Shadows of Deception

Ariel's POV

Over the ringing in my ears, I could hardly hear my own ideas. I was stunned by the explosion; my body hurt from the force. My fingers caress twisted metal and shattered glass as I slink among the debris. The thick dust in the air is burning my eyes and making breathing difficult. My head whirls with just one idea— Alan. I have to look for him.

" Alan! I yell, my voice choking and begging. My pulse thumping, I shove aside a dropped beam and search the turmoil. The warehouse is a smoke and trash-filled disaster zone. I pray he's okay while I search the wreckage, then start to panic.

At last I am seeing him. Alan is hunched against the wall, his face white and blood running down his forehead. When I observe his chest rise and fall, my stomach turns at the sight and then relaxes. He still resides.

"Alan!," My hands were shaking, I hurried to his side and stroked his shoulder. He sighs, his eyelids opening.

"Ariel...," he says, his voice feeble. "Are you... ok?"

I nod, tears spring to my eyes. "I'm alright. Just... do not move, please. We are going to leave this place.

Alan tries to sit up, hurting as he does. " Adam... did he—?"

Quickly, attempting to keep my voice steady, "He's gone." But we have to leave here before he returns.

Alan nods, then I assist him to his feet with his arm draped over my shoulder. Though every step hurts, we keep on toward the feeble light peeping through the blown-out windows. The exit is just ahead, but as we get close to the door a shadowy person walks in our direction.

Stella is here; her face is blank but her eyes show something cold and deliberate. My heart collapses. She should not be here, not following all that has transpired. She was on our side, I thought.

"Stella?," asks. My voice tinged with uncertainty, then. "What are you doing?," asks

She doesn't respond immediately. Rather, she looks at Alan then back at me, her lips twisting into a little, nearly sadistic smile. "I didn't imagine you would survive."

My blood feels icy. Her voice lacks sympathy or concern. She seems to be observing a game develop in which she is the only one with all the cards. We have been playing straight into her hands, I suddenly see.

"What do you mean?" Struggling to stand on his own, Alan asks. "Your strategy was this. You mentioned that you would assist us.

Stella shook her head and laughed dryly. Ah, Alan. I aided you since it suited me. Still, times have changed. Adam was simply a tool to an end; he was never the main issue.

My heart quickens, resentment and betrayal pouring inside me. "You set us up." All through you were working with him.

Stella approaches, her eyes flickering with a lethal brightness. Not nearly. Adam was carefree and messy. I understood he would eventually cause trouble. But you two? You provide value. You are quite desperate. And right now you owe me.

I clench my fists, trying to maintain a steady voice. We have nothing to owe you.

Stella's grin opens wider. Still, you do. When I did not have to, I saved your life. And now you will be paying back that debt—one method or another.

Alan struggles forward, gazing at Stella despite his frailty. " Stella, what do you want for? Regarding money? Retouchment? You cannot honestly believe we will just follow your instructions.

Stella's tone becomes icy, her face hardens. "I seek control." Adam's gone leaves a power vacuum. You two will enable me to fill it.

Like a kick to the gut, the awareness strikes me. Stella is the genius; she is not only another participant in this game. Every action we have done and every risk we have taken has been part of her warped strategy to grab authority. She is now also holding us captive in her web of falsehoods.

"Forget it," I responded, voice strong. "We're done running through your games."

Stella's eyes narrow, and for a brief flash I see something dangerous. Do you consider yourself to have options? Adam's supporters will not stop hunting after you. You have marks, each of you. You also are as good as dead without me.

Alan holds my arm and never looks away from Stella. "We'll find another path."

Stella shrugs, unaffected. "Suit yourself." Remember, though, you will come crawling back when you are surrounded with no escape. You always do.

She turns and vanishes into the shadows with that, leaving us in the ruins by ourselves. Her comments have weight, hefty and stifling. We are caught between adversaries on all sides and the one person who may save us has turned into our biggest threat.

At last we get outside, the crisp nighttime air shocking us. Alan raggedly breaths as he leans against a broken-down automobile. My body quivering from a mix of exhilaration and terror, I sink down next to him. Everything seems upside down, and I can't get rid of the thought that we are still under Stella's control regardless of distance.

"What are we going to do, Alan?" My voice just above a whisper, I ask. "She is accurate. We live marked. And right now, our one ally has vanished.

Alan clenches his jaw and looks far away. We cannot let her triumph. We have to work out her next action: get ahead of her before she pulls the rug out from under us once more.

"But how?" nevertheless. I ask, frustration boiling under the surface. She is constantly one step ahead.

Alan looks at me, driven in the eyes. "We locate Adam's allies here." They will turn on one another if they believe he has become renegade. And perhaps—just maybe—we can use the turmoil we create to our benefit.

Though the uncertainty nags at the margins of my consciousness, I want to believe him. "This is dangerous." Not even known is the person we are dealing with.

Alan nods, wincing as he moves. "We'll start with Adam's inner circle—the ones Stella would want to cut relations with first. They are bound to know something she does not wish us to learn.

I look at Alan; his will is unflinching even after all we have gone through. Even in the worst of times, I find myself suddenly bursting with hope. He has been my rock, my consistent; if he is not giving up, neither am I.

I nod firmly and reply, "Okay." Let's start this. But we do it our way; we are not trusting those without our backs anymore.

Alan smiles faintly, and for the first time in what seems like eternity, I hope we might really have a shot. "deal."

Over the next three days, we compile details and thread Adam's relationships together. Every lead in this slow, dangerous job feels like it might be a trap. But little by piece we begin to untangle Stella's web.

One name keeps recurring: Victor, Adam's right-hand man and the one Stella has not yet dealt with. He is merciless, erratic, and fervent supporter of Adam's cause. It's him, if anyone knew Stella's actual goals.

People mind their own business in a sleazy bar on the outskirts of town, hence we scheduled a meeting there. Though Alan's nerves are on edge, he hides it brilliantly; his attention is as keen as it always is. Though I try to ignore it, I get a knot of tension squeezing my chest. Our only shot is this one.

Victor shows up; he commands the room. Tall, he has a calculated expression in his eyes and a scar going down his cheek. Sitting across from us, he moves deliberately and precisely.

Victor adds, his voice low and gravelly, "So. "You are the ones causing problems.

Alan slants forward with unwavering accuracy. We are not here to create rivals. Stella has to be taken down.

Victor ar eyebrows, a smile pulling at his mouth. You believe you can beat her? She already walks ten steps ahead.

We need you, I say, cutting in, for this reason. "She is exploiting you as puppets, same as she did of us. Working together, we can flip the cards.

Victor watches us, his face insensible. I can see him leaving, or worse, turning us over to Stella, for a time. Then he nods gently, a trace of something like respect in his look.

"All right," Victor responds, his voice sharp. But let me clear one point: I'm not acting out of pure heart charity. For survival is what this is. You cross me twice and it ends.

Alan nodded, his hand clenching over his drink. "We appreciate you." But this comes to an end now. Games are no more.

Victor has a keen, lethal smile. "Excellent. Since Stella's next action is already under progress. And believe me; you will not enjoy her proposed course of action.

A cold goes down my spine as we exit the bar. The stakes have never been more as we have lately aligned ourselves with one of the most dangerous men in the city. But for the initial.