Daniel stood in the middle of the street with his heart racing in his ear and his breaths heavy. The rain poured from the sky, soaking his clothes until they were stuck to his body. Thunder rumbled from above and drowned out the usual noise of the city. For a second, Daniel stood there trying to catch his breath and waiting to hear any signs of life.
He clutched the gun in his hand harder while bringing his other hand up to wipe his wet face. Daniel took another deep breath just as a piercing scream ripped through his ears. In reaction, Daniel snapped his head to the right before sprinting down the street. There were no cars on the roads, which was unusual for a night in the Bronx, especially when it was only nine at night.
Daniel's Air Force 1s slapped the ground and pounded through puddles as he followed the sound of Analise's voice. The rain had seeped through his sneakers, making his socks wet and feet cold. If he weren't in a hurry, he would've been complaining about how uncomfortable it was. Nevertheless, he couldn't allow himself to focus on his wet feet or his irregular breaths. His chest was burning with each uneven inhale, but he only focused on following the sound of her voice.
"Daniel, help me!" She shouted.
This scream was more audible than the rest, and Daniel finally found her. He couldn't see her yet, but as he ran across the street, he knew she was in the alleyway between the bodega and someone's apartment building. It made him wonder why no one heard her cries and pleas, but like the roads, the town was dead, too. The city never slept, but tonight it was in a coma.
As Daniel approached the alleyway, Analise's sobs became more audible. His jaw clenched and he tightened the grip on his gun before raising it up. Daniel stood right at the start of the alley and saw Analise on the ground.
Her arms were tied behind her back with a rope and her legs were crossed. Her pink and black hair was drenched in rain, returning it to its naturally curly state. It was dark, so Daniel couldn't see if her body was bruised, but he didn't want to think of the possibility.
In front of Analise stood a figure dressed in all black. With a hood on their head, Daniel wasn't able to make out a hairstyle. The only thing he could measure was the persons height, and he estimated they were around 5'7 or 5'8. None of that mattered, though. What mattered was the gun in his hand aimed at Analise's head.
