Chapter 3 - The Shadow in the Mirror
The sudden thud against the passenger window made Clara jump, dropping her phone an inch before catching it by the silicone edge.
The man in the grey t-shirt—younger, breathing heavily, with a small scar slicing through his left eyebrow—was frantically gesturing toward the rearview mirror inside the SUV.
"Don't look at the screen!" the stranger outside yelled, his voice muffled through the safety glass. "Look in the back! In the cargo area!"
Clara slowly turned her head, peering past the front seats into the dimly lit back section of the black SUV.
At first, she saw only empty space and a folded black umbrella resting on the rubber floor mat.
Then, the rear interior light flickered on automatically, casting a harsh yellow glow over a heavy military-grade duffel bag that definitely had not been there when she first opened the door.
The driver in the green polo shirt cursed loudly, lunging across the center console to lock all four doors with a frantic slap of the master switch.
"Keep your mouth shut, Leo!" the driver shouted through the closed window at the man standing outside.
"You can't hide it anymore, Marcus!" Leo yelled back, kicking the rear tire in frustration. "She’s already involved. She saw the registration in the glove box!"
Clara’s blood ran cold as she locked eyes with the man in the driver's seat—the man who moments ago insisted his name was David.
"Your name isn't David," Clara said, her voice shaking violently as she gripped the door handle, praying it wasn't truly locked. "Who are you, and why do you have my husband's phone?"
Marcus—or whoever he really was—smiled coldly, reaching slowly toward the glove compartment with a hand that didn't tremble at all.
"Your husband left a lot of things behind, Clara," Marcus said smoothly, his thumb pressing the release button. "Including a very detailed list of everything you two were trying to steal from me."
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As the glove box dropped open, a heavy stack of legal documents slid out, bearing Clara’s own signature on a corporate asset transfer she had never agreed to.
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