2. RUN, TESSA.
1236 Words
Tessa was still in a daze and her hands still trembled as she made her way to her tiny apartment that sat above the bar. The flash drive was still buried in her pocket— a reminder of how much danger she had thrown herself into.
She had successfully led the drunken customer out of the bar earlier and had locked up everywhere despite being sure that the scary man had disappeared from her alley.
She dropped onto the couch, questions swirling in her mind.
Who was the man who had died outside her door? Why was he killed? And what was on this damned drive that was worth risking his poor life for?
Her instincts warned her to get rid of it, toss it into a river and never look back. It would never be traced back to her after all.
Right?
She was not so sure. What if that man suspected her and came back?
A curious and stubborn voice whispered contrary. This same voice that made her the most formidable grafter back in the past, the same voice that had driven her to survive in the city after her father's death, the same one that refused to let fear dictate her actions.
She immediately went to her coffee table which had her old laptop on it. The screen flickered to life as she plugged in the drive. Her breath hitched when a folder appeared on the screen of the laptop labeled in bold letters, "Citta Fantasia."
Ghost city.
Her brows furrowed at the name, curiosity overriding her hesitation, she clicked on the folder and was met with an array of files ranging from names to numbers, photographs, and scanned documents.
She did not fully understand what she was looking at, but she was not stupid enough not to realize that she was looking at a blueprint of power. The names of influential figures, payment ledgers and coded messages in both English and Italian.
One name stood out among the chaos. Moretti.
Tessa could feel her blood run cold and her brain freeze. Everyone in the city knew the Moretti empire. It was an empire built off blood, sweat and fear. They were the kingmakers and untouchable.
As she scrolled through the files, her stomach churned as she could recognize familiar landmarks in the city. Hidden routes, and en record of arms deals. This wasn't just dangerous, this was an elaborate death sentence waiting to occur.
A knock on her door snapped her out of her reverie. Her heart leaped into her throat as she crept towards the door while carrying along a penknife that had been on her coffee table.
"Who is it?" She tried steadying her voice as she called out.
"Open up, Ross," a familiar voice replied. Damien.
Tessa slumped her shoulders in relief as she unlocked the door. Damien stepped inside, his expression grim, his bulky frame tense.
She would have taken time to notice the few changes that had occurred to him since they last saw them, which had almost been ages if she was in a more less life-threatening position than she was right now.
"You called." He said, closing the door behind him. "What the hell's going on?"
Tessa handed him the flash drive without a word. She watched his face darken considerably as he headed to the open laptop and plugged it in.
"Jesus, Ross." Damien ran his hand through his short cropped hair. "Do you know what this is?"
"Firstly, it's ROSSI and no, I don't exactly know what it is, but my bet is that it's bad." Tessa remembered the multiple reasons she disliked Damien in the first place.
"This...is worse than bad, it is the Moretti business—stuff no eyes except the ones in their selected circle is supposed to see. If these people should find out you've got it..." He trailed off, his expression enough to fill the blanks. He dug out his phone and typed quickly on his phone.
"Shoot!" She snapped, pacing the room, "I never asked for this. A guy died in my alley and shoved the drive into my hands. What was I supposed to do?"
"Not f*****g Keep it!" Damien shot back. "Tess, this is not your fight, it never was. You should have called me sooner!"
Tessa glared at Damien, "It's TESSA to you, Damien! And I called you as immediately as I could, now I almost regret it."
Tessa hated how much this man riled her up. His intention was at the right place, he just had unconventional ways of showing them that didn't go well with her.
"Oh whatever, you should not have played a hero in the first place, but no! You always want to play a hero, and you keep ending up causing so much damage than you could ever imagine, don't you ever learn?" Damien shot back.
Tessa halted, pain flashing in her eyes. "I shouldn't have bothered calling. You should leave."
Regret flashed across his face as Damien opened his mouth to speak, but his phone buzzed loudly in his pocket, infiltrating the intense atmosphere. He dug the phone out of his pocket, his expression tightening.
He snapped his head in her direction. "They know," he muttered.
"What?"
"Moretti's people," Damien shoved his phone into his pocket. "They are looking for whoever is in the drive. They've got eyes on the bar. It's only a matter of time before they figure out it's you."
Tessa rubbed her face," What do I do?"
"Disappear." Damien said as a matter of fact. "Leave the city, go somewhere they won't find you."
She shook her head. "I can't just ...run. I have a life here and the bar—"
"Tessa," Damien interjected, his voice low and urgent. "Do you understand the situation? If you stay, you are dead. The Moretti don't leave lose ends."
Like a lead blanket, the weight of his words settled over her like a lead blanket. She opened her mouth to argue but the sound of tires screeching to a halt outside silenced her.
"We are out of time," Damien said.
He hurried to the windows, peering through the blinds. "The black sedans. They were not Moretti's men, probably his opponents hit the wind."
Tessa's breath hitched. "How many?"
"Two?" Damien said. "But there'll be more. These people don't do small jobs, Tessa this is more than just a strong family, it's a clash of powers." He sounded so convinced.
Tessa's mind raced. She couldn't leave the flash drive behind, not when it was the only leverage she had against whomever was after her.
"Go through the back," Damien said, pulling her towards the door. "I'll stall them for a while."
"Damien —"
"Don't argue with me, Tess!" He snapped. "Just go."
"Damien, it's not safe, they could kill you!"
"Tessa Rossi! JUST GO! Do you have to be stubborn all the time?" he said through gritted teeth.
She hesitated for a brief moment before nodding,
"Please stay safe."
"Go!" was all he said.
She heaved, clutching the flash drive in her hand and quickly ran, picking up an old dusted bag under her bed. She slipped out the back door.
Like a slap, the cold night air hit her, but she did not stop at her pace. She was not sure where exactly she was headed, but she was sure her quiet life was over.
- Writer
