Flashlights snapped on, thin beams slicing through the dust and shadows. The men whipped their lights across the half-built room, steel scaffolding and hanging tarps throwing warped shapes on the walls.
"Who's there?" the bald man barked, his voice sharper than he intended.
No answer. Only the creak of metal above, the soft whistle of the wind through broken windows.
Then—
Thud.
The men spun toward the sound. One of their own lay sprawled on the concrete floor, his flashlight rolling away, the beam flickering across his limp hand.
"Get up," another hissed, panic leaking into his tone. But the man didn't move.
From the far side of the room, a voice drifted out of the dark—calm, deliberate."One mistake… one by one."
The bald man gritted his teeth. "Show yourself!"
Another sound—crash! A scaffold rattled, and another thug was gone, dragged into the shadows with a strangled grunt. His flashlight clattered to the ground, spinning wildly before going dark.
