The rain didn’t wash away the filth of the city; it just made the betrayal slicker.
Writer’s Prompt
The rain in this city doesn’t wash anything clean; it just makes the filth slick.
I sat in the dark of the Neon Parrot, watching the amber liquid in my glass catch the pulsing light from the street. My trench coat was still damp, heavy with the scent of cheap tobacco and regret. I was waiting for Julian.
Three years ago, Julian was the partner who had my back. Two years ago, he was the man who left me to rot in a state penitentiary for a heist he orchestrated. Today, he was just a target.
The door chimed. Julian walked in, flanked by two gorillas in tailored suits. He hadn’t changed, still wearing that arrogant, million-dollar smile. But his eyes went cold when he spotted me sliding out of the booth.
“Leo,” he breathed, his hand instinctively twitching toward his jacket lining. “I heard you got out.”
“Early biological release,” I said, my voice like gravel. “They said I was rehabilitated. I told them I had unfinished business.”
I didn’t give his hired muscle time to react. I pulled the snub-nosed .38 from my pocket and leveled it at his chest. The bartender vanished behind the counter. Julian’s smile evaporated, replaced by the pale sheen of terror.
“Leo, wait, it wasn’t my call—”
“Save it.” I cocked the hammer. The click sounded like a thunderclap in the sudden silence of the bar.
But then, a shadow moved in the reflection of the mirror behind Julian. A cold barrel pressed firmly against the back of my own neck. A familiar, perfume-scented voice whispered in my ear: “Drop it, Leo. He’s with me now.”
It was Clara. The woman I thought was waiting for me.
How Does the Story End?
Your Turn: Does Leo pull the trigger anyway, taking Julian down with him? Does he turn the gun on Clara, or lay it down, defeated by a double betrayal? Finish the story in the comments below.
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