Danamia.
The massive building collapsed all at once, like a house of cards when you pull out the bottom piece. A deafening crash filled the air, drowning out everything else.
A girl stood nearby, watching the chaos unfold. The flames from the burning beams reflected in her green eyes. For a moment, her gaze locked on a single spot.
There, beneath the debris, someone was trapped. She spotted a bloodied hand adorned with a gold-and-purple bracelet, and her first thought was that the limb would likely need to be amputated. A sad smile crossed the green-eyed girl’s face. She lingered for another minute or two, then turned and walked away.
***
One and a Half Years Later…
Lia Lexfor, a platinum blonde in peak physical condition, stood at a crosswalk, watching the red numbers on the traffic light tick down slowly. Finally, the light turned green. But Lia didn’t move to cross the street. She froze in place. Her attention was captured by a massive screen mounted on the side of a skyscraper, broadcasting the latest news.
“The attackers have not yet made their demands,” the anchor’s voice announced.
The news was covering yet another hostage situation at a crowded location. Terrorist attacks in Danamia had spiked recently, and Lia knew exactly why…
“We now turn to Lua Lexfor, head of the rapid response unit for international terrorism, for an update,” the anchor continued.
At the mention of that name, Lia’s eyes narrowed. She completely forgot about crossing the street. Her focus was now entirely on the giant screen. Lua Lexfor was her sister.
“Lua, can you tell us the current situation at the shopping mall?” a reporter asked.
“Right now, the situation at the mall is under control,” Lua replied. “There are six attackers. Our team has secured every exit. We’re waiting for their demands and, for now, avoiding any aggressive actions. We believe there’s a strong chance to free the hostages through peaceful negotiations.”
Lia grimaced. Lately, these so-called “operations” had ended in disaster. She was fed up with it.
Without warning, she bolted from the spot and hurried toward the train station. She didn’t have any ID on her, so Lia skirted around the main entrance and slipped onto the nearest platform.
She glanced at her watch. The electric train arrived right on schedule. Lia climbed aboard, gripping the handrail with her left hand, and immediately ran into a conductor. Without hesitation, she handed over a bill equivalent to the ticket price and waved off the offered ticket stub as she moved deeper into the car. Thankfully, once inside the train, no one checked for ID.
From the place where Lia had been living for the past year and a half to her hometown—where the latest attack was happening—was just a fifteen-minute ride. When she arrived, she stepped onto the platform at the station. No one checked tickets.
***
People sat on the floor, watching apathetically as two masked figures entered the bank. One of the “visitors” pulled out a gun and aimed it at the captives.
“Tough luck, folks, that you decided to swing by the mall today,” the thug said. At that moment, the dull click of a safety being disengaged echoed through the room. “So, hand over all your valuables. Don’t hold back. Your lives are worth more.”
Terrified, the hostages began tearing off jewelry and tossing it into a prepared sack.
“Hey, what’s with that look? You a cop or something?” one of the robbers snapped at a hostage. “Willie, can I take him out?”
Just then, a woman sprang up from the floor. She lunged at the thug, trying to knock him down. But she miscalculated. The other robber swiftly grabbed her by the hair and yanked her aside.
“And who are you?” he demanded. “Danny, keep an eye on them.”
The attacker dragged the woman into the bank’s hallway and stared into her eyes.
“Heroes don’t live long,” he sneered, reaching for the gun in his pocket.
The captured woman struggled, trying to break free. And then, something went off-script.
The robber flinched, a silent scream frozen in his eyes, never making it past his lips. Half a second later, blood sprayed everywhere. His grip loosened, releasing the woman, and he slowly crumpled to the floor. Ann Molson, the brave woman, looked up and saw a light-haired girl wearing a bandana over her face.
“Quiet,” the stranger pressed a finger to her lips, then gestured to ask how many attackers were left.
Ann held up one finger. Lia nodded and silently moved toward the door leading to the cashier’s hall.
“Willie, you taking forever out there?” came the irritated voice of the second accomplice.
Lia froze by the door, tightly gripping a knife in her left hand. Danny didn’t keep her waiting. As soon as he stepped into the hallway, the sharp blade sliced into his neck, severing his carotid artery. Like his partner, he didn’t have time to say a word.
“You okay?” Lia glanced at Ann.
Ann didn’t seem surprised by what had happened. “Look after the others. They’re better off waiting for rescuers in the cashier’s hall. No one needs to see this mess.”
***
Lua tossed aside the tablet displaying crime scene photos. Staring at them for too long was a grueling task. Even for an untrained eye, it was a test of endurance. Mangled bodies everywhere. Faces frozen in terror. Glassy eyes. Unspoken screams on their lips.
“Reminds you of someone, doesn’t it?” she asked, leaning back in her chair.
“It can’t be her,” the tablet’s owner countered. “Lia’s dead.”
“Knowing my little sister, she’d crawl out of worse messes than this,” Lua said, clutching her head dramatically and sighing. “This has her signature all over it.”
“She’s not the only one who’s that good with a knife.”
“I’m still gonna check my hunch. If it is Lia, I want to deal with her ASAP.”
With that, Lua Lexfor stood up from her chair and headed for the door. At the threshold, she turned back to her companion.
“Roy, do I need to send you a formal invite?”
***
“What happened next?” the investigator asked the freed hostages. “How did the robbers end up in the bank hallway?”
“The girl who was with us,” one woman began. “She stopped those two from shooting my husband. They didn’t like the look on his face, you know?”
Lua tensed. Until that moment, she’d barely been listening to the hostages’ accounts.
“Let’s get to the point,” the investigator pressed. “You can tell the psychologist about your husband and his face later. What did the girl do?”
“She lunged at the one with the gun. The other guy grabbed her by the hair and dragged her into the hallway. He was gone for a while. Then the first one went after him. And that’s it. Only the girl came back.”
“What did she look like? Can you point her out?” The investigator laid out photos of all the victims from the mall incident.
“This one,” the woman’s finger landed on a photo of Ann Molson.
“Thank you. You’re free to go for now.”
Soon, the hostages finished giving their statements. Lua left the room and headed to her office.
“I need that woman, got it?” she said without turning around. “She saw her.”
“Why are you so sure there was another woman there?” her subordinate asked, surprised.
“Roy, did you hear me?”
***
Ann slipped her phone into her pocket and cast a guilty glance at the department officer.
“Sorry,” she said. “It’s my mom. She’s worried.”
“No problem. Let’s get back to our conversation. So, you’re saying this girl took out your attacker with a single knife strike. What did she look like?”
From the start, Ann hadn’t liked the investigator’s pushiness. Add to that the strange circumstances surrounding the incident. Ann herself was tied to law enforcement, working as an undercover agent for Danamia’s main intelligence directorate. Kirtner was her hometown, where duty had recently sent her. Something felt off about this attack. The attackers had been way too calm, almost as if they’d been invited.
“Short hair, brown, brown eyes,” Ann quickly fabricated a description opposite to Lia’s appearance.
“And how many hands did she have?” Lua asked.
She had just entered the room. The question threw Ann off for a moment, but she was excellent at controlling her emotions and steering them as needed.
“Uh… two…”
Lua sat down in a chair. Ann immediately realized that this woman not only knew her mysterious rescuer but was also her twin sister. Only her gaze was different somehow. That was the first thought that crossed the agent’s mind after noting their striking similarity. But Ann didn’t let on about her suspicion, even as Lua watched her face closely. Now, Ann was glad she’d lied.
“Alright, you’re free to go,” Lua said curtly. “Roy, issue her a pass, then come see me.”
***
“You know full well Lia’s dead,” Lua’s boyfriend, Kay, said as he massaged her shoulders. “You saw it yourself. Besides, that woman confirmed the mystery visitor at the mall had two hands. With your sister, that’s hardly possible.”
“It could be a prosthetic.”
“Lua, you know her. Lia would never agree to something like that. And anyway, what’s with this disguise? Short hair, brown eyes. Those are obviously contacts! Do you remember your sister ever bothering with disguises?”
“No. And that’s what’s making me doubt. But, Kay, the style is definitely hers!”
“You’re overthinking this. Besides, who even is this Ann Molson? A florist? She could’ve made up the whole ‘one-strike kill with a knife’ story. Fear can make you imagine all sorts of things.”
“What about the marks on the bodies?”
“Look, she’s not the only one who can do that. You need to take a break.”
Kay Amarts, Lua’s current boyfriend, kissed her on the cheek and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.
“How about we get out of town tomorrow, head somewhere into nature, huh?”
***
Reed Martinez, a local drug dealer, stepped over the threshold of his apartment and immediately tensed. The door to the living room was open wider than usual. And the smell… it was different.
He reached for the handle of the gun tucked into the back pocket of his pants and cautiously moved forward into the room.
“Hey, Reed,” came a painfully familiar voice.
No way… There, perched on the windowsill by the huge panoramic window, was his archenemy, someone Reed had long believed to be dead. But he’d never fully bought it. She couldn’t have gone down that easily.
Reed smirked. His dark blue eyes met hers, a slightly lighter shade of blue.
“I’m not Lua, just so you know,” Lia said.
“I’d never mistake you for her,” Reed replied. “You’re different.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“So, what are you doing here? Or rather, what made you pull such a bold move, showing up at my place? I’m not even gonna ask where you’ve been.”
“It’s simple, Reed. My sister tried to kill me. I survived. That’s the short version. Now Lua’s looking for me again. And your place is the one spot she’d never step foot in, not in her right mind.”
Reed laughed. Lia was one hundred percent right.
“So, what, you’re here to call a truce? Wave a white flag?”
“You can do whatever you want. But I need to stay here. And occasionally make a few quick trips out.”
“What makes you think you’ll be able to leave after walking in here?”
“Reed, I’m in a position where I’ve got nowhere else to go. And I’ll come back. If I’ve gone this far, I’m seeing it through.”
“And what exactly are you after?” Reed stood in the middle of the room, subtly gripping his gun.
“Reed, are you scared of me?” Lia gave a faint smile. “You’re in your own home.”
“What are you suggesting? That I lock up all my weapons and slip on some pink bunny slippers?”
“With floppy ears… I’m not gonna attack you. And right now, I couldn’t care less about your business.”
“I’m still gonna stay on guard. Relaxing with an enemy nearby isn’t the smartest move.”
“Your call. You asked about my plans? Well, I want to stop this giant machine of kidnappings and hostage crises. To do that, I need to stop my sister. Or at least get her on my side. I’m sick of all these news broadcasts about poor victims and the brave authorities endlessly throwing themselves into the lion’s den with terrorists. Sure, I could stay in the shadows for the rest of my life. But I can’t.”
Reed studied Lia more closely.
“This isn’t like you,” he remarked. “Justice never used to bother you.”
“Doesn’t matter. And it’s not about justice. I’m just fed up with all the fake heroics. So, deal?”
“You’re so cute, trying to negotiate with me,” Reed grinned predatorily. “You’re already in the cage. And you’re not getting out. You can hide from your sister here as long as you want. By the way, I’ll need all your weapons.”
Lia slowly unstrapped her thigh holster, then pulled out three knives from the inner pocket of her jacket and a spare one from her boot. She placed the entire stash on the coffee table beside her.
“You think I’m gonna believe that’s everything?” Reed took a step toward Lia. “Forgot to ask—how’d you even get in here?”
“First, I forged my sister’s ID. We’re twins, after all,” Lia said, spreading her arms and standing with her feet shoulder-width apart, letting him pat her down. “Picking locks is no big deal for me. Even yours. I used to be with the agency. And I took a few useful things with me.”
“Risky move.”
“I won’t go back there unless I have to. I just couldn’t resist leaving my mark.”
“Your mark?” Reed glanced at her fingers.
She hadn’t left fingerprints in ages, thanks to the burned skin on her fingertips.
“She’ll figure out I was there. No way she won’t.”
Reed finished the pat-down. He didn’t find any additional weapons.
“This isn’t like you, leaving yourself no outs,” he said, disappointed.
“I’ll find a way if I need one,” Lia assured him. “Alright, I’m starving. Where’s your kitchen?”
***
A red-haired guy caught up to Lua and placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Hey, listen,” he started. “Hey! What’s with you today? You’re totally spacing out…”
Lua turned around.
“Hey, Ryan, I didn’t catch that.”
“Well, I called out to you earlier when you were in the archives. You didn’t even turn around. Just sped up.”
At this news, Lua froze for a second, as if struck by lightning. The archives??? She hadn’t been in the archives today!
“What time was this?! Hey, Ryan! Don’t just stand there!” Lua grabbed her colleague by the shoulders and shook him.
“1:25 PM,” a flustered Ryan replied.
Lua instantly let go of him.
“It was her. I need Roy right now!!! Haisley, where is he?!”
Ryan focused. Lua only called him by his last name in rare situations.
“We’ll find him,” he said.
***
Lia sat at a laptop, actively messaging May Amarts, the sister of her ex-boyfriend. At just eighteen, the girl was incredibly sharp. She was a hacker, which was exactly what Lia needed right now.
“What are you up to?” Reed asked, hovering nearby.
He hadn’t taken his eyes off his old enemy for hours.
“Just scoping things out for now. My impulsiveness forced me to move too fast.”
The drug dealer smirked and rubbed the handle of his gun.
“You gonna keep watching me with that gun? Sleep with it too?” Lia asked.
“Good question.”
“If I wanted to fight you, I’d have already hit one of your spots. Trust me, Reed, I’ve got enough problems without you.”
Reed’s phone rang. He made an apologetic gesture, answered, and stepped aside.
“Yeah?”
“Martinez, hey,” came the voice on the other end. “We finally tracked down the kids. We need you.”
“Where?”
“At the old port.”
“I’ll be there soon.”
Reed hung up and cast a wary glance at his guest.
“I’ve gotta head out,” he said, then hesitated for a moment.
“Reed, I’m not interested in your business,” Lia reminded him. “I’ll be here.”
“Just to be safe,” the drug dealer said as he snapped a pair of handcuffs onto the girl’s wrist. He attached the other end to the leg of a table bolted to the floor. “Sit tight for a bit.”
Lia smirked. Reed was doing this more for his own peace of mind than any real attempt to restrain her. He knew full well she could easily get out of something as basic as handcuffs. Lia glanced at her right hand, which remained free. Or could she?