Chapter 7: Playing With Fire
1033 Words
The moment Mhagi stepped inside her condominium unit, she knew something was wrong.
Years of training had sharpened her instincts beyond normal limits. The air felt different. A presence lingered. Someone had entered her private hideout.
Slowly, she closed the door behind her. The room remained silent. Dark. Still.
Her eyes scanned every corner. Every shadow. Every possible hiding place.
"Who's there?" she asked calmly.
For several seconds, nothing happened. Then a figure emerged from behind a wall. A man. Tall. Dressed in black. His face partially concealed beneath a cap.
"We only have a message for you, little heiress."
Mhagi's expression remained unreadable. The man smirked.
"Stop playing with fire."
A laugh escaped her lips. Not because she found him amusing but because she genuinely found the warning ridiculous.
"Playing with fire?" she repeated.
The man took a step forward.
"You've been asking questions you shouldn't ask."
"And?"
"You should leave the past buried."
The moment those words left his mouth, Mhagi moved. Fast. Too fast.
Before the man could react, her leg shot upward. A powerful kick connected with his shoulder. The intruder stumbled backward but he recovered quickly.
His fist flew toward her face. Mhagi effortlessly dodged. The punch missed by inches. She stepped inside his guard.
Her fist struck his stomach. The impact forced the air from his lungs. Before he could recover, she moved behind him.
A sharp kick targeted the back of his knee. The man's balance disappeared instantly.
He crashed onto the floor. Mhagi wasted no time. Within seconds, she had him restrained.
The struggle continued briefly. Then silence. The intruder lost consciousness.
Mhagi dusted off her hands.
Right on cue, the front door opened. Fathima entered carrying several folders. She stopped when she saw the unconscious man.
"You came at the perfect time."
Fathima sighed.
"Again?"
Mhagi pointed toward the floor.
"Tie this i***t up."
Hours later, the man slowly regained consciousness. His head pounded. His vision blurred. As his senses returned, panic followed.
He was hanging upside down inside an abandoned warehouse. His hands and feet were bound. A single light illuminated the area and directly in front of him sat Mhagi Flores.
Smiling.
"Good morning, sunshine."
The man's eyes widened. A cloth prevented him from speaking. Fear immediately appeared on his face.
Mhagi stood and slowly approached him. The sound of her heels echoed throughout the empty building.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
She looked completely different from the woman the public adored. Gone was Lilia David. Gone was the actress.
Standing before him was the heir of the Flores family. The future queen of one of Spain's most feared organizations.
Mhagi crouched in front of him.
"You entered my home."
The man remained silent. She tilted her head.
"That wasn't very polite."
Fathima stood nearby, watching. Several Flores man lingered in the background.
Even after years of serving the family, some of them still struggled to understand their young mistress.
She looked elegant. Beautiful. Refined. Yet when necessary, she became terrifying.
Mhagi removed the cloth covering the man's mouth. Immediately, he spat at the ground.
"You'll never get anything from me."
Mhagi smiled.
"I haven't even started asking questions."
The man glared at her.
"You should listen to the warning."
"Whose warning?"
Silence. Mhagi sighed dramatically.
"I was hoping you'd make this easier."
The man laughed despite his situation.
"You think I'm afraid of you?"
Several soldiers exchanged nervous glances. That was probably the wrong thing to say.
Mhagi stood. Slowly. Calmly. Dangerously.
When she spoke again, her voice remained pleasant.
"Who sent you?"
The man smirked.
"Go to hell."
The smile disappeared from Mhagi's face. The temperature inside the warehouse seemed to drop. For a few moments, neither spoke.
Then Mhagi chuckled softly.
"You know..."
She took a step closer.
"I don't actually care who sent you."
The man's confidence faltered.
"What?"
"I already know enough."
She crossed her arms.
"You came to intimidate me."
Another step.
"You knew about my investigation."
Another step.
"You knew exactly who I am."
By now, the man looked uneasy. Mhagi smiled once more.
"But here's the problem."
She leaned closer.
"I don't like being threatened."
The man attempted to hold her gaze. Failed. For the first time, genuine fear appeared in his eyes. Mhagi noticed immediately and laughed.
Not loudly. Not dramatically.
Just enough to make everyone uncomfortable.
"You finally understand."
The man swallowed hard.
"You..."
"What?"
"You're insane."
The warehouse fell silent. Then Mhagi laughed again. This time louder. Even Fathima shook her head.
The insult wasn't exactly new. When the laughter ended, Mhagi straightened.
"Maybe."
Then she asked for a knife and one of their man hand her one. Then she glide it across the man's face and stab his left eyes.
"ARGHHH!"
Then man's cries Eco through the four walls of this building and without a blink she stab the man everywhere, she doesn't care.
And when the man end up unconscious she turned away. The stabing clearly bored her now.
"Handle it."
The order was directed toward the Flores man. The man immediately panicked.
"Wait!"
Mhagi continued walking.
"Wait!"
For the first time, desperation entered his voice but she never looked back.
Never slowed down. Never acknowledged him. As she approached the warehouse exit, Fathima caught up beside her.
"Still no name?"
Mhagi shrugged.
"I wasn't expecting one."
"You think he works for the Porters?"
"No."
That answer surprised Fathima. Mhagi opened the warehouse door. Moonlight spilled inside.
"The Porters aren't the only people who benefited from my parents' deaths."
Fathima fell silent. It was a possibility neither of them had fully explored. Spain's underworld was filled with enemies and twenty years was a long time for secrets to remain buried.
Mhagi looked toward the city lights in the distance. Somewhere out there, someone had noticed her movements.
Someone had become nervous. Someone had decided to send a warning. A smile slowly appeared on her lips.
Good.
That meant she was getting closer. Much closer.
"They told me to stop playing with fire."
Fathima raised an eyebrow.
"And?"
Mhagi's eyes darkened.
"Then they should have remembered one thing."
"What?"
A dangerous smile spread across her face.
"I was born in the flames."
- Writer
