Prologue — Bad Decisions

“How did everything go so wrong?”

The young man spoke out loud, running his hands through his hair in a nervous motion. He pushed it back again and again, only for it to stretch and spring back into its natural curls.

“Dude, you said this would work. I don’t know how you didn’t see the cops tracking us,” the other boy snapped.

He clutched a gun, swinging it wildly from side to side, his hands shaking.

“Bastard… I don’t want to go to prison.”

“Calm down!” the first one shouted.

He forced himself to inhale deeply, trying to slow his racing thoughts. Then he turned toward his partner.

“What if we threaten to kill the little girl? We could use the panic to escape.”

The boy, barely nineteen, smirked with pride, as if he had just delivered a brilliant plan.

“You’re right. You always have good ideas,” the other replied, trying to sound calm. “Though we wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t wanted to make money with a kidnapping.”

“Manuel, what really bothers me is this,” he continued. “We asked for the ransom far away from here, and they still found our exact location.”

None of it made sense.

“Maybe they searched abandoned places,” Manuel said. “Adrián… why did you choose somewhere this creepy?”

Ever since they arrived, chills had crawled up his spine. During these past two days, after deciding to chase easy money, he hadn’t relaxed once. Shadows seemed to move in the corners of his vision. Voices whispered his name. Just remembering it made his skin prickle.

“This old military barracks has been abandoned for years,” Adrián replied. “I didn’t think anyone would look here.”

Anger flashed across his face.

“Damn it, I don’t want to go to prison! I just wanted money. My father cut me off, but this… this wasn’t what I wanted!”

“Maybe we should let the girl go,” Manuel suggested quietly. “We might get less time.”

“If we’re going to prison,” Adrián snapped, “it better be for something real.”

His voice trembled as he pulled out the gun he had bought months ago just to show off. The same gun that had pushed his father to stop supporting him.

“Brother, please… calm down.”

Manuel reached for him, but was shoved aside.

The gun was now pointed at the little girl.

She stared at them in horror. She hadn’t eaten in days and was barely conscious, but those words forced her awake.

Forgive me, daddy. Forgive me, mommy. I love you so much. I wish I could have spent more time with you… I don’t want to die.

She closed her eyes, waiting for the sound of the gunshot.

Nothing happened.

Only frantic voices filled the room.

“Who are you?” Manuel shouted.

A silhouette rushed toward him.

He fired.

Two gunshots echoed through the building.

The figure didn’t stop.

“Ah—”

That was the last sound Manuel made before the shadow slammed into him. His body flew across the room and crashed into the wall. Bone shattered with a sickening crack.

“Manuel!”

Adrián froze, staring at his friend’s lifeless body.

The girl no longer mattered.

He had to get out.

He ran.

“Fuck… what the hell was that?!”

He sprinted up the basement stairs.

Something—or someone—tackled him from behind.