Hunted prey

POV On the harassers side

In the most remote corners, where daylight struggles to penetrate, there is an old, dilapidated apartment. Its peeling walls tell stories of neglect, while its filthy windows reflect the poverty that reigns in this forgotten neighborhood.

Inside this lair, several silhouettes are present and they are not kind souls.

Around an old table, lit by the flickering glow of an almost burnt out candle, they face each other. Their voices are barely above a whisper, afraid of being heard by eavesdroppers or by the police who constantly patrol the mean streets.

-What do we do now, whispers Rei Lan, her hoarse voice full of tension.

Another sits silently with a somber expression.

-There's nothing more we can do anyway, sneers Chi-Sun

-We have to leave here and go abroad, Olivia said suddenly.

-But where to go?, asked Jade skeptically, on top of that we don't even have money

-If you want to stay here, Chi-sun told him, you will stay here alone and the police will come and imprison you.

-Jade is right, we can't leave without bringing anything back, Hayden suddenly added.

-But how can we get our things back, we are wanted by the police, said Jin, sighing

-Unless we threaten Ruby not to say anything, proposed Bong-Chae

-Impossible says her boyfriend, she is missing with the child who was thrown into the sea

-You think she's dead? Lisa suddenly asked, shivering with fear.

-That's not the most important thing, Lisa replied, blowing, and no, she can't be dead.

-You're really stupid Lisa, Chi-Sun stared at her, who threw you into the sea, remember

-Ah yes it's true, Lisa remembered

Dark gazes meet before a smirk forms on the lips of a few.

-Anyway, even if we had killed him, it wouldn't have been the first one we'd have killed, said Rei Lan's boyfriend in a casual tone.

But even in this dark room, a light shines in everyone's eyes.

-We need a plan for how to get out of the country without getting caught, said Chi-Sun in a very serious tone.

Murmurs of approval, mixed with sighs of anguish, fill the stuffy room. Shadows move, like nocturnal creatures seeking an escape in the darkness.

-So, what do you propose?, asks the leader, his eyes scanning each face in the shadows.

-I know someone who could provide us with fake plane tickets so we can leave, suggests Jin

-And how long would that take? Asked Olivia

-I would say less than a week, Jin replied.

-He has to be able to do this to us in 2 days, Rei Lan told him.

-2 days is too short, Jin told him

-I'm tired of staying in this filthy house, Rei Lan grumbled with furrowed brows.

-We have no other choice anyway, said Bong-Chae

-Too bad we'll deal with it then, said Rei Lan

The silence falls, heavy and oppressive, while the criminal masterminds are active, looking for the next target, the next blow to strike in this macabre dance between good and evil, between the light and the darkness of the City.

Suddenly, a crash resounded in the oppressive silence of the dilapidated apartment. The dilapidated door shatters under the sudden assault of the police, and a flood of white light invades the room previously plunged into darkness.

Everyone freezes, their pale faces standing out in the harsh light of the police flashlights. The once-confident leader Chi-Sun takes a step back, realizing that their hiding place is no longer secret.

"Police! No one moves! You are all under arrest!" one of the officers shouts, his gun pointed straight ahead, ready to act.

Panic seizes individuals in an instant. Some try to flee, but quickly find themselves surrounded by law enforcement officers. Others, resigned to their fate, raise their hands in surrender, their eyes filled with fear and resignation.

Handcuffs rattle, the policemen's voices echo through the now silent apartment, breaking the sinister murmur that once reigned there. They are taken away one by one, their faces masked with shame and regret as they are led out of the room. shadow and in the blinding light of justice.

The last to leave the room, takes a last look around him, then, with a resigned sigh, he follows the procession leaving behind the dilapidated apartment and the shadows of the City, taking with him the weight of his choices and his actions.

Escorted by police officers through the City's dreary streets, they eventually arrive at the police station, an austere structure that seems to emerge as a beacon of civility amid the tumultuous ocean of urban crime.

Once inside, they are led into austere interrogation rooms, lit by harsh light.

The impassive police officers take their seats in front of them, ready to disentangle the truth from the falsehood in what they say.

In turn, the criminals are questioned, their stories overlap andcontradict.

-You can't stop us like that, said Olivia, we didn't harass this Ruby, we just played a few little jokes on her

-Yes, it's true, we never wanted to put her in danger, add Jade and Lisa

 However, some remain silent, their gazes stubbornly fixed on the ground.

-Even if some of you say nothing, someone has already sent proof of all your actions, said a police officer, shrugging his shoulders.

-Stop lying, sneers Hayden who had not spoken

-I don't believe you either, Jin said to the policeman with a sly smile on his lips.

-If I tell you Aaron as well as dead bodies and harassment, does that mean anything to you?, the police officer smiled coldly at him.

Eyes meet, murmurs of astonishment and shock fill the room, as the truth finally comes out.

"Aaron reported us!" Rei Lan's boyfriend exclaims, his voice tinged with disbelief and anger.

The others nod, their faces marked with surprise and betrayal. Aaron, once one of them, an accomplice in the shadows, revealed himself to be the traitor who led the police to their door.

-I'm going to tell you everything, but you need to know that Aaron and his brother participated in all of this, Olivia said coldly, her fists clenched in disbelief.

-But Olivia, Lisa hesitates, you shouldn't

-She's right, Chi-Sun cut in an icy tone, if we fall then Aaron and his brother must fall too

-He denounced us, said Jade in a bitter tone with her fists clenched, as if he had never participated in all of this

-He thought he could get away with it, Jin growls furiously

-So you are ready to tell me everything?, asks the police officer, looking them straight in the eyes

-Yes we will tell you everything, said Olivia, but first I would like to know if we could benefit from a lighter sentence

-Everything will depend on the circumstances, said the policeman, and whether or not you actively participated in everything described by Mr. Aaron. Besides, I notice that you know him quite well.

-Yes, he was one of our closest friends, Lisa admits, biting her lower lip.

-One of your closest friends, repeats the police officer interested in this information

The revelation leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.

A friend can turn into an enemy, why has no one ever told me?