Demitri waved off Aiden and Roger as their car disappeared down the road. Pulling out his phone, he opened a ride-hailing app, scrolling to book a cab. Just as his thumb hovered over the screen, a scream reached his ears.
His head snapped up in alert. It was a woman's voice. It came again, sharper this time. Without hesitation, he scanned the street ahead of the bar.
Following the noise, Demitri approached the narrow passage, where he saw five men surrounding a young woman and harassing her. Panic gripped him; he wasn't a fighter, and charging in would be reckless. But he couldn't just walk away.
An idea sparked in his mind at that moment. Quickly, Demitri fumbled with his phone, playing the ringtone that mimicked the blaring siren of a police car.
"Police! They're nearby—let's get out of here!" one of the men shouted in panic.