CHAPTER SIX:THE CHASE.
811 Words
The night air was sharp as glass when Maya stumbled out of Margaret’s house. Her legs felt weak, the Polaroid clutched in her trembling hands. She couldn’t reconcile it—Margaret, her godmother, her protector after her parents’ death—being connected to this monster.
“Maya, wait,” Ethan called, striding after her.
She spun on him, her voice cracking. “Don’t tell me you believe this! Margaret wouldn’t hurt anyone. She loved Elena—she loved me.”
Ethan’s expression was steady, but his eyes softened. “I’m not saying she’s guilty. I’m saying he wants you to believe she is. And that makes her dangerous—whether she’s involved or not.”
Clara exited the house, holding her phone to her ear. “We’ll put out a trace on Margaret Lane. If she’s in town, we’ll find her.” She hung up, gaze sharp. “But for now, Torres, you need to be careful. He’s tightening the noose around you.”
Maya hugged herself, shivering though the night was warm. The shadows felt heavier, pressing closer.
“Let’s get you home,” Ethan said firmly.
Her apartment building was dark when they pulled into the lot. Too dark.
Ethan cut the engine, scanning the street. “Stay here.”
But Maya, too restless, pushed her door open. “I’m not hiding in the truck while you—”
The sound of footsteps cut her off. Quick, deliberate. Coming from the alley beside her building.
Ethan’s hand went to his sidearm instantly. “Get down.”
Maya’s breath caught. A tall figure emerged from the shadows, hood drawn low. He moved fast—toward her.
“Maya, run!” Ethan barked.
She bolted toward the stairwell, adrenaline surging. Her shoes slapped against the concrete as the figure gave chase, closing the distance. The heavy thud of boots behind her made her heart leap into her throat.
She darted up the steps, fumbling for her keys. The metal scraped uselessly against the lock, her hands shaking too hard to fit it in.
The hooded man was almost on her—an arm reached out, fingers grasping—
A gunshot cracked through the air.
The man jerked back with a shout, clutching his shoulder. Ethan thundered up the stairs, shoving Maya behind him. His gun stayed trained on the intruder, but the man was fast. He bolted down the stairwell, disappearing into the night.
Ethan cursed, lowering his weapon. “You okay?”
Maya’s chest heaved. “I—I think so.”
He reached out, steadying her with a hand on her shoulder. “He was coming for you. Not the girl. You.”
The realization made her knees weak. “Why me? What does he want from me?”
Ethan’s jaw tightened. “Leverage. He knows you’ll chase him no matter what. And now, he’s not just threatening the girl—he’s threatening you.”
Clara arrived moments later, officers swarming the scene. But the attacker was gone, leaving only a smear of blood on the stairwell railing.
“Damn it,” Clara muttered. “We’ll run the blood. Maybe we’ll get lucky with a match.”
Maya clutched her notebook, the pieces of the puzzle swirling chaotically in her mind. Elena. The girl. Margaret. Now an attacker bold enough to strike outside her home.
Nothing made sense. And yet, every move pulled her deeper into the same web.
Later, after the officers cleared out, Ethan insisted on staying. He sat in a chair by her window, alert, while Maya paced.
“You don’t have to play bodyguard,” she muttered.
“Yes, I do,” he replied simply. “Until this is over.”
She studied him, the hard lines of his face softened by the lamplight. For someone so guarded, he had risked himself for her twice in two days. “Why are you doing this, Ethan? Really?”
His gaze flickered, shadows passing across his features. “Because last time, I wasn’t fast enough. I lost her. And I swore I’d never let it happen again.”
Maya’s breath caught. “Her? Who?”
Before he could answer, her phone buzzed.
A new message.
She opened it—and felt her blood run cold.
It was a photo of her, standing on her balcony earlier that evening. The timestamp showed it had been taken just minutes before she and Ethan arrived back.
Scrawled beneath the image:
“You can run, Maya. But I’m always closer than you think.”
She dropped the phone, her heart hammering. “He’s been here. Watching me. Watching us.”
Ethan picked up the phone, his jaw clenched tight. “Then this just got personal.”
The Shadow escalates by sending Maya proof he was watching her from up close, signaling nowhere is safe—not even her own home.
- Writer
