Chapter 26 The Enemy In The Dark

The underground parking lot was cloaked in shadow, the flickering overhead lights casting eerie pools of illumination on the damp concrete. The scent of gasoline and stale air clung to the stillness, broken only by the soft hum of an idling engine. Rodrigo Santillán stood just beyond the reach of the dim glow, his figure a silhouette against the cavernous space. His dark suit blended seamlessly with the night, but the ember of his cigarette flared, briefly revealing the sharp planes of his face, angular, ruthless, unreadable. He exhaled slowly, watching the tendrils of smoke curl upward before vanishing into the void. His eyes, cold and calculating, never wavered from the woman stepping out of the elevator.