Rain fell in a relentless, drenching curtain, blurring the neon lights of the city into smears of color. A man ran through it. He was rugged, his clothes dark with water, his expression one of fierce determination as he pursued an unseen figure down the slick streets.
Sudden, violent flashes punctuated his frantic sprint:
A glint off a knife in a dark doorway.
A streak of dark red washing down a storm drain.
A glimpse of a pale, motionless hand behind a dumpster.
He followed a turn into a narrow alley and slid to a stop, his boots skidding on the wet pavement. The space was empty, a dead end stacked with abandoned boxes. The person he was chasing was gone. He bent forward, hands on his knees, breath heaving in ragged clouds as the rain poured over him.
Abruptly, the drumming on his back and shoulders stopped.
He straightened up and turned.
