THE FUGITIVE LADY

Chapter 6:- The day the light was buried

.Sengapore

The sky had already begun to darken when Maria Hart left the apartment. She paused at the door longer than usual, her hand lingering on the handle as if she didn't want to step into the evening air. Jade noticed the hesitation.

"Mom?" she called out, her voice tinged with a mix of curiosity and concern.

Maria turned slowly, a faint smile on her lips.

"Yes?" she replied, her voice gentle, trying to brush off the unease that seemed to cling to her like the shadows outside.

"You're going alone?" Jade asked, her eyes narrowing slightly as she stood up from the couch, her movements fluid like a cat waking from a nap.

"It's just the market," Maria replied, wiping her hands on her jeans as if to rid them of any nervousness.

"I'll be back in ten minutes."

She glanced at Dominic, who was standing near the window, his posture rigid, his eyes fixed on the street below like a hawk watching its prey.

Jade's gaze followed her mother's, landing on Dominic's tense form.

"Let me come with you," she said, her voice firmer now, as if sensing something was off.

Maria's smile didn't quite reach her eyes.

"No, sweetie. Stay here. Your father needs to speak to you."

She stepped closer and touched Jade's cheek, her fingers cool against her daughter's skin.

"It's important."

Jade glanced toward Dominic again, but he was already looking at her, his expression unreadable, his eyes flicking to her face before returning to the street outside.

"Go," he said quietly, his voice a low rumble that seemed to vibrate through the air.

Maria nodded, her eyes lingering on Jade for a moment before she turned and left. The door closed behind her, and for a few seconds, the apartment felt normal again, the silence thick and heavy like a blanket.

The Waiting

Ten minutes passed, the clock ticking away like a metronome, each tick a reminder that time was moving forward, whether they wanted it to or not. Jade checked the clock on the wall, her brow furrowing slightly as she turned to Dominic.

"Dad?" she called out, her voice a little louder now, a thread of concern weaving its way into the sound.

He didn't respond, his fingers moving across his tablet, his eyes scanning the live street surveillance with an intensity that made Jade's unease grow. The screens flickered, showing different angles of the city, each one a reminder that they were always being watched, always being hunted.

Twenty minutes.

She stood up, her movements restless, her eyes darting to the clock again.

"She's late," she said, her voice a little sharper now, like a knife being drawn from its sheath.

Dominic's jaw tightened slightly, his eyes never leaving the screen.

"Patience," he said, his voice low and even, but Jade knew him well enough to hear the undercurrent of tension.

"She said ten minutes," Jade replied, her voice rising, her hands clenching into fists at her sides.

He didn't answer, his silence a wall that she couldn't breach, a reminder that he was the one who controlled the flow of information, who kept them safe.

Thirty minutes.

Jade walked to the window, her eyes scanning the streets below, searching for any sign of her mother.

The city was alive, neon lights reflecting off wet pavement like a snake shedding its skin. But there was no sign of Maria.

Dominic suddenly straightened, his eyes narrowing as something on his screen triggered an alert. A sudden interruption in the nearby camera feed. He whispered:

"Shit."

Jade turned immediately, her heart pounding in her chest like a drumbeat.

"What?" she asked, her voice sharp, her eyes locked on his.

He grabbed his jacket, his movements swift and economical.

"Stay inside," he ordered, his voice firm, brooking no argument.

"Dad- where are you going?" Jade asked, her voice rising, her hands reaching out as if to grab him, to keep him from leaving.

"To find her," he replied, his voice controlled, but beneath it, fear lurked, a beast waiting to pounce. He left quickly, the door shutting harder than before, leaving Jade alone in the sudden silence.

The Search

Dominic reached the market within minutes, his eyes scanning the entrance, his heart pounding in his chest like a drumbeat. The stall where Maria had bought fruit was still open, the vendor packing up his wares, his eyes flicking to Dominic with a mix of curiosity and wariness.

He approached the vendor, his voice firm, his words tumbling out in a rush.

"Did you see my wife?"

The vendor frowned, his eyes narrowing.

"She left," he said, his voice slow, his eyes taking in Dominic's tense form.

"Did anyone approach her?" Dominic asked, his voice a little louder now, a thread of urgency weaving its way into the sound.

The man hesitated, his eyes darting around the market before returning to Dominic's face.

"Yes... a car stopped near her," he said finally, his voice barely above a whisper.

Dominic's stomach dropped, his mind racing with possibilities, each one worse than the last.

"Describe it," he growled, his voice low and menacing.

"Black. No plates," the vendor replied, his eyes wide, his voice shaking.

"Driver?" Dominic asked, his voice a little softer now, but his eyes were cold, hard.

"Man. Hooded," the vendor replied, his eyes darting away, unable to meet Dominic's gaze.

Dominic's breathing shifted, his mind racing with possibilities, each one worse than the last.

"Which direction?" he asked, his voice firm, his eyes locked on the vendor's.

The vendor pointed toward an alley behind the building, his finger shaking.

"That way."

Dominic ran, his heart pounding in his chest, his eyes fixed on the alley, his mind racing with worst-case scenarios.

Behind the Warehouse

The alley was quiet, too quiet, the only sound the distant hum of traffic, the only light the faint glow of a streetlamp.

He turned the corner, his eyes scanning the darkness, his heart pounding in his chest.

And stopped.

Maria lay on the cold concrete, her body still, her eyes closed, her face bruised and swollen. For a second, his brain refused to process it, as if by refusing to acknowledge it, he could make it untrue.

He walked forward slowly, his eyes fixed on her face, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Ellie..." he whispered, his voice barely audible, his hands trembling as he reached out to touch her shoulder.

Her eyes were half-open, empty, gone, and Dominic knew she was dead, knew it with a certainty that was like a punch to the gut.

He dropped to his knees beside her, his vision blurring, his heart shattering into a million pieces.

Her clothes were torn, bruises marked her skin, and her body bore the signs of violence, not shown in detail, but impossible to ignore.

His hands trembled as he touched her shoulder, his fingers brushing against her cold skin.

"Ellie... wake up," he whispered, his voice cracking, his tears falling onto her face.

His gaze dropped to her face, and that was when he saw it. Thick thread. Sewn carefully through her lips.

Black stitching.

Deliberate.

Symbolic.

His breath caught violently in his throat, his mind racing with possibilities, each one worse than the last.

"Who did this to you..." he whispered, his voice barely audible, his fingers shaking as he reached for the thread, his eyes locked on her face.

He removed it carefully, his fingers trembling, his eyes locked on hers, as if he could will her back to life.

He pressed his forehead against hers, his tears falling onto her face.

"I should have been faster," he whispered, his voice cracking, his body shaking with grief.

Her eyes were half-open, empty, gone, and Dominic knew she was dead, knew it with a certainty that was like a punch to the gut. He whispered again, his voice barely audible.

"Stay with me."

But there was no response.

Her breathing had already stopped, and the realization hit him like a physical blow.

He let out a sound, not a scream, not fully, but a broken, animal sound of grief that ripped through his chest, leaving him raw and bleeding.

"No... no... no..." he whispered, his voice cracking, his body shaking with grief.

He pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly, as if warmth alone could bring her back. It couldn't.

Police Arrival

Sirens echoed, officers surrounded the scene, and an investigator approached cautiously, his eyes taking in the scene, his face a mask of professional concern.

"Sir... we need to secure the area," he said, his voice gentle, his eyes locked on Dominic's.

Dominic didn't look at him, his eyes fixed on Maria's face, his arms holding her tightly.

"She was attacked," he said, his voice barely audible, his body shaking with grief.

"Yes," the officer replied, his voice soft, his eyes locked on Dominic's.

"Sexually assaulted," Dominic said, his voice cracking, his eyes locked on Maria's face.

The officer nodded solemnly, his eyes locked on Dominic's.

"Yes."

"Stabbed," Dominic said, his voice barely audible, his body shaking with grief.

"Yes," the officer replied, his voice soft, his eyes locked on Dominic's.

"And..." The officer paused, his eyes locked onto Dominic.

The officer paused.

"...her lips were sewn shut." Dominic's fists tightened.

"Who does that?" The investigator answered quietly:

"It's a signature."

"A signature?"

"Someone who wants the victim silenced permanently." Dominic stood abruptly.

"Find him." The officer met his gaze.

"We will." But Dominic already knew - This wasn't random. It was intentional. Targeted. Connected.

Jade Arrives

Police escorted Jade from the apartment after contacting her. She ran toward the crime scene.

"Dad!" She saw the yellow tape. She saw officers. She saw the body bag. Her heart began pounding.

"Where is she?!" Dominic turned slowly. His face was destroyed by grief.

"She's gone."

Jade stared past him.

"Let me see her."

"No."

"Dad - let me see!" He grabbed her shoulders.

"Don't." She fought against him.

"I need to know!"

"Seeing her like that will break you." Tears flooded her eyes.

"She can't be dead." His voice cracked.

"She is." Silence. The world collapsed inside her chest. She collapsed to her knees.

"Is it true?" she whispered.

"Did they... hurt her?" Dominic swallowed.

"Yes." "Was it... what they say?" He understood what she meant.

"Yes." Jade closed her eyes. Pain surged through her violently. Her mother. Violated. Silenced. Killed. All because someone wanted control.

She let out a scream - raw, uncontrolled.

"Why her?!" Dominic knelt beside her and pulled her into his arms.

"I don't know." And for the first time - He sounded lost.

The Burial

The funeral was private.

No public announcement.

No media coverage.

Only family.

Dominic stood near the grave. Rain fell gently. Maria's coffin was lowered slowly. Jade watched the soil cover the wood. Her hands trembled.

"She loved flowers," she whispered. Dominic nodded.

"I know."

"Why did they take her?" He stared at the ground.

"Because she knew something."

"About what?" He hesitated.

"About the people hunting us." Jade turned sharply.

"Then why didn't we stop them?" His silence answered. They had tried. And failed.

The Message

Two days after the burial - Dominic received an encrypted message. Anonymous. Short. Direct.

"She was warned."

His blood ran cold. Jade saw his reaction.

"What is it?"

He showed her. Her eyes scanned the sentence.

"She was warned?"

"Someone threatened her."

"Who?" He shook his head.

"I don't know." But inside - He understood. The killer wasn't random. He was sending proof. He could reach them anywhere.

Immediate Escape

Within minutes... He erased traces of Maria Hart from digital systems. He created new documentation.

New names.

New passports.

New country.

They would leave Tokyo.

Destination: United Kingdom.

London.

Jade became: Aria Knox.

Dominic made the decision fast.

"We leave."

Jade stared at him.

"Again?"

"Yes."

"Why now?"

"Because whoever did this knows our location."

Her voice cracked. "So we run right after burying her?"

He looked at her deeply.

"If we stay - you become the next message."

Silence.

She swallowed her grief.

"Where?"

"London."

She looked at the new passport. No trace of her mother's name remained. She whispered:

"Is this how it always ends?"

Dominic answered quietly: "Until we stop running."

She looked at him.

"Will we ever stop?" His silence answered. Not yet.

On the airplane - Jade sat by the window. Rain streaked across the glass. She pressed her forehead against it.

"Mom," she whispered. Her throat tightened.

"She didn't deserve that."

Mr. Whiskers curled in her lap. Dominic sat across from her. Watching her carefully. He noticed something new in her eyes. Grief had transformed into something sharper. Anger. Resolve. Maybe even calculation. She turned slowly toward him.

"Find him." The words weren't a question. They were a command. Dominic nodded.

"I will."

But deep inside - He knew. His daughter was no longer only a victim. She had begun preparing for revenge.

She whispered softly: "They sewed her lips shut."

Her jaw tightened.

"They won't sew mine."

Across the aisle - Dominic heard her. And for the first time - He realized. The monster who killed her mother had not just destroyed a woman. He had created a daughter who would eventually hunt.