The Cop and the Princess - Chapter five :_ shadows

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Chapter Five – Shadows

Scene One — A Sleepless Night

The farmhouse slept peacefully.

Outside…

Only the sound of crickets echoed through the valley.

Inside…

Sara quietly opened her bedroom door.

She looked down the hallway.

Hope’s room.

Still empty.

She gently pushed the door open.

The bed hadn’t been touched.

Her leather jacket was gone.

The desk was still covered with maps, photographs and evidence from the warehouse.

Sara smiled faintly.

“…Still working.”

She quietly closed the door.

An hour later…

She checked again.

Still empty.

Another hour…

Again.

Nothing.

Rose, already awake, sat on the living room sofa with a blanket around her shoulders and a cup of tea in her hands.

Without even looking up she smiled.

“…Third time.”

Sara froze.

“What?”

Rose chuckled.

“You’ve checked Hope’s room three times already.”

Sara looked away.

“I was just…”

“…making sure.”

Rose patted the seat beside her.

“Come here.”

Sara sat down.

“…Does she always do this?”

“Stay out all night?”

Rose took a sip of tea.

“Oh…”

“You think one night is bad?”

Sara nodded.

Rose smiled softly.

“There was one investigation…”

“…she disappeared for almost four months.”

“No calls.”

“No messages.”

“Nothing.”

Sara stared.

“…Four months?”

Rose nodded.

didn’t you all get worried

Rose:- terrified

“When Hope catches a trail…”

“…the rest of the world disappears.”

Sara quietly looked toward the empty hallway.

“…That sounds lonely.”

Rose smiled sadly.

“It is.”

Scene Two — Officer Hope Parker

Meanwhile…

Across the city…

Hope crossed another name off her notebook.

Three suppliers.

Nothing.

The fourth…

Interesting.

The nervous supplier couldn’t stop wiping sweat from his forehead.

Hope quietly placed the evidence bag on the counter.

Inside…

A single spent cartridge rested under the shop lights.

She tapped the plastic.

“Recognize it?”

The man shook his head too quickly.

“No.”

Hope smiled.

“…You’re a terrible liar.”

He swallowed.

“I don’t know anything.”

Hope picked up the casing again.

“This isn’t ordinary ammunition.”

“It’s imported.”

“7.62×39 mm.”

“Not many shops sell these.”

The man remained silent.

Hope nodded.

“…Alright.”

She stood up.

Outside…

Another officer approached.

“What do you think?”

Hope looked back at the shop.

“He’s scared.”

“Not of me.”

“Of whoever buys those bullets.”

She handed the officer a tiny GPS tracker.

“Keep eyes on him.”

“If he’s supplying weapons…”

“…he’ll meet the buyer today.”

The officer nodded.

“What about you?”

Hope smiled.

“I’m going fishing.”

A few minutes later…

Hope crouched beside the supplier’s truck.

Click.

The tracker disappeared underneath the chassis.

She walked away before anyone noticed.

Hours later…

The truck finally moved.

Hope followed several cars behind.

It stopped outside an old nightclub.

Hope frowned.

“…Interesting.”

She watched the supplier nervously disappear inside.

Hope adjusted the radio clipped to her jacket.

“Target has entered.”

“I’m going in.”

Scene — Into the Lion’s Den

Night.

The old nightclub.

Music thundered upstairs.

The basement…

Was almost silent.

Hope quietly followed the supplier through the shadows.

Hidden behind stacked crates…

She listened.

The supplier’s voice trembled.

“A cop came to my shop.”

“She knows I’m hiding something.”

“I can’t supply weapons anymore.”

One gangster grabbed him by the collar.

“You don’t get to quit.”

The supplier nodded fearfully.

“I understand.”

He hurried upstairs.

Hope quietly reached for her phone.

One picture.

Two.

Three.

Creak.

A loose wooden board betrayed her.

Every head slowly turned.

Silence.

Hope stepped out from behind the crates.

Hands casually inside her jacket pockets.

One gangster frowned.

“…A cop?”

Hope looked around.

“…Unfortunately.”

The leader smirked.

“Only one?”

Hope shrugged.

“Nope.”

“I just got here first.”

The gang exchanged confused looks.

“So…”

“You’re here alone?”

Hope smiled.

“…Looks like it.”

The leader slowly pulled a knife from his belt.

“You’ve got guts.”

Hope looked at the knife.

“…Cute.”

“You think this is funny?”

“I was hoping you’d answer a few questions.”

“But judging by your face…”

“…I’m probably skipping straight to the arrest.”

One gangster shouted,

“Boss!”

“Can I stab her?”

Hope pointed at him.

“I appreciate the honesty.”

The leader smiled coldly.

“Kill her.”

Hope rolled her shoulders.

“…Finally.”

“I was wondering when we’d stop talking.”

The first gangster charged.

Hope calmly stepped aside.

The knife sliced through empty air.

She caught his wrist.

Twisted.

CRACK!

The knife clattered across the floor.

Hope looked at his hand.

“…I liked it better when it was attached properly.”

The man screamed.

Another gangster swung the metal pipe.

Hope ducked.

The pipe smashed into the concrete wall.

Dust fell everywhere.

Hope looked at the hole.

“…You missed.”

The gangster yelled,

“I KNOW!”

Hope nodded.

“I just wanted to make sure.”

Three more surrounded her.

The leader smiled.

“You’re finished.”

Hope slowly counted them.

“…One…”

“…Two…”

“…Three…”

She sighed dramatically.

“…I was hoping for at least ten.”

One younger gangster suddenly hesitated.

“…Boss.”

“I think she’s crazy.”

Hope immediately pointed at him.

“Finally.”

“Someone with working instincts.”

The young man nervously tightened his grip on the knife.

Hope looked him up and down.

“…Wait.”

He frowned.

“What?”

“…How old are you?”

“…Twenty.”

Hope blinked.

“…Really?”

The young man nodded.

“…Yeah.”

Hope looked genuinely confused.

“I thought you escaped from high school.”

The basement fell silent.

Even one of the gangsters snorted.

The young man looked embarrassed.

“I’m twenty!”

Hope shrugged.

“…Still look grounded.”

The young man stepped back.

“…Boss…”

“I don’t want this job anymore.”

The leader roared,

“SHUT UP!”

He charged.

This time all four attacked together.

Hope moved like water.

One punch.

An elbow.

A spinning kick.

One gangster crashed through an old wooden table.

Another slammed face-first into stacked boxes.

Hope looked at him.

“…Furniture abuse.”

“That’s another charge.”

The remaining two rushed together.

Hope grabbed one by the jacket and threw him into the other.

Both collapsed in a heap.

The young gangster slowly crawled backward.

Hope looked at him.

“…Running away?”

He nodded rapidly.

“…Smart choice.”

Before Hope could move again—

SLASH!

The leader attacked from behind.

The knife sliced across Hope’s left arm.

Silence.

Blood slowly dripped onto the concrete floor.

The young gangster whispered,

“…Boss…”

“…I think you made her angry.”

Hope slowly looked down at the cut.

Then at the blood staining her sleeve.

She sighed.

“…Seriously?”

She slowly removed her leather jacket.

Carefully folded it.

Placed it on a nearby chair.

She rolled up her sleeves.

Looked directly at the leader.

“…This…”

“…was my favorite jacket.”

The leader laughed.

“It’ll be your last.”

Hope smiled.

“No.”

She flexed her injured hand once.

“…Now I’m just annoyed.”

The leader suddenly stopped smiling.

For the first time…

He realized…

This woman hadn’t panicked once.

Hope slowly stepped forward.

“So…”

“My turn.”

The basement suddenly became very quiet.

Only the sound of Hope’s footsteps echoed through the room.

To be continue....

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