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Head down, I exit the office, and immediately, the hairs on the back of my neck prickle. I don’t want to look over, but I do. Sure enough, the ominous car remains parked there, a persistent presence in my peripheral vision. Fear takes root, and the chilling thought that the Scarlet Vipers may have tracked me down sends shivers down my spine.
With a quickened pace, I hurry to my car and navigate the streets of Havenfield, hyper-aware of my surroundings. The anxiety builds with each turn, the sketchy car seemingly shadowing my every move. Doubt and fear intertwine as I contemplate the possibility that my escape may not be as clandestine as I hoped.
The apartment, once a symbol of sanctuary, now feels like a potential trap. I grapple with the decision to confront the looming threat or to adopt a cloak of invisibility, minimizing any potential confrontation with the mysterious car.
Bypassing the turn for my apartment complex, I keep on driving, trying to lose the tailing car.
As night descends, the paranoia intensifies. The fear of being discovered by the Scarlet Vipers propels me into a state of heightened vigilance. The decision to leave Windsor Grove was meant to be a clean break, but the specter of my past now looms, threatening to shatter the fragile peace I hoped to find in Havenfield.
It takes me almost two hours before I finally manage to lose the car. Nerves have me driving around a bit longer before I feel safe enough to return to my Havenfield apartment.
Dread settles in the pit of my stomach as I unlock my door, hoping to find solace within its walls. The earlier unease from the sketchy car intensifies when I step through the door and into the harsh reality of a ransacked living space.
My heart pounds in my chest as I survey the disarray. Drawers are pulled out, contents strewn across the floor, and personal belongings have been scattered like debris. The once orderly haven has been violated, the sanctity of my refuge shattered.
A sinking feeling takes hold. The intrusion is not just a random act. It's a deliberate violation. Panic threatens to engulf me. The Scarlet Vipers have caught up to me. This is clearly a message, a warning that their reach extends even into the haven I sought to create, and fear gnaws at the edges of my consciousness.
I tread cautiously through the chaos, each step a reminder of the fragility of my newfound anonymity. The decision to lose the mysterious car, a calculated move to evade potential danger, now seems to have led the danger straight to my doorstep.
With a mix of frustration and trepidation, I assess the damage, the violated space reflecting the precariousness of my situation. The road ahead, once paved with the promise of a fresh start, now feels laden with uncertainty. As I grapple with the aftermath of the ransacking, the shadows of the past threaten to consume the fragile peace I so desperately sought in Havenfield.
Back in Windsor Grove, even before I learned Derrick was a mobster, I read articles about the Scarlet Vipers and their rival mafia group, the Obsidian Shadows.
Sometimes, you need to fight fire with fire.
I can’t go to the police. I fucked that up for myself. Maybe if I would’ve told them the truth about Derrick and what happened… Who knows? Maybe I would’ve ended up in prison, but I might’ve been safer there.
But if the Scarlet Vipers are after me, then I’m not safe here in Havenfield.
I’m not going to be safe anywhere.
I have blood on my hands, and they won’t hesitate to spill mine.
Or maybe they want something from me.
Either way, I can’t stay here.
Returning to Windsor Grove might be a death sentence unless I go there to try to level the playing field.
If I can convince the Obsidian Shadows to protect me…
What can I offer them?
Myself.
For whatever that’s worth to them.
I’m a forensic accountant with a keen eye for uncovering financial irregularities. My expertise in navigating complex financial transactions made me an asset in untangling the web of criminal activities, and it just might be a skill the Obsidian Shadows might find useful.
Yes, it’s potentially insane, but I’ve come too far. Whatever the Obsidian Shadows require of me, I will give it to them.
six
In a desperate bid for survival, I cast aside my reservations and head back to Windsor Grove. It takes me days, and my eyes are dry from constantly watching behind me for that sketchy car or any others that might be following me.
I don’t drive near my old house. Of course not. I still have no idea what the word on the street is about Derrick and my disappearance. Instead, the library, with its hushed atmosphere and diverse crowd, becomes my chosen haven for covert research. I hope the public setting will deter any prying eyes from the Scarlet Vipers, allowing me to delve into the shadows without attracting unwanted attention.
Before I secure a laptop to borrow, I head to the bathroom to try to compose myself. Before, as Olivia Delany, Derrick’s wife, I had a cascade of chestnut waves.
