Chapter 2 - The Name She Buried
The bell above the back door jingled as Vance stepped into the kitchen corridor.
Norah froze, the coffee pot trembling slightly in her hand.
Dale, the old cook, looked up from the grill with a confused scowl.
Vance flashed a dirty silver badge, his eyes locked entirely on Norah.
He smiled, a cold and hollow expression that made Norah's stomach twist into knots.
He told Dale to mind his own business, claiming he was taking a fugitive into custody.
Norah took a slow step backward, knowing Vance would never let her reach a police station alive.
Before Vance could cross the diner floor, Sebastian stepped out of his booth.
The mafia boss moved with a terrifying grace, positioning himself directly between Norah and the corrupt detective.
Vance stopped, his arrogant smile faltering as he recognized the man standing in his way.
Sebastian spoke in a low, even tone, asking Vance if he always brought unregistered hitmen to serve a simple warrant.
Vance's hand tightened on his gun, calculating the odds of taking down a mafia boss and a witness at the same time.
The black sedan outside honked twice, signaling that the men at the front door were ready to breach.
Norah realized they were completely surrounded, trapped in a diner made of glass and cheap vinyl.
Sebastian didn't wait for Vance to make the first move.
He kicked a heavy wooden chair directly into Vance's knees, sending the detective crashing to the linoleum floor.
In the same fluid motion, Sebastian drew a sleek black pistol from inside his jacket and fired a single shot through the front window.
The glass shattered outward, forcing the men in the sedan to duck for cover.
Sebastian grabbed Norah's arm, his grip like iron.
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He pulled her toward the kitchen, shouting at Dale to get down.
As they burst through the back door into the rain, Norah heard Vance screaming for his men to open fire.
