The rain lashed through the night-time streets of Brighthaven, pattering against the windows of the dilapidated buildings. The city, which normally pulsed with the light of neon signs, lay in deep darkness as the storm dimmed its lights. The streets were deserted and only occasionally did the wind blow an empty, crumpled leaf across the asphalt.
A single car struggled slowly through the rain, the windshield wiper beating rhythmically against the window as the driver clutched the wheel with concentration and tension. The headlight beam illuminated the rainy surroundings in pale streaks that broke through the dense darkness of the night. The driver, a woman in an elegant suit, kept squinting nervously in the rear-view mirror. Her damp blonde hair stuck to her forehead and her eyes were wide open, as if she was constantly checking that no one was following her. The car stopped in front of a dilapidated warehouse on the edge of the harbor. The surrounding area was pervaded by a thick, eerie silence, broken only by the muffled sound of the rain and the occasional crunching of the bars that barricaded the entrance to the abandoned building. The driver switched off the engine and got out, feeling the cold wetness of the rain seeping through her suit. She gripped the black leather briefcase tightly, holding it protectively like a precious treasure, and made her way to the front door of the warehouse.
The door was creaky and heavy, but the woman managed to open it without being disturbed by the loud sound of rusty metal and creaking wood. Inside, the warehouse was a gloomy, cluttered place, its wooden pallets and crates eerily illuminated by the dim light from the few windows in the upper part of the room. The floor was covered in a layer of dust and old cobwebs, and in the corners were rusty pieces of equipment that told of better times. The woman cautiously stepped into the room and looked around. At the end of the warehouse, in a faint cone of light, stood another figure. This figure was tall, broad of stature, and wore a long, dark cloak with the hood pulled low over his face. This person's face was hidden in shadow, but the expression was clear: sinister, menacing and full of patience.
"Do you have everything with you?" The voice of the person waiting was a mixture of a cold, almost metallic whisper and the occasional crunching of the wet walls. "Yes," the woman replied, her voice trembling slightly as she set the bag down on a dusty table. "As agreed."
The waiting man took a step forward. His footsteps echoed on the concrete floor. He pulled on a black, leather glove and slowly opened the bag. The bright light of the flashlight he pulled from his coat pocket illuminated the contents - several bundles of banknotes, neatly bundled and sealed with a gold seal. The pocket seemed to pulsate, as if soaking up the gloomy atmosphere of the warehouse.
A wry, almost sinister smile appeared on the waiting man's lips. "Very good. You have done your part. Now it's time for me to hold up my end." The moment seemed to drag on while the woman nervously clutched the bag. Suddenly, with an abrupt movement, the waiting man pulled a silver pistol from inside his coat. The metal gleamed in the faint light and the barrel pointed at the woman. Her eyes widened in shock and a choked, panicked sound escaped her lips.
"What... what are you doing? We have a deal," she stammered, her voice brittle and desperate. "The deal was just a means to an end. The city is a game board. Sometimes pieces have to be sacrificed to keep the game going." The waiting man's words were calm and cold as he slowly placed his finger on the trigger.
The shot echoed through the deserted warehouse, a single, shocking blast that reverberated in the darkness. The woman staggered back, her eyes wide open in horror. Blood dripped from her lips onto the floor, mixing with the dust and water pouring through the leaking windows.
When the shot had faded, the waiting man took a practiced step back to the bag, closed it carefully and took it with him. Slowly, he disappeared through the back door of the warehouse, while the woman lay motionless on the floor, her last breaths exhaled in the damp cold. Outside, in the rain, the woman's blood was engulfed by the pools of water and the incessant patter of the rain. The town absorbed the last vestige of that terrible evening, and Brighthaven prepared for the waves of crime that were yet to come. The first wave was just the beginning, and the city would soon find out just how deep the dark secrets really ran.