Part 2
The alley is narrow, lit by one flickering bulb above a rusted fire escape. Dumpsters line one side. The ocean’s sound is louder out here, waves hammering the shore beyond the buildings.
For a few steps, it’s just us. Our footsteps. Our breath.
Then—
A shadow detaches from the wall ahead. Another from behind.
My stomach turns to ice.
The door behind us slams shut.
“Going somewhere?” a voice drawls.
Lila grabs my arm.
Zara subtly shifts. I put a half-step in front of us.
Two men block the way ahead. Hoodies down now, faces half-shadowed, but not trying too hard to hide.
Up close, they look ordinary.
That makes it worse.
Tattoo Guy smiles, slow and cold. He rolls up his sleeve like he already knows I saw it.
Black ink.
Straight lines.
A tiny human silhouette trapped in
