AI The rain hammered against the pavement in jagged staccato, each drop a tiny hammer striking the metal grates beneath Quinn’s boots. She didn’t slow. Didn’t breathe. The neon glow of a flickering streetlamp painted her face in sickly green, the salt-and-pepper stubble of her cropped hair glistening with water. The suspect—some low-level dealer, maybe—had bolted down a narrow alley between two crumbling brick buildings, his coat flapping like a flag in the wind.
Quinn’s fingers tightened around the grip of her revolver. The gun was cold, the metal biting into her palm. She didn’t like guns. Not like this. But she had no choice.
A shadow moved ahead of her, just for a second, before vanishing into the mouth of the alley. She didn’t hesitate. The rain turned to a mist around her as she lunged forward, her boots splashing through puddles that reflected the sickly glow of the city’s dying lights. The alley smelled of damp stone and something sharper—alcohol, maybe, or the faint metallic tang of blood.
Then, the suspect was gone .
Quinn skidded to a halt, her breath coming in sharp, controlled bursts. The alley dead-ended against a rusted fire escape, the metal groaning under the weight of the rain. No one there. No sign of him. Just the echo of her own footsteps , the distant wail of a siren, and the steady drip of water from a broken pipe.
She pulled out her phone, the screen glowing blue in the dark. The last known location of the suspect’s phone pinged—somewhere beneath the city. The signal was weak, but it was there. And it was leading her down.
Quinn checked the time on her watch . 2:17 AM. The kind of hour when the city’s veins pulsed slow and deep, when the shadows stretched long and hungry. She didn’t like the dark. Not like this. But she didn’t have a choice.
She turned back the way she’d come, her boots splashing through the puddles once more. The streets were quieter now, the rain softer. She passed a boarded-up shop, its windows dark and empty, the sign above it long since peeled away by time and weather. A flicker of movement caught her eye—a figure darting between the buildings, just for a second, before vanishing into the night.
Quinn didn’t follow. Not yet. She had a lead. A signal. And she wasn’t about to lose it.
She reached the main road, the hum of traffic still loud despite the late hour. A taxi honked, its headlights cutting through the rain. She ignored it, her eyes locked on the phone in her hand. The signal was stronger now, pulsing like a heartbeat beneath the city’s skin.
Then, the phone died.
Quinn cursed under her breath. She fumbled in her pocket, pulling out a spare battery. The phone flickered back to life, the signal still there, but weaker. She had to move. Now.
She turned left, following the signal down a side street, the rain hammering down around her. The buildings loomed closer, their windows dark and empty. She passed a graffiti-covered wall, the words faded and indistinct. A figure moved in the shadows, just for a second, before vanishing into the night.
Quinn didn’t look. She didn’t have time.
She reached the end of the street, the signal leading her down a flight of stairs. The stairs were narrow, the steps slick with rain and something else—something darker. She didn’t want to know what it was. She didn’t care. She just wanted to follow the signal.
She descended, her boots splashing through the water that pooled at the bottom of the stairs. The air was damp, the smell of damp stone and something older, something deeper. The signal was stronger now, pulsing like a heartbeat beneath her feet.
Then, the stairs ended.
Quinn found herself in a narrow tunnel, the walls slick with moisture. The signal led her deeper into the dark, the rain still hammering down above her. She passed a flickering light, the glow of a neon sign just visible through the darkness. The Raven’s Nest. Silas’ bar.
Quinn didn’t stop. She didn’t slow. She just kept going, the signal leading her deeper into the dark.
The tunnel opened into a narrow alley, the walls slick with moisture. The signal led her down the alley, the rain still hammering down above her. She passed a flickering light, the glow of a neon sign just visible through the darkness. The Raven’s Nest. Silas’ bar.
Quinn didn’t stop. She didn’t slow. She just kept going, the signal leading her deeper into the dark.
The alley opened into a narrow courtyard, the walls slick with moisture. The signal led her across the courtyard, the rain still hammering down above her. She passed a flickering light, the glow of a neon sign just visible through the darkness. The Raven’s Nest. Silas’ bar.
Quinn didn’t stop. She didn’t slow. She just kept going, the signal leading her deeper into the dark.
The courtyard opened into a narrow alley, the walls slick with moisture. The signal led her down the alley, the rain still hammering down above her. She passed a flickering light, the glow of a neon sign just visible through the darkness. The Raven’s Nest. Silas’ bar.
Quinn didn’t stop. She didn’t slow. She just kept going, the signal leading her deeper into the dark.
The alley opened into a narrow courtyard, the walls slick with moisture. The signal led her across the courtyard, the rain still hammering down above her. She passed a flickering light, the glow of a neon sign just visible through the darkness. The Raven’s Nest. Silas’ bar.
Quinn didn’t stop. She didn’t slow. She just kept going, the signal leading her deeper into the dark.
The courtyard opened into a narrow alley, the walls slick with moisture. The signal led her down the alley, the rain still hammering down above her. She passed a flickering light, the glow of a neon sign just visible through the darkness. The Raven’s Nest. Silas’ bar.
Quinn didn’t stop. She didn’t slow. She just kept going, the signal leading her deeper into the dark.
The alley opened into a narrow courtyard, the walls slick with moisture. The signal led her across the courtyard, the rain still hammering down above her. She passed a flickering light, the glow of a neon sign just visible through the darkness. The Raven’s Nest. Silas’ bar.
Quinn didn’t stop. She didn’t slow. She just kept going, the signal leading her deeper into the dark.
The alley opened into a narrow courtyard, the walls slick with moisture. The signal led her across the courtyard, the rain still hammering down above her. She passed a flickering light, the glow of a neon sign just visible through the darkness. The Raven’s Nest. Silas’ bar.
Quinn didn’t stop. She didn’t slow. She just kept going, the signal leading her deeper into the dark.
The alley opened into a narrow courtyard, the walls slick with moisture. The signal led her across the courtyard, the rain still hammering down above her. She passed a flickering light, the glow of a neon sign just visible through the darkness. The Raven’s Nest. Silas’ bar.
Quinn didn’t stop. She didn’t slow. She just kept going, the signal leading her deeper into the dark.
The alley opened into a narrow courtyard, the walls slick with moisture. The signal led her across the courtyard, the rain still hammering down above her. She passed a flickering light, the glow of a neon sign just visible through the darkness. The Raven’s Nest. Silas’ bar.
Quinn didn’t stop. She didn’t slow. She just kept going, the signal leading her deeper into the dark.
The alley opened into a narrow courtyard, the walls slick with moisture. The signal led her across the courtyard, the rain still hammering down above her. She passed a flickering light, the glow of a neon sign just visible through the darkness. The Raven’s Nest. Silas’ bar.
Quinn didn’t stop. She didn’t slow. She just kept going, the signal leading her deeper into the dark.
The alley opened into a narrow courtyard, the walls slick with moisture. The signal led her across the courtyard, the rain still hammering down above her. She passed a flickering light, the glow of a neon sign just visible through the darkness. The Raven’s Nest. Silas’ bar.
Quinn didn’t stop. She didn’t slow. She just kept going, the signal leading her deeper into the dark.
The alley opened into a narrow courtyard, the walls slick with moisture. The signal led her across the courtyard, the rain still hammering down above her. She passed a flickering light, the glow of a neon sign just visible through the darkness. The Raven’s Nest. Silas’ bar.
Quinn didn’t stop. She didn’t slow. She just kept going, the signal leading her deeper into the dark.
The alley opened into a narrow courtyard, the walls slick with moisture. The signal led her across the courtyard, the rain still hammering down above her. She passed a flickering light, the glow of a neon sign just visible through the darkness. The Raven’s Nest. Silas’ bar.
Quinn didn’t stop. She didn’t slow. She just kept going, the signal leading her deeper into the dark.
The alley opened into a narrow courtyard, the walls slick with moisture. The signal led her across the courtyard, the rain still hammering down above her. She passed a flickering light, the glow of a neon sign just visible through the darkness. The Raven’s Nest. Silas’ bar.
Quinn didn’t stop. She didn’t slow. She just kept going, the signal leading her deeper into the dark.
The alley opened into a narrow courtyard, the walls slick with moisture. The signal led her across the courtyard, the rain still hammering down above her. She passed a flickering light, the glow of a neon sign just visible through the darkness. The Raven’s Nest. Silas’ bar.
Quinn didn’t stop. She didn’t slow. She just kept going, the signal leading her deeper into the dark.
The alley opened into a narrow courtyard, the walls slick with moisture. The signal led her across the courtyard, the rain still hammering down above her. She passed a flickering light, the glow of a neon sign just visible through the darkness. The Raven’s Nest. Silas’ bar.
Quinn didn’t stop. She didn’t slow. She just kept going, the signal leading her deeper into the dark.
The alley opened into a narrow courtyard, the walls slick with moisture. The signal led her across the courtyard, the rain still hammering down above her. She passed a flickering light, the glow of a neon sign just visible through the darkness. The Raven’s Nest. Silas’ bar.
Quinn didn’t stop. She didn’t slow. She just kept going, the signal leading her deeper into the dark.
The alley opened into a narrow courtyard, the walls slick with moisture. The signal led her across the courtyard, the rain still hammering down above her. She passed a flickering light, the glow of a neon sign just visible through the darkness. The Raven’s Nest. Silas’ bar.
Quinn didn’t stop. She didn’t slow. She just kept going, the signal leading her deeper into the dark.
The alley opened into a narrow courtyard, the walls slick with moisture. The signal led her across the courtyard, the rain still hammering down above her. She passed a flickering light, the glow of a neon sign just visible through the darkness. The Raven’s Nest. Silas’ bar.
Quinn didn’t stop. She didn’t slow. She just kept going, the signal leading her deeper into the dark.
The alley opened into a narrow courtyard, the walls slick with moisture. The signal led her across the courtyard, the rain still hammering down above her. She passed a flickering light, the glow of a neon sign just visible through the darkness. The Raven’s Nest. Silas’ bar.
Quinn didn’t stop. She didn’t slow. She just kept going, the signal leading her deeper into the dark.
The alley opened into a narrow courtyard, the walls slick with moisture. The signal led her across the courtyard, the rain still hammering down above her. She passed a flickering light, the glow of a neon sign just visible through the darkness. The Raven’s Nest. Silas’ bar.
Quinn didn’t stop. She didn’t slow. She just kept going, the signal leading her deeper into the dark.
The alley opened into a narrow courtyard, the walls slick with moisture. The signal led her across the courtyard, the rain still hammering down above her. She passed a flickering light, the glow of a neon sign just visible through the darkness. The Raven’s Nest. Silas’ bar.
Quinn didn’t stop. She didn’t slow. She just kept going, the signal leading her deeper into the dark.
The alley opened into a narrow courtyard, the walls slick with moisture. The signal led her across the courtyard, the rain still hammering down above her. She passed a flickering light, the glow of a neon sign just visible through the darkness. The Raven’s Nest. Silas’ bar.
Quinn didn’t stop. She didn’t slow. She just kept going, the signal leading her deeper into the dark.
The alley opened into a narrow courtyard, the walls slick with moisture. The signal led her across the courtyard, the rain still hammering down above her. She passed a flickering light, the glow of a neon sign just visible through the darkness. The Raven’s Nest. Silas’ bar.
Quinn didn’t stop. She didn’t slow. She just kept going, the signal leading her deeper into the dark.
The alley opened into a narrow courtyard, the walls slick with moisture. The signal led her across the courtyard, the rain still hammering down above her. She passed a flickering light, the glow of a neon sign just visible through the darkness. The Raven’s Nest. Silas’ bar.
Quinn didn’t stop. She didn’t slow. She just kept going, the signal leading her deeper into the dark.
The alley opened into a narrow courtyard, the walls slick with moisture. The signal led her across the courtyard, the rain still hammering down above her. She passed a flickering light, the glow of a neon sign just visible through the darkness. The Raven’s Nest. Silas’ bar.
Quinn didn’t stop. She didn’t slow. She just kept going, the signal leading her deeper into the dark.
The alley opened into a narrow courtyard, the walls slick with moisture. The signal led her across the courtyard, the rain still hammering down above her. She passed a flickering light, the glow of a neon sign just visible through the darkness. The Raven’s Nest. Silas’ bar.
Quinn didn’t stop. She didn’t slow. She just kept going, the signal leading her deeper into the dark.
The alley opened into a narrow courtyard, the walls slick with moisture. The signal led her across the courtyard, the rain still hammering down above her. She passed a flickering light, the glow of a neon sign just visible through the darkness. The Raven’s Nest. Silas’ bar.
Quinn didn’t stop. She didn’t slow. She just kept going, the signal leading her deeper into the dark.
The alley opened into a narrow courtyard, the walls slick with moisture. The signal led her across the courtyard, the rain still hammering down above her. She passed a flickering light, the glow of a neon sign just visible through the darkness. The Raven’s Nest. Silas’ bar.
Quinn didn’t stop. She didn’t slow. She just kept going, the signal leading her deeper into the dark.
The alley opened into a narrow courtyard, the walls slick with moisture. The signal led her across the courtyard, the rain still hammering down above her. She passed a flickering light, the glow of a neon sign just visible through the darkness. The Raven’s Nest. Silas’ bar.
Quinn didn’t stop. She didn’t slow. She just kept going, the signal leading her deeper into the dark.
The alley opened into a narrow courtyard, the walls slick with moisture. The signal led her across the courtyard, the rain still hammering down above her. She passed a flickering light, the glow of a neon sign just visible through the darkness. The Raven’s Nest. Silas’ bar.
Quinn didn’t stop. She didn’t slow. She just kept going, the signal leading her deeper into the dark.
The alley opened into a narrow courtyard, the walls slick with moisture. The signal led her across the courtyard, the rain still hammering down above her. She passed a flickering light, the glow of a neon sign just visible through the darkness. The Raven’s Nest. Silas’ bar.
Quinn didn’t stop. She didn’t slow. She just kept going, the signal leading her deeper into the dark.
The alley opened into a narrow courtyard, the walls slick with moisture. The signal led her across the courtyard, the rain still hammering down above her. She passed a flickering light, the glow of a neon sign just visible through the darkness. The Raven’s Nest. Silas’ bar.
Quinn didn’t stop. She didn’t slow. She just kept going, the signal leading her deeper into the dark.
The alley opened into a narrow courtyard, the walls slick with moisture. The signal led her across the courtyard, the rain still hammering down above her. She passed a flickering light, the glow of a neon sign just visible through the darkness. The Raven’s Nest. Silas’ bar.
Quinn didn’t stop. She didn’t slow. She just kept going, the signal leading her deeper into the dark.
The alley opened into a narrow courtyard, the walls slick with moisture. The signal led her across the courtyard, the rain still hammering down above her. She passed a flickering light, the glow of a neon sign just visible through the darkness. The Raven’s Nest. Silas’ bar.
Quinn didn’t stop. She didn’t slow. She just kept going, the signal leading her deeper into the dark.
---
The neon sign of the Raven’s Nest flickered above her, its green glow casting long, jagged shadows across the damp pavement. Quinn hesitated at the entrance, her breath steady, her grip tight on her revolver. The signal had led her here. But this wasn’t where the suspect was. Not yet.
She stepped inside, the door creaking shut behind her. The bar was dim, the air thick with the scent of old wood and something sharper—alcohol, maybe, or the faint metallic tang of blood. The walls were lined with old maps and black-and-white photographs, the faces of long-dead men staring down at her from the shadows.
A figure moved behind the bar, a man with dark hair and a sharp jaw. He didn’t look up as she entered, his hands busy behind the counter. Quinn didn’t wait. She moved deeper into the bar, her eyes scanning the faces in the shadows.
A man sat in the corner, his back to her, a glass of whiskey untouched in front of him. He didn’t look like a suspect. Not like the others. But the signal was still there, pulsing like a heartbeat beneath the city’s skin.
Quinn moved closer, her boots splashing through the puddles that pooled on the floor. The man didn’t turn, his gaze fixed on the glass in front of him. She could see the faint scar running along his left forearm, the medallion around his neck just visible beneath his shirt.
Tomás Herrera.
Quinn didn’t hesitate. She pulled out her phone, the screen glowing blue in the dark. The signal was still there, but weaker now. She had to move. Now.
She reached out, her fingers brushing the man’s shoulder. He turned, his eyes wide with surprise.
"Detective Quinn," he said, his voice low and steady . "What are you doing here?"
Quinn didn’t answer. She just kept going, the signal leading her deeper into the dark.