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There weren't many people on the street as Aria made her way to the bar. There was a cap over her brown wig, casting a shadow over hazel contacts. Both were a precaution Eli had insisted on. She said that Aria would be safe, that she'd be keeping watch from distance.
The reek of sweat assaulted her when she stepped inside. Gaze coming across an empty spot at the bar and she made a beeline for it, trying not to think about how there were far more people inside than expected. All the tables were packed, the building alive with chatter.
The blonde woman behind the bar smiled, eyes crinkling at the edges. "What can I get you?"
"Water."
"Anything else?"
"No, thank you."
Eli made a point of telling her not to approach anyone, so Aria sat and sipped. Most of the people seemed to be familiar with each other. Not many were alone like her. Three by her count. A woman a few years older, a long-limbed teenaged boy who was upset the bartender wasn't giving him alcohol, and a young man with tired eyes that would glance her way once in a while.
Aria pretended not to notice the stare that was burning holes through the back of her head whenever she was facing the bar. The chatter around her was growing louder and people brushed against her now and then. It was starting to take a toll, making her heart pound a little too fast. At least in the cafe she was able to duck into the kitchen for a few moments at a time if things got overwhelming. Right now, she was stuck.
Aria lowered her head into her arms.
An arm wrapped around her waist. "Ah, what have I told you about drinking so much?"
Aria swallowed, let him pull her up and tighten his grasp as he led her to the door. The drunken ruse carried on outside with clumsy steps and slurred complaints about the cold. His grip was bruising as she was pulled further down the street.
The area was empty and cast in darkness, courtesy of the broken streetlights. Eli would show herself soon, she said she'd strike when they were alone. The man dragged her along like a leashed pet, not allowing her to stop when her cap fell off.
"What's your name?"
No answer.
"Tell me your name, " she said, firmer this time.
The man stopped walking and for a moment, Aria thought she'd regained control of her voice. But he just clenched his jaw like she was a pesky child and continued on his way, rougher than before. It made her blood bubble beneath her skin.
There was a van tucked away into an alley. The closer they got to the doors, the colder her limbs went. By the time the back doors were pulled open, Aria was as tense as a taut bowstring. The man shoved her forward without a warning.
A woman sat inside with a gun in one hand and a bound, bleeding child at her side. He was laying on his stomach, cheek pressed against the floor. The boy couldn't have been older than eight, eyes big and watery as he peered up at Aria.
