt a firm grip on his arm. Before he could react, he was yanked into an alleyway, the sudden darkness swallowing him whole. Two large men loomed over him, their menacing silhouettes barely visible against the faint glow of a nearby street light.
One of the men, a hulking figure with a broad, muscular build, shoved him violently against the cold brick wall. The impact knocked the wind out of him, his breath hitching in his throat.
“Who do you work for?!” the man growled, his voice a low, threatening rumble that echoed off the narrow walls.
The spy, caught off guard, struggled to maintain his composure.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he protested, trying to squirm out of the man’s grip. “I’m just an ordinary person. Why are you doing this to me?”
The man sneered, tightening his grip on the spy’s arm.
“Don’t play dumb with us,” he hissed, his breath foul against the spy’s face. “We’ve been watching you tail the boy. You’re not just an ordinary city dweller.”
The spy swallowed hard, feeling a cold bead of sweat trickle down his temple. His boss had placed him on low level surveillance precisely to keep him out of situations like these. If it came to a fight, he would surely lose.
“I...I was just curious. The boy seemed out of place,” he stammered, trying to come up with a plausible explanation.
His assailant wasn’t convinced.
“Curiosity doesn’t warrant following someone all day,” he retorted, his gaze piercing. “Speak up, or we’ll make sure you won’t be able to speak ever again.”
Before the spy could respond, the second man, a lean figure with an icy stare, intervened.
“Let’s not be hasty, Tommy.” His voice was calm and measured, an abrupt change of pace compared to his companion’s gruffness.
Tommy, the hulking man, released his grip on the spy, stepping back reluctantly.
“You’re lucky, Richard here is in a good mood,” he growled, shooting a warning glance at the spy.
Richard, the calmer of the two, extended a hand towards the spy, helping him straighten up.
“Now, let’s try this again,” Richard said as he dusted off the spy’s shoulder. “Who are you, and who do you work for?”
The spy sighed, his heart pounding in his chest. He knew he was cornered, and lying wouldn’t do him any good.
“I work for an underground agency,” he confessed. “I just report on rumors and curiosities that happen in the city.”
“And why were you following the boy?” Richard pressed, his gaze unrelenting. “Is he a ‘curiosity’ your agency is interested in?”
“No, he just caught my attention at the Rising Phoenix Hotel,” the spy admitted. “I didn’t recognize him, and he seemed out of place. I was just trying to find out more about him. There’s no specific interest from my agency. It was a personal decision.”
Richard studied the spy for a moment, his expression thoughtful.
“Well, it turns out you’ve made a poor decision,” he finally said, his voice laced with a warning. “The boy you’ve been following is under our protection. Any harm that comes his way will be answered with severe consequences.”
The spy swallowed hard, the seriousness of the situation sinking in.
“I understand,” he said, his voice barely audible. “I didn’t intend to cause any harm. It was just...curiosity.”
“But you know what they say about curiosity, right?” Richard’s voice was cold, his gaze hardening. “They say it killed the cat.”
In a swift motion, Richard kicked out at the spy’s legs, throwing him off balance. Before the spy could react, Tommy rushed forward, his large hand wrapping around the spy’s head and smashing it into the wall. The harsh impact quickly knocked him unconscious, leaving him slumped against the cold, unforgiving brick, severely injured in the dimly lit alley.
***
“Search him,” Richard ordered.
With a nod, Tommy quickly went through the unconscious spy’s pockets. His hand closed around a sleek device—the spy’s phone. Tommy crushed the device in his hand without hesitation, the plastic and glass crackling in the alley.
Richard pulled out his own phone, quickly dialing Ben’s phone number. The phone only rang twice before it was picked up.
“This is Ben,” came the gruff voice from the other end.
“It’s Richard. The spy we’ve been tailing has been dealt with. His phone has been destroyed. What are your instructions?”
“Good job, Richard,” Ben replied, his voice laced with approval. “Ensure there are no other tracking devices on him. Once you’re sure, leave him. We’ll have our cleanup crew take care of the rest.”
“Understood, we’ll leave his body here in the alley by 5th Street,” Richard confirmed, ending the call.
He looked at Tommy, who had finished searching the unconscious spy.
“Anything else on him?” he asked.
“Just some cash and keys,” Tommy answered, holding several keys and a wallet. “No other devices or anything that could be traced.”
“Alright. Let’s get out of here.”
Copyright © 2024 by A. J. Knight
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