Adumbrate (Book One of the Lane Series)

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Copyright © 2014 by M. E. Mathis

All rights reserved.

Prologue

Milan, Italy

8:15 pm

The atmosphere around the small café was crisp and filled with laughter and merriment. The joyful noise can be heard from the cobblestone streets outside. However, not all the customers were enveloped by the good mood. A young couple sat alone, off to the side at the far corner of the room. Their table was situated between two windows. From the left, a large bay window provided a breathtaking view of the docks. On the right, a smaller window provided a not so breathtaking veiw of the sidewalk. The atmosphere around the strange couple was tense and warry. A young waitress with brillant red hair approached the table hestaintly. She stopped midway, as if to gather herself, and stepped up to the table with a painted smile. At first the couple paid no mind to her sudden presence. Instead they continued to gaze out the bay window.

When the young red head cleared her throat, they both jumped slightly in their seats and turned to her with wide eyes before composing themselves. The waitress's painted smile falters and she struggles to contain her own surprise. An awkward moment passes between them until the young man breaks the silence and asks for the bill. Relieved by the opportunity to leave, the waitress scurries away. The young woman says something under her breath to the man across from her, who chuckles nervously. The waitress returns bearing a small black book and places it o the table infront of the young man. She says something, most likely wishing them a good evening, smiles politely and leaves. The man fishes a brown leather wallet out of his dress pants pocket and places a few crisp dollar bills into the small black book. Standing he nods to the woman across from him and she stands, but not before she throws another worried glance out the bay window. Gathering her purse, she grasps the arm the young man offers her and they make their way out of the small café onto the sidewalk.

From across the street, in a old bookstore, a dark figure watches. A soft beep breaks the silence of the bookstore. The figure shifts slightly, momentarily moving it's gaze to a small phone the rests inside a gloved hand. The screen blinks once than twice and then another soft beep emits from the device. Visibly annoyed the figure hits the unlock button and a small blinking envelope covers the screen. Upon tapping the screen, the envelope opens and a message is displayed. The figure scans the message quickly, locks the phone and returns it to its place inside a side pocket. The figure than returns its gaze to the task at hand.

Standing behind a shelf of outdated romance novels, the figure has a clear view of the couple and notes with distaste the way the couple holds onto each other while scanning the dark street infront of them. Their fear is simply pouring off of them. They have every reason to be afraid, the presence of the dark figure watching them proves that. The most surprising aspect of this scenario is that the young couple is completely aware of the figure's presence. What they don't know is when and where it will strike. As they make their way down the dark street, finally reaching the corner and disappearing, the dark figure steps out from it's hiding place.

The glass door of the bookstore closes soundlessly behind the figure as it slips out onto the dark street. Walking briskly with a determined, practiced stride the figure retraces the couple's path, careful to stay within shadows. Reaching the corner, the figure stops abruptly and peers slowly around the corner. Just before a yellow cab pulls away from the curb with haste, the figure catches a glimpse of the back the young man's head. The figure watches, unpreturbed by the fact that it's targets have just slipped from sight. Instead the figure steps away from the shadows and continues it's way down the street, a destenation in mind. The couple's actions were expected. They would try to flee, they always did. The figure had been watching them for many months now. They were smart, clever even. But that didn't matter. No matter how smart you were, no matter how careful, they would find you. The figure new from years of experience exactly where the couple would go first, so without further ado, the figure made it's way to the couple's motel room, reaching the run down building in minutes. Stopping outside their closed door the figure checked its surroundings before turning the handel, knowing without a doubt that they had left it open.

Slipping inside the figure closed the door and made its way to the corner of the room. Leaning against the wall, the figure waited.

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Two hours later the couple returned. The figure watched from the corner of the room, unnoticed, as the young man stumbled into the dark room, the young woman trailing angrily behind him. The strong smell of alchol was present in the air and there was no doubt that the young man was beyond intoxicated. Silently the figure clucked it's tongue, how irresponsible for him to go off and get wasted when people want him and his partner dead.

The man stumbled foward and almost collasped before the young woman gripped him by his upperarm, stoping his fall. Trying to balance his weight , she half dragged, half carried him to the edge of the bed before allowing his body to collaspe heavily onto the covers. Cursing under her breath she stared absentmindly at the slumped form of her partner. The figure continued to watch patiently, the room still veiled in shadows. Sighing loudly, the young woman blindly edged her way to the lamp on the bedside table. The figure sucked in a breath, muscles tensing. The soft click of the lamp and the heavy breathing of the slumped figure on the bed are the only sounds in the room. Frozen in fear, the young woman's eyes take in the figure clothed in black, leaning against the opposite wall. She doesn't scream, she doesn't dare move. She's been through enough to know that neither action will help her in any way. Instead her eyes flick down to the man and then back at the figure, who hasn't moved an inch since being discovered. Finally the young woman speaks, her voice shaking, "I know...I know who you are. I know what you want."

At her words the figure merely tilts it's head as if amused. Slowly, almost catlike, the figure stands from it's relaxed postion and saunters to the edge of the bed. Standing before the sleeping body of the man, the figure leans over and with one swift movement, grabbing the man's collar, yanks his body backwards onto the hard wood floor. The fall causes his head to snap back, making contact with the hard surface and his eyes shoot open and he gasps for air. All the while the young woman continues to stand in her spot, frozen. Behind the figure, the man struggles to his feet, holding the back of his head. Without breaking eye contact with the young woman, the figure turns slightly, slamming a small fist into the armpit of the young man, all at once crushing his brachial nerve and causing him to slump towards the floor once again. Without hestitation, the figure caught him and popped his trachea with a gloved hand. With that the figure releases it's hold on the young man's now lifeless body and he falls limply to the floor with a soft thud. A small strangled gasp escapes the young woman as she stares down, horrified, at the blank look that now covers the man's face. Unconciously she begins to back away, only to find herself already against the wall. Her eyes widen and her pupils dilate.Stepping over the man's body, the figure makes it's way slowly towards the scared woman who is pressing herself hopelessly against the wall behind her.