A woman with long silver hair stood in the hallway, her posture rigid and alert. There was something familiar about her, though Rayne was certain they'd never met. The woman's piercing green eyes seemed to look right through her, as if peering into Rayne's very soul.
"Who's there?" Rayne called out nervously, her voice quavering slightly.
"Someone who has answers about your past," the woman replied in a low, husky voice. "But we can't talk here. It isn't safe." Her eyes darted from side to side, scanning the hallway.
Rayne's hand trembled as she reached for the door handle. She knew opening the door to a stranger was risky, but the promise of answers was too tempting to ignore. Her heart pounded in her chest as she wrestled with indecision. Taking a deep breath, she slowly opened the door.
Instantly, the woman grabbed Rayne's wrist with surprising strength and pulled her into the hallway, closing the door behind them with a soft click. "Come on," she whispered, urgency lacing her voice. "We need to get out of here. *Now*."
"Who are you? How do you know me?" Rayne demanded, trying to pull free from the woman's iron grip. The scent of leather and something floral - lavender perhaps? - wafted from the stranger.
"It's a long story, but we don't have time for that now," the woman replied, moving swiftly down the hallway. Her boots made no sound on the worn carpet.
Rayne's mind was reeling. Was this the person she had been looking for all these years? Could she really have answers about Rayne's mysterious past? "Where are we going?" she asked, still resisting the woman's attempts to drag her along.
"Somewhere we can speak in private," the woman replied curtly. "The streets are far too unsafe for this conversation." Her eyes narrowed as she glanced back at Rayne. "There are ears everywhere."
Looking up, Rayne spotted a security camera in the corner of the hallway and for a split second, felt safe. As they approached the stairwell, the woman gave a small, almost imperceptible nod to the camera and without hesitation they went through the door, shutting it closed behind them with a dull thud.
The stairwell was dimly lit and smelled of mildew. Their footsteps echoed off the concrete walls as they descended rapidly. Rayne's mind raced, trying to process what was happening. Who was this woman? What did she know? And why did she seem so afraid?
Exchanging confused glances, both women stepped into the cool night air, disappearing into the shadows of the evening. The streets were eerily quiet, with only the distant wail of a siren breaking the silence.
After several long moments, the door opened once more and a muscular security guard stepped out. His face was impassive as he closed the door behind him and made his way to the nearby computer terminal. After some thought, he hit a few buttons on the keyboard and smiled when a previously blank screen showed a clear view of the parking lot, the alleyway behind the apartment and two people climbing into a small, nondescript sedan.
The guard's smile widened as he watched the car pull away. The feed that had just been turned on had been switched off all night - by his own hand. He reached for his phone, fingers hovering over the keypad. It was time to make a very important call...
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