Benjamin’s grip did not loosen. If anything, his fingers dug deeper into the skin of Lisa’s neck. At this point Lisa was struggling to breathe.Her own hands clawed at his wrist as her nails scraped his hands. Her vision was beginning to blur.“I’ll ask you one last time,” Benjamin said, in a low voice as he stared at her. “Where have you been Lisa?”Lisa’s voice came out in a gasp. “I was at the hospital.”Benjamin’s eyes narrowed instantly. “Lies,” he snapped. “Don’t insult me, Lisa. You really think I’m stupid enough to believe that?”Her knees trembled beneath her as she tried to keep herself upright. “I’m telling the truth.”“No,” Benjamin cut in, his grip tightening again, making her choke harder. “The absolute worst thing you could possibly do to yourself right now is stand here in front of me, looking me in the eye, and lie. So you better start talking, and this time, give me the truth.”She shook her head. “I’m not lying, It’s the truth.”“And you expect me to believe you dis

UNCLE BEN'S BARGale pushed the door open and stepped inside the bar. He scanned the familiar space, his eyes automatically settling on the booth tucked in the corner which is their usual seat. Without hesitation, he made his way over, sliding into the chair with a sigh.Almost immediately, a waiter appeared beside him with a pad in his hand.“The usual, Mr. Gale?” the young man asked politely.Gale gave a short nod. “Yeah. Make it strong,” he replied.The waiter scribbled quickly, then walked off. Gale leaned back, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his phone. A soft vibration ran through it just as he unlocked the screen. It was a notification from Damian.Almost there. Just a few minutes away.The waiter returned after a few minutes, placing a short glass in front of him. “Here you go, sir,” the waiter said with a nod.“Thanks,” Gale muttered, wrapping his fingers around the glass and he lifted it to his lips and took a big gulp. He placed the glass back down with a dull cli

Scott had been weaving through the aisles for the last twenty minutes, his cart now full with everything on his list. Bread, milk, eggs, fresh vegetables, canned goods, snacks for Leah. He even tossed in a few extras that he didn’t really need but figured he might as well get now. No sense making another trip later in the week.He rolled his cart toward the checkout lanes, slowing down as he glanced over the different counters. Most of them were moderately busy, but one line near the end was moving faster than the rest. He made his way over, steering the cart into position behind a middle-aged woman who was just finishing up.He began unloading his items onto the conveyor belt, stacking them in neat groups.A few minutes later he heard the sound of another cart pulling up beside his.He didn’t pay it much attention at first, assuming it was just another shopper picking a lane. But then a familiar voice spoke.“Well, look at that. Twice in one day.”Scott turned his head and found Ca

The soft voice of Google Maps announced, “You have arrived at your destination,” and Scott’s brows furrowed immediately. He turned off the ignition and leaned back slightly in his seat as his eyes scanned the surroundings.The location didn’t look like any kind of proper meeting place. No polished buildings, no offices, not even a decent parking lot. The building looked like an abandoned warehouse.The edges of the street were cracked and weeds grew high through the broken concrete. There were a few rusting signposts leaned awkwardly with their paint peeling and their words too faded to read.“This doesn’t look right,” Scott muttered under his breath, picking up his phone to check the map again. The blue dot blinked at the center of the screen, right where the pin had been dropped.He double-checked the address. Same place. He didn't make any mistake.Scott exhaled slowly, setting the phone down on the passenger seat. He opened the car door and stepped out cautiously. He glanced aroun

The last of Gale’s men lay groaning on the concrete, clutching their stomachs, ribs, or faces, some rolling weakly while others could barely move at all. The once-tight circle of men that had surrounded Scott was now nothing but a broken heap scattered across the ground.Scott stood calmly in the middle of it all, adjusting the cuff of his sleeve as though the fight had been nothing more than a warm-up. His breathing remained steady and his face composed as his gaze still remained fixed on Gale.Gale, who only moments ago had been smirking with arrogant confidence, now stood rigid, his smirk gone, his eyes wide and his jaw clenched. The anger that had been visible on his face earlier was now replaced by something else—shock, disbelief, and, beneath it all, fear.Then Scott began to walk towards Gale slowly.His eyes never left Gale, and with each step forward, Gale instinctively stepped back.“You…” Gale began, but his voice faltered. He cleared his throat and tried again, louder th