2025-02-07 00:35:38The air was cool, but dark clouds hung low, warning of a storm. The first raindrops hit the windshield, then came the downpour. Walker switched on the wipers, gripping the wheel as the road blurred beneath the hammering rain.
Nothing could ruin this day. He and his wife, Elizabeth, were finally heading to Paris for their honeymoon. “This is going to be the best day of my life,” Elizabeth said, reaching over to stroke his beard before pressing a soft kiss on his cheek. “Oh yeah?” he grinned, keeping his eyes on the road. “I’ve never been to Paris,” she murmured, staring out the window with a dreamy smile. “Neither have I,” he admitted, glancing at her. “I can’t wait to see the Eiffel Tower. It’s so beautiful in pictures.” Walker raised an eyebrow. “Seen it with some ex-boyfriend?” She laughed, swatting his arm. “No! My friend from Romania went on a business trip and sent me pictures.” “Uh-huh,” he teased, reaching over to nudge her. “Bet he’s handsome.” Elizabeth rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide her smile. “You’re impossible.” Walker chuckled, his hand brushing her shoulder. “Keep your eyes on the road!” she scolded playfully. “You know I can’t resist—” Her laughter died. Her eyes widened. “Walker! The bridge—it’s broken!” His stomach dropped. He looked up—too late. The bridge ahead was gone. Only jagged remnants remained. He stomped the brakes. The tires screeched. The car spun, skidding across the slick road. For a heartbeat, they were weightless. Then— Impact. Metal crunched. The world turned upside down. Silence. Walker gasped awake, the sting in his leg sharp, but the pain in his chest sharper. He turned—Elizabeth. She was still. Her eyes closed. “Elizabeth?” His voice cracked. He struggled, shattered the window with his elbow, then crawled out and limped to her side. “Baby, wake up.” His trembling hands cupped her face, feeling for breath. She was alive—but barely. A bruise bloomed across her forehead. “Help! Someone help us!” Walker shouted into the empty night, but the rain swallowed his cries. He turned to the bridge, his stomach twisting. They had stopped mere feet from the edge. One more second… Desperation took over. He stumbled toward the riverbank, filled a bottle, and rushed back. Gently, he poured water over her face. “Come on, Lizzy, wake up. Please.” She stirred. A weak groan. His heart soared. “Elizabeth?” He held her close, relief flooding through him. Then—she coughed violently. Blood spewed from her mouth. Walker flinched. His pulse roared in his ears. “No, no, no,” he muttered, lowering her gently. He sprinted to the car, snatched her purse, found her handkerchief, and pressed it to her lips. Blood seeped through instantly. He pressed harder. It wouldn’t stop. Panic surged. His hands shook. His mind raced. Santander Maternity Hospital—2 kilometers away. Walker swallowed hard. Their flight was in thirty minutes. Instead, they were stranded in the cold rain, drowning in misfortune. With a grunt, he scooped Elizabeth into his arms. The rain drenched them both as he staggered forward. Every step felt heavier. His arms ached. His body screamed for rest, but he refused to stop. Elizabeth’s breathing slowed. Her skin turned cold. His chest tightened. “Honey, I won’t lose you,” he whispered, but she didn’t answer. His breath hitched. “What have I done?” Elizabeth’s beautiful eyes—the ones that once sparkled with laughter—were fading. “No. No, no, no—Elizabeth! Not now!” His voice broke, a raw cry against the storm. Walker had seen death before. He had faced worse situations. But never had he felt this helpless. Tears burned his eyes as he hoisted her up again, ignoring the pain slicing through his shoulder. The rain had stopped, but the cold still clung to him like a second skin. The road stretched ahead, empty, silent, suffocating. Then—something moved. A rustle in the bushes. Shadows shifting. Watching. Walker’s breath hitched. "Keep it together," he muttered, voice hoarse. Elizabeth’s head lolled against him, her lips tinged blue. “Say something, Lizzy. Anything,” he begged. “Don’t you dare leave me like this.” No response. His pulse pounded in his ears. Then—through the darkness, a flickering light. His heart leaped. Hope. Or something else?
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"Hold on, Lizzy. I see it! We’re gonna make it!” Walker’s voice wavered, but he forced confidence into it. His legs trembled beneath Elizabeth’s weight, his breath ragged. The light ahead belonged to an old hospital—if it could still be called that. The building loomed in the darkness, its walls cracked and worn, windows shattered like forgotten memories. Peeling paint curled from the surface like dead skin. But Walker didn’t care. Help was inside. It had to be. He stumbled forward, nearly collapsing against the rusted barbed wire fence surrounding the hospital. His strength was gone, his arms numb, but he held on—held onto her. “Help! Somebody, please!” he screamed, his voice raw. Silence. Rain dripped from the eaves, the only sound in the empty night. Then— A faint groan. Walker’s heart lurched. He almost dropped Elizabeth in shock. It was the first sound she’d made in over an hour. “Lizzy?” His grip tightened. “Did you hear me? We’re here, baby! Stay with me!” No respon
The shadow in the hospital Something is wrong
Walker stood in the long line, shifting his weight from one leg to the other. Every breath he took felt heavier. His bruises throbbed, his limbs ached, and his mind was on the verge of shutting down. But he couldn’t afford to rest. His eyes darted around, scanning the nurses moving between counters. The place felt too quiet. Too controlled. He clenched his fists, trying to stay focused. He needed a patient card for Elizabeth—nothing else mattered. Then, just as it was almost his turn, a nurse in white scrubs walked briskly to the counter. She leaned in and whispered something to the nurse handing out cards. She glanced at him. Walker’s stomach twisted. The counter nurse nodded, and without hesitation, she waved him forward. “Sir, please come here,” she called out. Walker hesitated. Why was he being pulled out of line? He glanced behind him. The other people waiting exchanged murmurs, their eyes narrowing in quiet disapproval. “Don’t worry about them,” the nurse said, her voic
The shadow in the hospital The Doctor
Walker sat by Elizabeth’s side, gripping her hand as if letting go would shatter her completely. Her fingers trembled weakly in his grasp. Her lips parted, but her voice barely emerged. "They… they’re hiding… something…" Walker stiffened. "What?" he whispered, leaning in. "Lizzy, what are you talking about?" Her breath was shallow, her gaze unfocused yet terrified. Dr. Graham adjusted one of the machines, his movements precise—too precise. Walker’s eyes snapped to him. "What is she talking about?" Dr. Graham smiled, but it felt… wrong. Too measured. Rehearsed. "She’s disoriented," he said smoothly. "Not uncommon after severe blood loss." Walker’s grip tightened on Elizabeth’s hand. She wasn’t just delirious. She was afraid. Dr. Graham’s voice cut through his thoughts. "Your wife is unstable, but we’re doing everything we can." Then why did it feel like a bad dream? Nothing added up. "Stress can make things seem worse than they are," Dr. Graham continued, his tone too sooth
The shadow in the hospital Things not normal
Two days ago, he was a husband excited for the future. Now, he was a man trapped in a hospital filled with secrets. “Take this form and fill the rest of it,” Dr. Graham said, handing him a clipboard. “And sign here first.” Walker hesitated before taking the pen. The way Dr. Graham’s gaze lingered on him sent an uneasy chill down his spine. Something about the doctor’s demeanor felt too controlled—like he was carefully curating his every word and movement. Walker scrawled his signature. “Once you’re done, submit it to the nurse at the counter,” Dr. Graham added before storming off toward his office without another word. Walker’s gut twisted as he watched him disappear through a restricted door marked AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY. For a fleeting moment, the door remained slightly ajar, revealing a dimly lit hallway beyond. Walker swore he saw someone—a shadowy figure standing just out of sight. But before he could process it, the door clicked shut. Something was definitely wrong wit
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The shadow in the hospital Erased Lives, Hidden Truths
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Siren lights painted the dim road as the wailing sound of a police van grew louder, rushing toward the hospital. Walker, battered and staggering aimlessly, barely registered the approaching vehicle. Blood trickled from his swollen lips, and his vision blurred with each step.The van screeched to a halt just ahead of him. The cops inside had spotted him, his bruised face and disoriented demeanor impossible to ignore.“Pull over,” one of them said sharply, his eyes narrowing as he studied Walker’s battered frame.The door swung open, and two officers stepped out. Their boots crunched against the gravel as they approached him cautiously.“Hey, sir!” the older officer called out, his hand resting on his holstered weapon. “Are you okay? What happened to you?”Walker barely lifted his head. The pain in his cheek and jaw made it difficult to move, let alone speak. His lips quivered as he tried to form words.“Hoshitu,” he mumbled, the sound garbled and weak.The officers exchanged a glance,
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Jett could finally rest now. Ramirez—the man he was assigned to watch like a hound on a scent—was locked up. Prison steel swallowed his old target. Jett wasn’t bitter anymore. Not exactly. If he hadn’t heard about how Ramirez’s wife and kid were kidnapped, he would’ve thought Ramirez had sold him out. But Jett knew betrayal. This wasn’t it.He had a new life now. One with the possibility of something like peace. Marriage? Maybe. But he knew how his world worked. People he crossed through his dark trade—hacking, digital theft, surveillance—if they couldn’t reach him, they'd go after the ones he loved. Just like Ramirez.That’s why he never married.That’s why tonight he carried a pistol in his back pocket and a black ski mask folded tight inside his duffel. It was 8 p.m. The club would be starting to heat up. If he waited too late, she’d be gone—dancing on another pole, working another poor bastard.She. The stripper who sold him out.Tonight, she dies.Jett covered the hole behind him
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You’re using criminals to catch cops now?
Ramirez crept forward on aching elbows, the metal biting into his skin with every inch he advanced. The stale air of the ventilation shaft was thick with grime and rust, the silence broken only by the faint groans of the prison’s ancient structure. His heart pounded in his ears as he reached a long shaft stretching over the highest-security wing—the place they called The Pit.This has to be it, he thought. Javier Montoya’s cage.But as he crawled closer, his gut twisted.The shaft above this particular section wasn't like the others. It was reinforced with iron bars, thick and welded to an inner frame—an iron lattice designed to block even the smallest object from falling through. Someone had gone to great lengths to seal this section off from above. Not because of an escape risk—but because of rescue attempts. They had sealed it like a vault.They knew his men might try this. They thought of everything.Ramirez pressed his face to the narrowest gap in the ironwork. He couldn’t see mu
Memory Loss
Tiny flickers of light danced before his eyes. His vision blurred, unfocused. He groanved, trying to move, but his body felt weighted, sluggish. Panic clawed at his chest as he struggled to make sense of his surroundings."Where... where am I?" His voice cracked, dry as desert air.The sound of hurried footsteps. A soft gasp. Then, warmth—a gentle hand brushing against his cheek. "Walker! Oh my God, you're awake!" A familiar voice. Comforting. Shaky with emotion.He tried to lift his head, but the effort was exhausting. Squinting through the haze, he could barely make out the silhouette of a woman. His heart told him it was Elizabeth, but his mind refused to connect the dots."I’m here," she whispered, her fingers tracing his face as though confirming he was real. "It’s me, Elizabeth."Walker’s breath came out in short puffs. "What happened to me? Why can’t I see properly?" He reached up, his fingers brushing against bandages wrapped tightly around his hands and arms.Elizabeth sque