Shadows In The Night

Zara threw on a hoodie and sneakers, her heart pounding as she replayed Mia's words: "I just saw Gregor Novak... near the storage unit." This was her dad's storage unit—her last link to the truth. If Gregor was there, what was he looking for?

She climbed out her bedroom window, landing softly on the grass below. Mia waited at the corner of her street, her arms wrapped tightly around herself against the chill.

"You sure about this?" Mia asked as Zara approached. "We should call someone."

"And say what?" Zara shot back. "That an international thief is lurking near a storage unit my dad rented? No one's going to believe us."

Mia hesitated but nodded. Together, they took off down the dimly lit streets, keeping to the shadows.

The storage facility loomed ahead, its tall metal fences topped with barbed wire. The area was eerily quiet, save for the occasional hum of a streetlamp. Zara and Mia crouched behind a parked car, scanning the lot.

"There," Mia whispered, pointing.

Zara followed her gaze and froze. A man in a dark trench coat stood near the row of storage units. Even from this distance, she could see the unmistakable scar running down his face.

"Gregor," Zara breathed.

He was fiddling with the lock on one of the units—her dad's unit. A surge of anger and fear coursed through her.

"We have to stop him," Zara said.

Mia grabbed her arm. "Are you crazy? He could be armed!"

But Zara wasn't listening. She darted forward, keeping low, until she was close enough to hear the faint click of the lock. Just as Gregor swung the door open, Zara stepped out of the shadows.

"What are you doing?" she demanded, her voice steadier than she felt.

Gregor whipped around, his eyes narrowing. "Who are you?"

"This is my dad's unit," she said, stepping closer. "You have no right to be here."

His expression darkened. "Your dad?"

For a moment, Zara thought he might actually leave. But then he stepped toward her, his towering frame casting a shadow over her.

"Your father and I had... unfinished business," Gregor said, his voice low and menacing. "He owed me something, and now, it seems, you do too."

Zara's stomach twisted, but she didn't back down. "I don't owe you anything. Leave. Now."

Before Gregor could respond, a loud shout rang out. "Hey! Who's there?"

A flashlight beam swept across the lot, and Gregor muttered a curse. He turned and bolted, disappearing into the night just as a security guard approached.

"What's going on here?" the guard asked, eyeing Zara and Mia suspiciously.

"We—uh—thought we saw someone breaking in," Zara stammered. "We scared him off."

The guard frowned but didn't press further. "You girls shouldn't be out here at this hour. Go home."

As they walked away, Mia whispered, "That was insane. What if he comes back?"

Zara didn't answer. Her dad's storage unit was now unlocked, its contents vulnerable. She knew she'd have to come back—soon—and find out exactly what Gregor had been searching for.