The sudden gush of sound and normality is how they knew the door had been broken by their captor.
A loud clang reverberated through the space as the lever was pulled down.
The floorboard under them split open, revealing a trap door below. At the bottom was a boiling solution with a pungent stench that caused the trio to cover their noses.
The air was thick with tension, each breath heavy with the weight of uncertainty.
Molly's heart sank as she watched, a cold dread settling in the pit of her stomach. She exchanged a worried glance with Nick and Miguel, their eyes mirroring her own fear and uncertainty.
"What's he doing?" Nick whispered, his voice barely above a breath.
Miguel's jaw clenched with tension as they watched their captor finally coming into full view.
Kyle Snyder stepped in through the door, his menacing presence seemed to fill the room with an oppressive aura of danger.
His mask concealed his features, leaving only his piercing grey eyes visible, their cold gaze like shards of ice cutting through the air.
He was dressed in all black, his attire consisting of a sleek cotton shirt and formal pants that clung to his frame with an air of authority.
They exchanged uneasy glances, a silent acknowledgment of the danger they faced.
Escape seemed like an impossible dream but they refused to surrender to despair, ready to wage a war and finally bring justice to the long standing battle.
The boiling solution bubbled and roiled, its noxious fumes filling the room with a sickening stench that making heads swim with nausea.
Three Strangers.
Molly Rayne's determination burns brightly even in the darkest of times. With eyes that blaze with fierce intensity, she possesses an unyielding resolve that refuses to back down in the face of adversity. Despite the fear that coils like a serpent in the pit of her stomach, she refuses to let it paralyze her, instead channels it into a steely determination to see justice served.
Miguel Locke exudes a quiet strength that belies his gentle demeanor, a man of few words whose unwavering resolve is honed by years of experience. His instincts are razor-sharp, ready to face danger head-on with a steadfast determination.
Nick Wade's emotions bubble to the surface with an intensity impossible to ignore. Despite the fear that gnawed at him, he was driven by the fiery rage to bring justice for his dad's demise. He was ready to throw himself into the fray with reckless abandon for the sake of those he cares about.
Two Secrets.
Piecing the puzzle together and realizing, that the man standing in front of them was behind the atrocities of their city, Molly couldn't help but wonder if she was truly wrong for digging into unconventional sources to dig Gary Lane's connections to EOS. Perhaps, if she had dug deeper, they might've figured out the case sooner. But that'd have risked her role at NYPD and her reputation was too pristine to be thrown away in a blink.
Discovering his parents murdered by the pool shook Kyle's life completely. If he had only been stronger, braver and courageous, the perpetrators could've been behind the bars or perhaps even dead by now but now he was agonized by the need to kill anyone that looked familiar to them – as a form to protect himself, or perhaps others from the same pain. The guilt and helplessness consumed him, but, perhaps, today he'll find his justice.
One Key.
The Eye of the Osiris haunted towns and cities alike with their mysterious killings and non-existential evidences after.
The civilians of the town were afraid of failure – you couldn't fail, you should never fail. Failing was equivalent to death for them and those who failed, disappeared into thin air by cutting contacts with everyone else and taking to the streets where they hoped that no one of their family could find them.
Their relatives never reported missing individuals because it was a shame to have a missing person in their family. They simply moved on with their lives, hoping the person who failed never came back. If they did find a way, they were exiled yet again, failure was never acceptable. You always had to succeed.
EOS took advantage of the innocent civilians - their fears, shame and lives all tied to the master puppeteer who dangled the ropes as they wished.
"Now, now now," Kyle said, "Let me introduce myself. Fighting a mystery character that doesn't even have a name isn't so interesting, right?"
They looked at him, eager to know their adversary who was far more than a stranger now.
"Kyle Snyder," he introduced himself with a self-satisfactory smug, "You may think you know me, but truly, you don't."
"I hate bragging about myself and like to stay in the shades but somehow you three have managed to find your Unknown.. Interesting." He continued as he paced around the room.
They wanted to speak something, unleash their rage right away on him but they found it important to know him first to know how to attack him.
"Whoever loses this fight, gets thrown into this boiling cauldron of my special solution." He said as he looked closely into each person's eye.
"Not to forget, its lethal too." He added with a smirk.
He snapped his fingers and two figures appeared in front of them, making them gasp in surprise.
Molly squinted her eyes closely and recognized Gary Lane, her former adversary. The other one must be Aron Schmitz, she assumed.
Nick recognized both of them and the gears of his mind whirred as he pieced the puzzle – the menacing trio - Gary Lane, Aron Schmitz, Kyle Snyder. He should've caught up to them sooner, perhaps they wouldn't have been locked in this place then.
Miguel didn't recognize the duo but understood there was a deeper scheme at play. He decided to follow his instincts and defeat them and ask questions later.
The three adversaries exchanged a knowing glance, their plan finally coming to light.
The tension in the room crackled like lightning as the trio faced off against their adversaries, the air thick with the promise of violence and retribution.
Molly's eyes narrowed into steely determination as she squared off against Gary Lane, her former adversary turned nemesis. "You've made a grave mistake coming here, Gary," she spat, "I'll make sure you pay for what you've done."
Gary smirked, his eyes glinting with malicious intent. "Oh, I'm shaking in my boots," he mocked, "You think you can take me down, detective? You're out of your league."
Meanwhile, Nick locked eyes with Aron Schmitz, his fists clenched at his sides. "You were always a coward, Aron," he growled, his voice low and dangerous. "But hiding behind Kyle won't save you from what's coming."
Aron sneered, his lip curling in contempt. "You always did talk a big game, Nick," he taunted, his voice filled with smug superiority. "But let's see if you can back it up when it counts."
Miguel stepped forward, his gaze fixed on Kyle Snyder. "You've been pulling the strings from the shadows for too long, Kyle," he declared, his voice firm and unwavering. "But your reign of terror ends here."
Kyle chuckled darkly, his eyes gleaming with sadistic amusement. "You think you can stop me, detective?" he sneered, his voice oozing with malice. "You're nothing but insects, buzzing around my feet."
With a roar of defiance, the battle erupted into chaos, fists flying and bodies colliding as the room became a whirlwind of violence and fury.
Molly dodged Gary's attacks with graceful precision, countering with swift strikes of her own as she sought to bring him down.
Nick traded blows with Aron, each punch fueled by years of pent-up rage and frustration. With every strike, he felt the weight of his father's death pressing down on him, driving him to fight with a ferocity born of desperation.
Miguel faced off against Kyle, their battle a clash of wills and determination. With each blow, he felt the weight of his duty as a detective, driving him to push past his limits and fight with everything he had.
The fight raged on, each blow echoing through the room as the combatants danced their deadly dance. Blood mingled with sweat as the room became a battlefield, the air thick with the stench of violence and fear.
Molly dodged a vicious blow from Gary, her movements fluid and precise as she launched herself into a counterattack. But as she pressed her advantage, she found herself suddenly overwhelmed by Aron, who lunged at her from the side with a snarl of rage.
Nick saw Molly's predicament and leaped into action, barreling into Aron with a fierce roar. The two adversaries clashed with a deafening crash, their bodies locked in a deadly struggle as they fought tooth and nail for supremacy.
Kyle launched a brutal assault and Miguel found himself struggling to keep up, his strength waning with each passing moment.
Seeing his plight, she rushed to his aid, launching herself into the fray with a ferocious battle cry. Together, the two of them fought side by side, their movements fluid and coordinated as they worked together to fend off Kyle's relentless attacks.
Meanwhile Nick found himself locked in a brutal struggle with Aron, their blows echoing through the room as they traded blow for blow. But as Aron gained the upper hand, Nick felt a surge of fear grip his heart, his strength faltering under the onslaught.
But just as it seemed all hope was lost, a voice rang out through the chaos — a voice filled with determination and unwavering resolve. It was Molly, her eyes blazing with fierce intensity as she rallied her companions to fight on.
The trio pressed forward with a renewed determination, their movements synchronized as they launched a relentless assault against their adversaries. Blow after blow rained down upon their foes, each strike fueled by the burning fire of justice that blazed within their hearts.
Nick observed that the fight could go on endlessly unless their adversaries' leader was taken down.
He managed to free himself from Aron and Gary's grips and hurled himself on Kyle, attempting to trap his shoulders between his knees while punching his face repeatedly with all his strength.
There he saw it, the guilt and the helplessness that mirrored his own at the helplessness that life sometimes put us in.
Nick paused for a moment and really looked into his eyes – Kyle didn't fight anymore, he was complacent and was ready to become unknown in its truest sense.
His own emotions surged in his neck and wanted to run away but he knew his friends were in trouble, he had to do this for his friends, his family and especially his dad who was ruthlessly killed in the bullet train, making it his bullet train to murder.
"Your parent's deaths weren't your fault, okay?!" Nick screamed at Kyle, "Whichever monster did this to you deserves an awful and agonizing deaths until their last breaths but it wasn't your fault!"
Everyone paused their fights to see what Nick was doing. Kyle was totally still too, as if he had lost all his strength to fight and had decided that death was better.
A few moments later, Kyle pulled his mask down and let out a blood curdling scream that echoed off the walls of the room. Tears streamed down from his face and he was shaking violently as he curled up into a ball and really cried his heart out.
It was relieving to finally get to mourn his parents' deaths. He always had to put up a brave face and pretend like nothing hurt him when deep down he was always hurting.
"There, there," Nick said as he got off of Kyle and patted his shoulders, "You didn't know better, kid. But I hope you choose better for yourself now on. You deserve it. You deserve to live."
"The eagle has landed, send the others right in." Molly said into the receiver of her phone.
The rest of the cops showed up and arrested Kyle, Gary and Aron. Nick and Miguel backed off as they were being escorted.
Aron struggled against his cuffs but Detective Ramirez held him down with his strong muscles.
Gary fought with Detective Garcia, attempting to flee from the scene but was soon caught and handcuffed.
Lisa showed up to the scene, ensuring everything went on smoothly. She looked at Molly who was battered in blood and scars and proceeded to hug her.
Molly returned the embrace and was thankful of her presence. "I really couldn't have done it without you, Lisa. It means a lot."
"Don't give me too much credits, muffin. You deserve all the love."
Miguel and Nick looked at the heartwarming scene unwrapping in front of them and looked at each other awkwardly before deciding to hug each other.
"Here's to victory!" Sandro said as he walked into the scene with confetti that he threw into the air.
Kyle was the most complacent of them all and Detective Lopez wasted no time in handcuffing him and taking him away. He had a blank stare on his face but for the first time he felt that he could feel something instead of the usual numbness. He felt alive even as he was being dragged away to be locked behind jail.
-x-x-x-
A Few Days Later
Molly took a deep breath as she stepped into Lisa's office, the familiar scent of polished wood and fresh flowers washing over her. The office was bathed in soft sunlight, the golden rays casting a warm glow over the elegant furnishings and tasteful decor.
Lisa looked up from her desk, a warm smile lighting up her features as she greeted Molly.
Molly took a seat opposite Lisa and a pang of sadness filled her at the thought of leaving behind the familiar surroundings of the office.
The walls seemed to echo with the memories of countless meetings and conversations, each one a testament to the hard work and dedication that had gone into building their careers.
But despite the nostalgia that tugged at her heartstrings, Molly knew that it was time to move on. She had made her decision and now it was time to face the consequences.
"I have something I need to discuss with you," Molly began, her voice steady despite the nervous fluttering in her stomach.
Lisa raised an eyebrow, her expression curious as she leaned forward slightly. "Of course, Molly. What's on your mind?"
Molly took a deep breath, her hands trembling slightly as she reached into her bag and withdrew a neatly folded piece of paper. As she handed it to Lisa, she couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion wash over her — a mixture of fear, uncertainty, and determination.
"I'm submitting my resignation," Molly said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.
Lisa's eyes widened in surprise as she unfolded the paper and scanned its contents. For a moment there was silence as she processed the news, the weight of Molly's decision hanging heavy in the air.
"Is there something wrong? You can tell me Molly. I can't see you do this - to me, to us, the team which has almost become family now. Please tell us if we did something wrong." Lisa pleaded looking at her resignation letter.
"This team will always be family for me," Molly said through stutters, her voice latched with a whirlwind of emotions, "But, unfortunately there'll always be things that'd continue to haunt me if I stayed here. Its the best decision I can make on behalf of everyone here."
"But.." Lisa began in concern but sighed as she didn't want to prod further, "You'll be missed Molly Rayne."
"Thank you Lisa, you'll be missed too." Molly said as she got up from her seat and left her office.
-x-x-x-
"I heard that you quit your role," Nick started, "You really didn't have to do that, did you?"
The Brew Shot cafe in such honeyed hues brings a sweetness to the day, coaxing an inner smile that warms from within.
"Look," Miguel explained, "We all have our mistakes, alright? You don't have to punish yourself for a lifetime for that. You were my role model! I can't stand to see my favorite person in the department walk away like a simple slip up would make the world crashing down!"
"But that's the truth, Miguel," Molly responded as she set her coffee cup down, "You never know when a simple slip up can bring the world crashing down. And when it does, you have to know when to leave while you still can. I couldn't have let my mistake be tied above my head and all the people I love there, my team," she paused as tears were brimming in her eyes, "I couldn't let this happen to them. That'd be unfair!"
Nick comforted her by placing his hands on hers and squeezed it lightly. Molly managed a small smile as she looked at her.
"Is it bad I ship you both?" Miguel interjected with a cheeky smile.
"What? No!" Molly said as she pulled her hands away from Nick, "I mean, yes, I do mind it. We are polar opposites, can't you see?"
Miguel chuckled as he saw Nick's flustered face.
"Shut up, okay?" Nick managed as he bit his flips with his teeth.
This only seemed to make him laugh more as he continued to guffaw at the situation.
Molly shook her head as a blush finally formed on her face. She sipped her cappuccino to hide her beaming smile but it refused to stay down.
After Miguel was done laughing he asked, "With the EOS down, I think we can all breathe peacefully, knowing a dangerous group isn't operating somewhere playing the master and reeling on people's insecurities."
"Not quite," Molly said, "There's always going to be some group somewhere that's operating off of people's helplessness and just like Kyle, there might be several others who believe that the world is a wretched place and that everyone who lives in it is a monster — not acknowledging the fact that, they sometimes, could become the monsters too. We have many more cases to solve. This is just the beginning."
Word Count : 2956
WOO HOOO! I FINALLY FINISHED BULLET TRAIN TO MURDER! OH MY GOODNESS I CAN'T DESCRIBE HOW MUCH HAPPY I AM AAAAAA-
Excuse my caps locked obsession but I never thought this would be marked complete before deadline, but, I pushed myself and it happened! I am so so soo happy for how it all turned out!
The story ends here, but, I still have to do my due diligence of acknowledging all the love and support, so, keep your eye out for that too 😉
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT ALL ALONG! I WOULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOU.
Cheers,
Sara <3