Page 24 of Challenged
We transport back to the streets near my old bar.
As we step outside into the cool night air, I can’t help but feel a shiver run down my spine. The streets are dimly lit, casting eerie shadows on the buildings that loom above us. We stroll through town, our eyes scanning each storefront for any sign of suspicious activity. Despite our heightened senses and keen awareness, we have yet to find anything that could lead us to any seller of the dangerous drugs.
“Maybe we should call it a day,” Aksel murmurs, his brow furrowed in frustration. “We’re not getting anywhere.”
“Wait, look at that guy,” Griffyn says suddenly, nodding towards a disheveled-looking human who is shuffling along the sidewalk. His clothes are tattered, and his eyes are glazed over, a clear indication that he’s under the influence of vampire venom.
“Let’s follow him,” I whisper, and without waiting for a reply, I fall into step behind the man, careful to keep a safe distance between us. My heart races in anticipation as we trail him through the town, our ears attuned to his every movement.
The human eventually stumbles into an antique shop, its windows cluttered with dusty relics. The bell above the door jingles softly as he disappears inside, and we exchange wary glances before staging ourselves outside to keep watch.
As we linger near the entrance, I watch as the man makes his way toward the back of the store, seemingly unaware of our presence. He pushes open a hidden door, vanishing into a room beyond.
“Should we go in?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.
“Let’s wait and see if he comes back out,” Felix replies, his gaze fixed on the spot where the man disappeared.
Minutes pass, and I can feel the tension mounting among us. Before my thoughts can spiral out of control, the hidden door in the store opens once more, and the human emerges with something clutched tightly in his hand. He doesn’t come out the main entrance though, instead leaving through a side door.
“Let’s follow him,” Blaze decides, his tone filled with determination. “He might lead us to whoever is supplying the drugs.”
“Let’s split up,” I suggest, my voice low and urgent. “Rion, you’re with me. We’ll trail the guy while the rest of you keep an eye on the antique shop.”
“Are you sure about this?” Rion asks, his green eyes searching mine for any hint of doubt or hesitation.
“Sure,” I reply, taking a deep breath to steady myself. “We need to find out what he’s carrying, and we can’t afford to let him get away.”
As the strung-out human stumbles further away from the antique shop, Rion and I shadow him through the dimly lit streets. Our movements are swift and silent, our supernatural senses attuned to every sound, every shift in the shadows.
“Get ready,” I murmur to Rion, as the human rounds a corner and disappears from view. “We need to make this quick and clean.”
“Understood,” Rion replies, nodding grimly. His long blond hair brushes against his cheek as he adjusts his stance, preparing to sprint forward at a moment’s notice.
With a final glance at each other, we make our move. Rion shoots past the man with lightning speed, snatching the bag from his grasp before he can even react. The human stumbles, his wide eyes filled with terror, but he doesn’t chase after us, instead, he flees in the opposite direction, vanishing into the darkness.
“Good job,” I say to Rion, clapping him on the shoulder. “Now let’s see what we’ve got here.”
We duck into a nearby alleyway, our backs pressed against the cold brick wall as we rifle through the contents of the bag. It doesn’t take long for us to find what we’re looking for: several vials of a dark, viscous liquid that I can only assume is vampire venom.
“I guess we got the place,” Rion curses under his breath, his fingers tightening around one of the vials.
We approach Felix, Griffyn, Blaze, and Aksel, who are waiting for us on the sidewalk outside the antique shop. Their faces are a mix of relief and curiosity.
“Any luck?” Felix asks, his hazel eyes flicking between me and Rion. I can see the tension in the way he holds himself, his body language betraying his concern for our situation.
Rion and I exchange a glance before I hold up the vials of vampire venom. “We found these in the bag,” I say, my voice barely more than a whisper as I let my guys take in the gravity of what we’ve discovered.
“That’s what we found too,” Aksel mutters, running a hand through his hair. “That’s not good.”
“We talked to the clerk inside,” Felix adds, his tone serious and focused. “He’s human and didn’t have any useful information. But I managed to buy some venom myself – it was surprisingly easy.”
“Too easy,” Griffyn interjects, his brow furrowed in frustration. “Whoever is behind this wants it out there.”
“We have our hands full right now so we report the shop and let another team handle it,” Aksel declares.
“What about the Garmentas?” I ask.
“We are only handing this shop over. I want to destroy their drug ring from the very root but we can’t leave this here while we do. It’s better if we aren’t associated with this bust anyway since I’m trying to convince the Garmentas that they can trust me.”
