Chapter 1: The Mark Beneath the Linen
Part 1 I was only seventeen, working as an unpaid civilian assistant to pay off what my uncle claimed was my late father’s $340,000 gambling [more…]
Part 1 I was only seventeen, working as an unpaid civilian assistant to pay off what my uncle claimed was my late father’s $340,000 gambling [more…]
I stepped back into the narrow hallway, the sound of my uncle Victor’s frantic movements echoing from the backroom clinic. He was still barking orders [more…]
The clinic door swung open with a soft click. Captain Nico emerged, his face a hard mask, leaving Victor alone with Leo. He barely glanced [more…]
Later that night, the clinic was quiet save for the rhythmic hum of the ventilation system. Captain Nico had left, taking his son Leo with [more…]
A sudden scrape of rubber soles on the concrete floor made me jump. The heavy notebook slipped from my numb fingers, clattering loudly against the [more…]
The fluorescent hum in the storage room seemed to amplify the silence after Bruno’s confession. I gripped the thallium ledger, its weight suddenly feeling immense. [more…]
The next night felt like an eternity. Victor was out, allegedly at a late-night poker game. The clinic was quiet, only the steady hum of [more…]
My fingers fumbled with the wax seal on the brass box. I could hear a distant siren wail outside, growing louder then fading away, a [more…]
The two guards positioned themselves near the basement stairs, effectively blocking my escape. Victor watched me, a smug expression on his face, as if he’d [more…]
I retreated to the examination room, the small brass key a burning weight in my pocket. The guards remained downstairs, their presence a constant, heavy [more…]